“Everybody in the car,” I shouted. “It’s time for our first annual Christmas Lights Scavenger Hunt!”
My heart was giddy with excitement for what was to come. The kids had been neatly tucked into bed for about 10 minutes and I was poised to announce the thrill of the season.
I stood in the middle of the living room and shook the jingle bells as loud as I could.
They burst out of their rooms with excited bewilderment smeared all over their tiny faces. I’m fairly certain the older ones thought mom had gone crazy. I mean what kind of mother “wakes” up her kids after putting them to bed and throws them in the car for a night of fun?
I can answer that. She’s the kind of mom who wants to make a memory.
We piled in the van, which was freshly stocked with styrofoam coffee cups filled with hot chocolate. The radio blared our favorite Christmas carols and the sweet squeals of my precious children could be heard even outside of the van.
The plan was simple. We would drive around town and look at Christmas lights.
I made up this little Christmas Lights Scavenger Hunt on scrap paper where my kids could check off popular Christmas decorations as they spotted them. We laughed, sang, and celebrated as we searched to check off the items on the list. I probably don’t have to tell you that it was a night we will never forget.
In fact, the kids talked about it for an entire year until the next Christmas came. And then they began wondering: Would Mom do it again? What night might she ring those bells?
I have to admit that my heart is full of joy just thinking about doing it again this year. It’s really a simple tradition. It’s even free. Which reminds me of the whole point of Christmas. It’s not about fancy packages, elaborate dinners, or perfect families. It’s about time together. It’s about giving each other the gift of love.
So are you in? I’d love for you to join us in the Christmas Lights Scavenger Hunt tradition. In fact, I’ve even upgraded my little piece of scratch paper to a beautiful printable that I’d love to share with you!
Christmas Lights Scavenger Hunt
Putting together your own Christmas lights scavenger hunt is simple. Of course, you’ll need to pick a night. I also recommend scoping out the best neighborhoods for Christmas lights. I often do this by asking my friends on Facebook. You can count on Facebook for a wide array of opinions. (Haha)
Next, download the free printable (links below) and print. I use cardstock for things like this because it will hold up better with little ones in the car. I also like to give them each a clipboard and something fun to write with.
As mentioned above, I stocked the car with hot chocolate in to-go cups, as well as some special treats. This isn’t required, but it sure made the atmosphere all the more exciting.
If you have older kids, have them help you get everything set before you “wake” up the younger kids. This is a great way for them to serve and it builds their excitement, too.
Christmas Lights Scavenger Hunt Games
If you have all younger kids, just the scavenger hunt is plenty of fun for the evening. However, as my kids have gotten older, I’ve raised the bar for competition. I do offer a prize for the person with the most items checked off at the end of the night. I’ve also done these variations with teens:
- Have kids take pictures with their cell phones instead of marking them off.
- Have them take SELFIES with as many items on the list as possible.
- Have them play in teams (boys vs. girls) to see who can get them marked off first.
- Have them write the street address number down next to each item they find. The winner has to add up the address numbers to win.
- Pick a color for the night and don’t allow them to mark off items unless they include that color.
I’m so excited just thinking about all the fun your family will have this year with the Christmas lights scavenger hunt! I pray that you will cherish each moment because long after the newest toy is shoved broken under the bed, these memories will be treasured in their hearts!
Download your Christmas Lights Scavenger Hunt Printables today:
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Peggy E says
I love the idea of this scavenger hunt. Thanks for sharing it.
janeen says
super cute! thanks for sharing!!
Tamika C. Moore says
I absolutely LOVE this idea! This will surely get my girls into the Holiday spirit.
Kelly says
I love that they were tucked in bed – completely unsuspecting of what was coming next! My girls are only 3 and 4 but I definitely plan to do this. I downloaded the scavenger hunt page to add to our night when they are a little older. Thank you so much for this idea. Can’t wait to hear more memory-making ideas!
Jennifer says
We started this tradition two years ago. Only ours was slightly different. I sent them “up to bed” where they’d find a golden ticket to ride….which they’d come running out with and I’d yell, come on let’s go! My husband would be waiting in the car with popcorn and hot cocoa. Last year I found a scavenger hunt for lights, however, yours is way better! I love the idea of letting them actually get in bed and then ring the bell. That will be a lot easier than waiting and hoping for them to see the ticket at the same time haha! Can’t wait to do it again this year! Thanks so much for sharing. Happy Holidays 🙂
Melissa Donovan says
Thanks for the great idea. We do not celebrate Christmas but really enjoy all the pretty lights on display. We are going to use your list and go driving around our town and see how many things we can find on the list!!!
Wendy says
Most darling ever! Just shared with my friends and printed up some copies. Thank you and Merry Christmas!
Mandy Majors says
Thank you for putting this together!! We’re using it this week, and I just shared on my FB page. Hope you have a Merry Christmas!!!!
amber says
I am totally doing this tonight! Thank you for sharing this great idea and the fabulous printable!
Merry Christmas to you!
Amber
Lisa/Syncopated Mama says
So cute! I linked to this page of yours in my blog post today. I hope you see some new visitors your way! Merry Christmas!
Kim Sorgius says
Thank you for sharing!
kendell says
Thank you so much for sharing your files, they are really appreciated
Katie Hornor says
This printable is so pretty! Thank you. I am linking to it as a resource for my post on the history of electric Christmas Tree lights.
Kim Sorgius says
Thank you for sharing!
Jennie Sheppard says
Thanks for the email this morning. I printed a different Christmas lights scavenger hunt last night without really looking at the list beforehand. After it printed, I realized it was strictly secular and that made me so sad! I’m excited to search for the things on this list tonight with our family. Yours is my favorite website/blog ever! Keep up the great work. Merry Christmas to you and your family!
Jamarys Hwang says
What an awesome idea. It’s funny cause in our house I am just not stressed at all. I keep getting these msgs and emails asking whether Im ready for Christmas and frankly Im not sure what that means. What is there to be ready??? We celebrate Jesus we should always be ready for HIM 🙂 Anyway, We go to several Christmas services which we love most. we have dinner at home open gifts either 24th or 25th and play some board games. We love the quite and simple way to stay focus on what matters. no stress no fuss. i will definitely be adding the lights scavenger hunt this year. They’ll enjoy it for sure. Anything to get out of bed 😉 Thanks for sharing
Kim Sorgius says
Yes I agree. People are always asking if we are ready and sometimes it feels weird. I think the stress part comes from the many activities and things that need to get done this time of the year. Whenever things get busy, it’s always more difficult to get necessary things done. 🙂
Jenny Williams says
Love the scavenger hunt. I posted about it on my blog for our 12 Days of Christmas with the Kids. Thanks for sharing!
Shannon Fox says
We used your scavenger hunt sheet last night and it was SO much fun! And as always, your printables are so lovely, too. Thank you for blessing so many with your talent and time.
Kim Sorgius says
Yay. So glad you guys had fun!
Toni says
We had so much fun! Grandparents, parents, and and children split in two cars to see who could find the most items. Our cross-country family participated too. When I asked , “Should we do it again next year?”the answer was “definitely”. Post-hunt prizes were Christmas bulb shaped cookies for all. Thank you so much for sharing. (We were already up….just as much fun I think)
Lauren says
Thank you so much for this printable. We shared with friends and it was such a fun family time for us!