Make Thanksgiving even more fun with a free printable treasure hunt for kids!
Includes 16 mix-and-match clues and blank cards for creating your own clues.
Thanksgiving is a great time of year. The Christmas hustle and bustle hasn’t started. There is time to spend time with the family. The kids are usually off from school for a few days.
With the kids being off school in mind, I developed this treasure hunt. This is designed for younger kids. No difficult riddles to solve- just clue cards sending them to the next clue until they reach the final treasure.
Please note this is a Thanksgiving treasure hunt, not a Thanksgiving scavenger hunt. (The terms being used interchangeably is a bit of a pet peeve of mine.) A treasure hunt- as the name implies- involves following clues to a treasure at the end. A scavenger hunt involves simply finding things.
If you’re looking for a treasure hunt for older kids, here is one that includes riddles for them to solve: Free Printable Thanksgiving Riddle Treasure Hunt.
You can also find more free Thanksgiving printables on the Thanksgiving Printables page.
Getting ready for Thanksgiving? Then you have to check out the printable Thanksgiving Binder.
140+ pages with everything you need for a great holiday. Along with the normal calendars, to-lists, etc., there is a Thanksgiving Planner that has timelines for everything from cooking to decor.
Also enjoy the games section, which includes special conversation starters just for the holiday. And thankful worksheets to celebrate the real meaning of the holiday. (Plus the normal decor, etc.)
Instructions
Setting Up The Hunt
I have not numbered the clues. This is intentional. The Thanksgiving treasure hunt clues are mix-and-match. So you can make the treasure hunt as short or as long as you want. (There are also blank cards to make your own clues.)
• Choose your clues before you start setting up the hunt. Pick locations that work best for your home and child.
• Plan the route first before you start putting out the cards. (Trust me, learned this one from experience when I set up my first hunt for my 4-year-old…haha).
• Think about your home’s layout. If you want the kids running up and down to extend the hunt- alternate rooms far away from each other. If you have more than one floor, consider grouping clues together (upstairs clues right after one another; the same for downstairs).
• Keep the set-up sneaky. Having the clues in order and your route planned allows you to hide/place the clues and final treasure without your child figuring out what is going on.
• Choose safe, accessible spots. Kids should be able to retrieve each clue themselves without climbing, opening appliances, or reaching somewhere they shouldn’t.
• The first and last cards (starting the hunt and ending the hunt) are on the top of page 1. Hand the first card to the child with the first actual clue. Put the last card with the treasure at the end to let them know the hunt is done.
Instructions for Downloading & Printing
• Print options: regular paper works, but you can also use card stock for sturdier cards.
• All of the files are in pdf below. Just hit the “download” button (or pink word “download,” depending upon browser). Since every page is different, there is a separate file for each page so you only have to download what you need.
• The default size of these is full-page for 6 clue cards.
Free Printable Thanksgiving Treasure Hunt
The pre-filled out clue cards are designed for younger kids- no riddles to solve; just clear directions to the next clue.
There are 18 cards below (6 per page): 16 mix-and-match Thanksgiving treasure hunt clues, a start card, and an end card.
The first and last cards (starting the hunt and ending the hunt) are on the top of page 1.
-Hand the first card to the child with the first actual clue you choose.
-Put the last card with the treasure at the end to let them know the hunt is done.
Free Blank Thanksgiving Treasure Hunt Clue Cards
The blank clue cards have a couple of uses:
1) You can include places/things unique to your house- Grandma’s cookie jar, a favorite stuffy or book, a loved hiding spot, etc.
2) You can have a treasure hunt outside of your house. You could have an outdoor hunt, a classroom hunt, a hunt at the park, or during a family gathering somewhere.
There are 2 different styles below:
-1 style has a larger cute Thanksgiving animal centered with space to write underneath.
-1 style has a cute Thanksgiving animal in the upper corner, leaving more room to write.
Blank Thanksgiving treasure hunt clue page- 6 cards with a larger cute animal on top & space to write underneath.
Blank Thanksgiving treasure hunt clue page- 6 cards with a small cute Thanksgiving animal in upper corner with a larger space to write your own clue.
Ideas for Thanksgiving Treasure
Of course, you need a treasure at the end of your hunt! Here are some ideas:
• I have a ton of fun treats on my site that might fit the bill for a treasure: a small Ziploc bag of Thanksgiving puppy chow, fall pretzels, or turkey cookies.
• Edible gold “coins” or a fall-themed candy treat
• Shiny stuff- pretty necklaces, bracelets, glitter jewelry, etc.
• Temporary tattoos or stickers
• Activity items: little containers of play-dough, sidewalk chalk, bubbles, etc.
• Coloring book and/or crayons
• Picture books
What do You Think?
Did you like the free printable Thanksgiving treasure hunt? Was there a clue in particular that you liked? Did one of the cute Thanksgiving animals catch your eye? Comment below and let me know.
Could you do me a quick favor? If you enjoyed this post, could you share it with your friends? Share buttons are at the top.
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