How to Organize a Gift Scavenger Hunt: At the Office, Home, or School
A gift received through an exciting game with riddles offers a whole new level of joy, even when compared to finding a surprise under the tree.
We'll explain how to create a unique gift-giving experience in various settings.
What is a Gift Scavenger Hunt
A gift scavenger hunt is a playful mini-game where every step towards a gift is part of the surprise. Participants solve puzzles and move from one location to another, like in an adventure movie, all while seeking the prized treasure.
This format works great with kids, adults, colleagues, friends, and even strangers.
The flexible script can include finding little surprises, completing challenges at each step, solving puzzles, and racing against each other in an office, a home, on the street, or even across the entire city. It's all about emotions, movement, and excitement.
Why a Gift Scavenger Hunt is Always a Great Idea
A gift that required some searching is perceived as twice as valuable, and the fun game helps unite old colleagues and new acquaintances.
- It's a cool format for players of any age. Kids enjoy running around to find surprises; adults relish competition, strategizing, solving puzzles, and winning. Teams benefit from negotiating and planning.
- For adults, it's a fantastic team-building activity. Hosting a scavenger hunt in the office or at a corporate event divides employees into teams, with clues leading to goals. Colleagues bond over a common task, with no arguments since it's a festive Christmas game where everyone gets a gift in the end.
- It's an unconventional gifting format that avoids awkwardness. Instead of awkward speeches, arrange a gift hunt for someone special to say "You matter to me" without words.
- Kids love the adventure as much as the gift. Especially if clues are rhymes with puzzles and hidden notes featuring favorite pop culture characters. They can race through the house, find notes in stockings, open the fridge, or look behind curtains for their well-deserved reward at the end.
How to Organize a Gift Scavenger Hunt
It's simpler than it seems. Just set aside a bit of prep time and feel free to use online resources like our blog.
You'll Need
- 5–10 riddles or notes.
- The gifts themselves — either one large or several small ones.
- A sheet of paper, a pen, scissors, tape.
- A bit of imagination and fifteen minutes of quiet time for preparation.
Write on the back of each clue where to hide it to avoid confusion. For instance, if the third clue leads to the fridge, that's where you hide the fourth one.
Simple Home Route Example
- Under the tree — first clue leads to the witch's main weapon from the gingerbread house.
- Oven — clue leads to where cookie dough is prepared.
- Dining table — clue leads to where the coat is hanging.
- Coat closet — clue leads to where the blanket is.
- Bed — clue leads to where important trinkets are kept.
- Drawer with pens — clue leads to the main place in the house.
- Fridge — clue leads to the source of knowledge.
- Bookshelf — clue leads to bedtime preparation spot.
- Pajama drawer — clue leads to where roots grow.
- Flowerpot — clue leads to where detergent smells.
- Washing machine or dishwasher — clue leads to where you can sing loudly.
- Bathroom or shower — where the final gift is hidden.
Each clue can be rhymed, paired with a picture, posed as a riddle, or even a voice message, though for the latter, you'll need to buy several disposable voice recording cassettes.
Rules for a Gift Scavenger Hunt
There are a few simple rules to follow, especially when playing with kids.
- safety first — don’t hide clues in places that are too difficult to reach or dangerous to explore;
- consider the players' ages — keep it simple for kids, while you can add special jokes and tougher puzzles for adults — even a Rubik’s Cube;
- limit the time — 15–30 minutes is optimal so participants don’t get tired and can receive their dopamine rush;
- if there are many participants — take turns reading the clues to keep everyone involved;
- gifts can be anything — from real surprises to ingredients for a holiday dinner you’ll cook together in the end.
How to Combine Secret Santa and a Christmas Gift Adventure
If you're planning a gift scavenger hunt this holiday season, don't miss the opportunity to add intrigue and personalization. One of the best options is to use the online service “MySanta” as a platform for the secret gift drawing, and then integrate the results into the scavenger hunt scenario.
“MySanta” is an online service for exchanging gifts in a "Secret Santa" game format, tailored for different players' needs, which:
- works perfectly if you don’t want to explain the rules or prepare name slips — the system does it all for you, and there's an informative blog for insights;
- automatically matches participants, so you instantly know who gifts to whom;
- allows setting preferences and a strict budget to avoid awkwardness;
- sends anonymous information to each participant's email — keeping every participant in the loop;
- features functionality for playing at great distances — no restrictions apply;
- is suitable for families, offices, student groups, or online teams.
The idea of integrating one game into another isn't just a mix of two popular formats; it's a way to brighten the celebration and add some much-needed interactivity. Traditional Secret Santa involves receiving a gift from an unknown person, but when the journey to that gift is an adventure with clues, tasks, and winding paths, players don't just receive gifts—they earn them, greatly enhancing the experience.
- Assign recipients and Santas. About 1–2 weeks before the holiday, create a game on the platform, invite participants, and conduct the drawing.
- Prepare for the hunt. Every participant prepares a gift for their recipient but doesn't hand it over directly. Instead, they give it to the organizer or leave it at a designated spot.
- Launch the hunt. The scavenger hunt could be shared among everyone: participants take turns or go through the clues together. They find the gifts in a large box/bag/container.
- Reveal the Santas, if you want to make it part of the fun. After all gifts are found, try guessing who each person's Santa might be. Use the small descriptions shared anonymously in the platform's chats to nudge recipients towards the right person, concluding by handing over the surprises personally.
Where You Can Host a Gift Scavenger Hunt
A gift scavenger hunt is a versatile format that can be adapted to any situation. Let's explore the most common settings and how you can easily adjust our advice for other locations.
At the Office
Office holiday parties often follow the same script: refreshments, music, gifts, and shuttle rides home. To add some dynamics, fun, and team spirit similar to an expensive team-building event, integrate a gift scavenger hunt into the celebration. It's a quest that's easy to organize and won't blow your budget.
- Invite players for a Secret Santa game. About 1-2 weeks before the celebration, send a link to the game on MySanta. Employees fill out preferences, and after the draw, the system anonymously notifies them who they will gift to.
- Collect the gifts. A day before the event or the morning of the party, everyone should bring their gifts to the organizer.
- Plan the route. Write several clues leading to different spots in the office: meeting rooms, kitchen, reception, printers, the Christmas tree, etc. Each spot could hold the next clue or a mini-task: take a photo in a yoga pose, solve a puzzle, spot the differences.
- Divide employees into teams. A great way to involve several departments is to create random teams of about 5 people. Teams start from different points on various routes simultaneously to avoid crowding and ensure gift and clue surprises remain hidden.
- Hand out the gifts. All teams eventually gather at one place — like by the Christmas tree or in the lounge, where all the gifts are located. There, each person receives their gift and learns who their Santa was. You can modernize this by sticking QR codes on gifts that reveal the Santas' names. If someone prefers not to reveal the secret and scan the code, they have that choice.
How to Create Your Own QR Code?
For each participant, create a personal page with a message like “Merry Christmas from Sarah!” You can use any free online QR code generator easily found on the internet. These can host text or a link to a Google Doc/page/video, providing a visually interesting element. Each QR code can be printed on a small card and attached to the gift—inside or outside. You can dress it up beautifully: as a tag labeled “Scan to find out who wished you well.”
Tips
- add timing — set a time limit to boost interest and make the game more exciting;
- include a host — one employee or a hired entertainer can manage the process, announce tasks, and maintain the pace;
- use various office spaces — kitchen, meeting room, supply closet, and even trash cans. Everything counts, especially if there's limited space. Clues can be hidden in folders, between sheets of paper in stacks, under keyboards;
- the final gift — can be shared by the team or personal for each participant. It all depends on your budget and the event goals.
At Home or with Guests
A home celebration is an intimate event full of warmth. A gift scavenger hunt will add a spark of fun usually provided by games and contests hosted by professional entertainers for a fee. It's a great way to surprise your loved ones, keep the kids busy, and create a Christmas adventure without leaving the house.
- Invite participants. Any format works: parents + kids, parents with friends, or the entire family. Decide ahead of time who will join the hunt or if it's just for the kids while adults organize.
- Prepare the gifts. Everyone can be a Santa for someone else, adding personal involvement. Adults can prepare surprises for everyone. Gifts should be hidden in advance, ideally when participants aren't watching.
- Create clues. Transform the home into a route with stations: bathroom, couch, closet, tree, fridge, balcony, bookshelf. Each has a short riddle or task.
- Final Station — where the gifts are placed.
Tips
- create the path as a treasure map — let players draw, mark, or cross off found locations;
- involve even the youngest — give them roles as Santa’s helpers to carry cards or open the next task;
- encourage participation from both adults and kids — it takes the older ones briefly away from observing or organizing the fun, allowing them some rest.
What if the apartment is small?
A gift scavenger hunt needs a few locations. Here's how to make it interesting even with limited space:
- Utilize vertical spaces. Use top shelves, doors, backs of furniture, and objects.
- Divide tasks into stages. Instead of moving, create puzzles that each reveal part of the final code or instructions. For example, assemble a puzzle with a message on the back indicating the final gift location, piece together letters from different spots, find all map pieces or instructions, and then open the gift.
- Use a box with compartments. If space is very tight, make one big box with 5–6 compartments. Each holds a task, key, or part of the gift. Players open compartments one by one, going through the mini-quest in place.
- Hide small gifts or tasks inside items. For example: in a cookie jar, board game box, gloves, shoes by the door, fridge, hood of a coat, etc.
At School
Gifts + games + riddles = the perfect recipe for a memorable school party. A gift scavenger hunt is a format that entertains, teaches teamwork, and develops thinking.
- It’s best if parents prepare signed gifts for the kids beforehand. To mix participants so that they’re not preparing gifts for their own children, use the MySanta service.
- Create a route through the school or classroom. Possible stations: library, teacher’s lounge, gym, lockers, chalkboard, school Christmas tree. Each spot has a logic task, riddle, puzzle, or creative mini-task: make a snowflake, name winter words starting with "S," invent a Christmas animal.
- Children can go through the quest in teams or individually, depending on their age. At the end of the route is a location with gifts, previously signed by the parents.
Tips
- involve coordinators — teachers, upperclassmen, or parents can help the younger kids;
- make the game educational — add math tasks, reading, English, geography, or natural sciences;
- add a fairy tale element — at the final station, gifts can be handed out by a real Santa Claus — a rewarding conclusion for completing tasks.
A gift scavenger hunt is a way to bring people together, create memorable experiences, and engage all ages. Plus, even the simplest gift becomes more valuable when reached via a path full of adventure.