Thanksgiving is the holiday where we are supposed to reflect on all of the things we are thankful for.
I know it can get hard to remember the reason we are celebrating when you are distracted by the hustle and bustle of the holiday season.
One fun way to set aside some time with your family for gratitude is by having a Thanksgiving Scavenger Hunt.
This can be a creative way to remind everyone what you have to be Thankful for while keeping the kids’ attention with a fun game.
Most people look forward to the meal on Thanksgiving, myself included.
Personally speaking, my kids don’t get too excited over holiday meals; they mainly look forward to the activities and dessert.
Playing games with them is one way to get them in the holiday spirit and excited about Thanksgiving.
They love solving the riddles and finding the little prizes along the way.
Thanksgiving scavenger hunts aren’t just for kids, either!
Most adults would love a good scavenger hunt with clever clues and fun prizes.
All you have to do is tweak the riddles a little and make them more challenging, and it would be a fun filled day hunting for the prizes.
What You Need for a Thanksgiving Scavenger Hunt
The supplies needed for a Thanksgiving scavenger hunt are pretty simple and straightforward.
You need a good quality paper for the clues to be printed on, good hiding spots and prizes!
You can choose to do small prizes at each of the locations, or just one grand prize at the end.
There isnt a set amount of people you need to participate, the more the merrier!
Some like to work in teams, too, so that is always an option.
The printable clues included are to hopefully make your planning easier.
There is a specific order you should follow, so what I like to do is number my cards to make sure we go in the right order.
If your riddles are a little more challenging to figure out, it’s a good idea to also note on the back where it goes so you don’t forget later on!
How to Plan a Thanksgiving Scavenger Hunt for Kids
If you are putting on a scavenger hunt for your kids, you will need to take that into consideration when buying the prizes and coming up with the clues.
You will also need to take into consideration the ages of the kids playing.
You want the clues to be challenging, but not so hard so that they won’t be able to figure it out.
If the kids’ ages are all over the board you may want to think about doing separate hunts for the age groups.
If you use our printable’s, you will have the locations and order of the clues already figured out for you, so all you need to get are the prizes!
I like to do small prizes at each location, and then one grand prize at the end for my kids.
Kids are all about fairness, so I make sure to have fair prizes for each of them. Some good ideas I like to get are books, small toys, art supplies, and treats.
The grand prize is usually something bigger that they have been asking for. Its a bonus if you can get one grand prize that they can all use together, like a board game.
Printable Clues for Thanksgiving Scavenger Hunt for Kids
Here are the locations and clues that go with them for the kids scavenger hunt. These can be good teachable moments to remind the kids to be thankful for the luxuries they have, that some people don’t have.
The first clue you will have already, with a riddle to find the location of the second clue. The second clue will be hidden in one of their beds, and here is the riddle on the first clue:
| Thankful to be kept warm every night With cozy blankets that help me sleep tight |
I would hide the clue under their blankets, so that they have to dig a little to find it.
I would put the smallest prize at this one, so that they get better as the game goes on.
Remind them here that not everyone has a warm bed of their own to sleep in, and that they should be grateful for theirs.
They will find the second clue which will have this riddle for the third clue, hidden in the bath:
| Thankful to get clean with bubbles and suds After playing outside with all of my buds! |
I would hide this one in between soap bottles, with the prize in a basket on the floor of the tub.
Here is where you can tell them that warm water and soap is a luxury that is easy to take for granted, but some third world countries don’t have that available always.
The next clue will be the riddle for the fourth clue, which is hidden in their toybox.
| Musical, colorful, and fun to play with too, In a box overflowing is where you’ll find the next clue! |
Once they find this clue hidden in among their toys, it will have the final clue.
Here is where you can remind them that toys are a privilege many kids don’t have, and that they should always be thankful for them.
Now they will be moving onto the last clue, and I like using this as a segway to meal time by putting the grand prize on their dinner seats.
| Feeling hungry? Take a seat, You’ll find the grand prize where you go to eat |
At the last prize, remind them how thankful they should be to get a feast like the one you are about to have, and that this is what Thanksgiving is all about.
I let my kids play with the grand prize once they are done with their food. That usually helps them eat nicely knowing they will get a new toy or game to play with after dinner.
Click here to download Printable Clues for Thanksgiving Scavenger Hunt for Kids
Printable Clues for Thanksgiving Scavenger Hunt for Adults
Things are a little different for adult scavenger hunts, because the clues and prizes need to be a little more mature.
Friendsgiving is getting more popular among young adults with no kids, and what better way to celebrate with your friends than a scavenger hunt?
Have each guest bring a prize to contribute so that one person doesn’t have to bring them all, or skip the prizes and turn it into a drinking game instead!
You can put drinks at each of the locations instead of prizes, and everyone will be sure to have a great time.
I am going to give some thanksgiving scavenger hunt clues again, and for the adults I like to use the whole house and even outdoors to make it a little more fun.
If you have multiple areas where these things could be, even better! Hide the prizes in the place you think will be the last place to look. Here is clue number 1:
| The more I dry, the wetter I get. I might be folded if I haven’t been used yet! |
Clue number one is about towels, so it could be placed in a bathroom cabinet where towels are, a hallway linen closet, or a towel drawer in the kitchen! There you will place the 2nd clue and first prize. Clue number 2 is:
| I’m thankful to be able to quench my thirst Growing up isn’t always the worst! |
This prize will be hidden where the adult beverages are kept.
It could be in the wine cabinet, the fridge with the beer, or in the garage fridge where other alcohol may be kept! There will be the next clue, which is:
| I’m thankful to greet every guest, But being walked all over isn’t always the best |
This clue goes by the Welcome mat, which can be indoors or outdoors. I would place the next clue underneath the doormat, which will say:
| I can go near, I can go far Just don’t take me home from the bar |
This riddle is for a vehicle- depending on where the cars are, you can find the best hiding spot in or underneath one.
If there is a car in the garage that is a good place to hide it, too. The last clue will be hidden there, and that one will say:
| Soap and water are my best friends Spin cycle is where this scavenger hunt ends! |
The grand prize will be hidden in the (hopefully empty) washing machine! If it’s not empty, you can always put it on top of the washing machine.
Again, feel free to add any of your own clues and hiding spots to lengthen the game if you’d like.
Whether you’re having a large family gathering or just a small meal with close friends, you can still have a lot of fun together.
These Thanksgiving scavenger hunt ideas will help you plan a fun game for your family and friends to enjoy before or after your Thanksgiving feast.
The Thanksgiving scavenger hunt printable is included here, so you can simply click, print and cut and then you’ll be good to go!
Click here to download Printable Clues for Thanksgiving Scavenger Hunt for Adults
Read other related article: Halloween Scavenger Hunt Ideas for 2021
