A Christmas light scavenger hunt turns a lights drive into a spotting game: passengers look for the displays on their sheet and check them off. Print a card for each child, choose a few clues before you leave, and let the driver focus on the road.
This free set draws on the displays at Santa’s Magical Kingdom, our drive-thru light show in Eureka, Missouri. It includes a Kingdom checklist, two bingo cards, a picture sheet for younger children, and a neighborhood edition.
Download the free printable game
Print only the pages you need. The checklist and bingo card below also let a passenger play from this page without a printer.
How to Play a Christmas Light Scavenger Hunt From the Back Seat
Set up the game while you’re parked, before anyone needs to watch for a clue.
- Choose a format. Use the checklist for a shared hunt or give each reader a bingo card.
- Assign a reader. A passenger reads clues and helps younger children mark their finds. The driver doesn’t read, score, or take game photos.
- Agree on scoring. Give each player one point per item they spot. For a cooperative game, use one sheet and add everyone’s finds to it.
- Add optional bonuses. Award one extra point for each completed count or detail challenge from the Kingdom checklist.
- Finish when the drive ends. Compare finds after parking. A full sheet is optional.
Everyone stays buckled in their assigned seat. Children look through the windows they can comfortably see from there, without leaning across anyone or changing places.
Let siblings share a find if one has a better view. The car follows the traffic ahead; nobody asks the driver to stop, reverse, or circle back for a missed box.
For competitive play, agree on a small prize before leaving, such as choosing the music for the ride home. If points cause arguments, switch to a shared card.
The Kingdom Edition: What to Spot at Santa’s Magical Kingdom
The Kingdom sheet pairs named scenes with details to look for. Younger children can find the main display while older ones try the bonus prompt.
| Display or scene | What to spot | Optional bonus |
| Kingdom Doors | The tall entrance doors | Find the nearby waterfall and fountains |
| The Blessed Nativity | The Nativity scene | Name a figure you recognize |
| Elfland | The elves’ village | Find an elf riding a butterfly |
| Acrobatic elf | An elf swinging on a rope | Describe what happens in the scene |
| Flying reindeer | Reindeer overhead | Count the ones you can see |
| Tunnel of Dancing Lights | The light tunnel | Describe how the lights move |
| Dolphins | Dolphins in a river of lights | Count the ones visible from your seat |
| Angels’ flight school | Angels learning to fly | Choose a favorite angel |
| Gateway Arch display | Our version of the Arch | Watch for its animated light fireworks |
| Candyland | The gingerbread house | Name a candy decoration |
| Candy Cane Village | The Herb B. Elf Factory | Watch how the candy canes get their stripes |
| Toy Land | The giant toys | Find Santa’s loaded sleigh |
| North Pole scene | The mailbox, polar bears, and penguins | Count the penguins you spot |
These clues come from our guide to the Kingdom’s displays. The sheet is a spotting list, not a route map, so check items off in any order.
A missed detail doesn’t need to hold up the game. Skip anything you can’t see from your seat and keep looking for the next scene.
Christmas Lights Bingo With Two Ready-to-Print Cards
Christmas lights bingo gives readers a different way to use the same displays. Mark a square when you see its item; complete five across, down, or diagonally to win.
Card A appears below. The download includes Card B with the same items in different positions, so siblings can work toward different lines
| Waterfall | Fountains | Flying reindeer | Elf village | Elf on a butterfly |
| Acrobatic elf | Elf’s rope | Light tunnel | Dolphins | River of lights |
| Angels | Gateway Arch | FREE | Arch light fireworks | Gingerbread house |
| Candy on the house | Candy cane factory | Candy canes | Giant toys | Santa’s sleigh |
| North Pole mailbox | Polar bears | Penguins | Nativity scene | Twinkling trees |
Everyone marks the free center square before the game starts. The Gateway Arch display is a separate find, so children still need to watch for it.
For a longer round, try to fill as many squares as possible after the first bingo. Blackout means marking every square, but nobody needs a full card to finish the evening.
One scene may fill more than one box. Finding the Arch and then noticing its light fireworks counts as two observations. Decide before starting whether a sibling’s callout lets everyone mark the same square.
Match the Game to Each Child’s Age
Choose sheets by reading ability and interest. The age ranges below are starting points, and children can change formats if a card feels too easy or too busy.
| Approximate age | Format to try | What changes |
| 3 to 5 | Six-picture sheet | An adult names each picture; the child points to a matching display. |
| 6 to 8 | Checklist or bingo | Children read their own clues and mark what they find. |
| 9 and up | Checklist with bonuses | Add counting, scene details, or the scorekeeper role. |
The picture sheet shows a waterfall, light tunnel, Arch, gingerbread house, sleigh, and penguin. Read through the pictures together before leaving so children know what each one represents.
Offer an older child the scorekeeper role if they want it. Keep the basic finds open to everyone, so a younger sibling doesn’t lose a point simply for needing help reading.
An Anywhere Edition for Neighborhood Light Drives
Use the neighborhood sheet when you’re driving past decorated homes. Its clues don’t depend on the Kingdom’s named scenes:
- A house with blue lights
- A star decoration
- Candy cane decorations
- An inflatable snowman
- A wreath on a door
- Lights wrapped around a tree trunk
- A Santa decoration
- Blinking lights
- A lit Christmas tree in a window
- Multicolored lights
Choose the items that suit your route and leave the others unchecked. Decorations vary from street to street, so finding everything isn’t a requirement.
Let each passenger nominate a favorite display after the drive. That gives your Christmas lights tour a finish even if nobody completes the list, and it’s easy to repeat alongside other family Christmas traditions.
Christmas Car Games for the Drive There and the Wait
Save the Kingdom cards for the show and use spoken games on the way. These Christmas car games need no extra supplies:
- Holiday alphabet: Take turns naming a seasonal word for the next letter. Skip a letter if everyone gets stuck.
- Reindeer roll call: Name Santa’s reindeer, then let each passenger invent another one and describe its job.
- Prediction round: Guess which Kingdom scene will be your favorite. Compare answers after the drive.
- Passenger I Spy: Choose something passengers can see from their seats. Keep the driver out of the guessing.
Use the same games if you wait at the entrance. A child who prefers to watch quietly can sit out without affecting anyone else’s score.
Plan Your Lights Night at Santa’s Magical Kingdom
Bring the Kingdom Edition to Santa’s Magical Kingdom to look for the scenes that inspired it, including the waterfall, Tunnel of Dancing Lights, and Gateway Arch display.
Pack each child’s sheet, a pencil or crayon, and a clipboard or hardcover book. Keep supplies within reach before setting off, and save any dropped pencil until you can retrieve it safely.
If a passenger needs a reading light, keep it dim and aimed at the page, away from the driver’s eyes and windshield.
Heading out tonight? Check our visit dates, hours, admission, and directions before leaving. Admission is per vehicle, with separate categories for larger vehicles; that page lists payment information too.
Allow extra time if you want another activity during your visit. The train and wagon ride information explains booking and arrival instructions, so check it before building a ride into your plans.
The mailbox clue also gives children a reason to prepare a letter before leaving home. Our guide to writing a letter to Santa has prompts for children who need help getting started.
Plan Your Night at Santa’s Magical Kingdom
Frequently Asked Questions About Light-Show Scavenger Hunts
How many clues should I use for one lights drive?
Start with about 10 to 15 clues, then shorten the list for children who want less to read. Treat that as a game-design choice, rather than a prediction of how long the drive will take.
What if there’s no passenger available to read clues?
A child who reads independently can manage their own card or help a sibling. If everyone needs reading help, review a few pictures while parked and let children call out finds without keeping score.
Can we play without a printer?
A passenger can use the checklist or bingo table on this page, or save the PDF before leaving. Keep the screen out of the driver’s view, and put it away if looking down makes a player uncomfortable.
What if a child misses a display on the other side of the car?
Allow shared finds, or agree that each player scores only the items visible from their seat. Unchecked boxes are part of the game; they don’t require changing seats or asking the driver for a better view.
Can we use stickers instead of pencils?
An adult can help a younger child mark each find with a large sticker. Keep small stickers away from children who put objects in their mouths, or let the adult handle all the marking.
Can we play from a van or a larger vehicle?
Give each row of passengers a shared sheet so nobody needs to pass supplies between rows. Check the vehicle-size limits and admission categories before planning your visit with a van, bus, or other large vehicle.
Print Your Game Before You Leave
Choose the sheets that suit your passengers and explain the rules while parked. The game ends with the drive, whether the children find six displays or fill every box.
With the cards ready, plan your visit to Santa’s Magical Kingdom.
