A Christmas scavenger hunt for the night you go see the lights
Driving or walking around to see the Christmas lights is already a family tradition in a lot of houses. Let's Tingo turns it into a game of bingo. You build a board of things to spot, everyone gets their own board from the same list, and the first to fill five in a row calls a Tingo.
It turns a slow loop past the neighbors' houses into a Christmas lights scavenger hunt, with the whole car watching out the windows.
Christmas light bingo from the back seat
Pick a game type, tell Let's Tingo you're driving around to see the lights, and it builds a list of finds from that: a light-up reindeer, a house synced to music, a blow-up snowman. Keep the ones you like, add the house down the street that goes all out every year, and share the game.
The kids call out finds from the back seat, and the driver keeps their eyes on the road.
In most games, finds are shared, so when anyone in the game spots something, it shows up on every board that has it. If two cars go out together, each can see what the other just found.
A Christmas lights hunt on foot
Some of the best displays are on streets you can only really see by walking. Pick a camera game and every find needs a picture: the photo stays with that find for the whole group to see, so by the end of the walk the board holds the best houses of the night.
One board for the whole season
You don't have to fit it all into one night. Make it a timed game, set it to end on Christmas Eve, and the board keeps going through December. Every drive to the store or the grandparents' house is another chance to find something, and whoever has the most Tingos when it ends wins.
Name a prize when you set it up, first pick of the Christmas cookies or choosing the movie on Christmas Eve, and everyone sees what they're playing for.
A Christmas scavenger hunt for adults
The lights aren't only for families. Friends out for a holiday walk, a couple on a cold night with hot chocolate, or the office out to see the big display downtown can all play on a board built for wherever they're going.
Christmas scavenger hunt ideas to get your board started
These are the kind of finds that make a good Christmas scavenger hunt. Use them, change them, or let Let's Tingo suggest its own from what you tell it. For other occasions, browse more scavenger hunt ideas.
On the lights drive
- Light-up reindeer
- Blow-up snowman
- Lights synced to music
- All-blue lights
- Lit-up candy canes
- Santa on a roof
- Star on a tree
- Rainbow lights
- Nativity scene
- Light tunnel
- Snowflake lights
- Giant ornament
Around town
- Christmas tree lot
- Bell ringer
- Wreath on a car
- Town Christmas tree
- Ice rink
- Window display
- Hot chocolate stand
- Carolers
- Ugly sweater
- Santa hat
- Gingerbread house
- Shop with a Santa
At home and nearby
- Stockings up
- Advent calendar
- Wrapped presents
- Mistletoe
- Poinsettia
- Snow globe
- Cookies for Santa
- Matching pajamas
- Tree topper
- Candle in a window
- Frost on a car
- Neighbors' wreath
Get your Christmas lights hunt ready
Build the board before the first cold night, and share it while everyone's finding their coats. The same game works for Thanksgiving games with the family, road trip games on the drive home for the holidays, and a neighborhood scavenger hunt any night of the year.
Joining a game is always free, in the app or in a browser. Plenty of games are free to make, too.