The holidays are a time for celebration, togetherness, and creating lasting memories. Organizing a holiday-themed photo scavenger hunt is one of the most effective ways to engage your community or visitors during the festive season. Whether you’re a destination marketer looking to activate locals or a brand hoping to create buzz, here’s everything you need to know — plus 41 holiday photo scavenger hunt ideas to inspire you.
What is a Photo Scavenger Hunt?
A photo scavenger hunt is an interactive activity where participants find and photograph items or scenarios from a list. For the holidays, this means snapping photos at iconic festive locations, holiday events, or with themed items. Participants check off items from the list and share for prizes, points, or simply holiday spirit.
How to Create a Photo Scavenger Hunt
1. Define Your Theme & Goals: Increase foot traffic to local businesses? Celebrate community traditions? Encourage exploration? Define objectives first.
2. Select Locations & Activities: Map key locations — decorated parks, holiday window displays, festive food stands.
3. Design Your Hunt: Customize activities: “Take a selfie with Santa,” “Snap a photo at a holiday light display.”
4. Engage and Reward: Add digital badges, discounts, or prize raffles. Leaderboards create fun competition.
5. Promote the Hunt: Use email, social media, and a branded hashtag to spread the word.
Benefits of Photo Scavenger Hunts
Community Engagement: A fun, interactive way to engage your local community or visitors.
Increased Foot Traffic: Drives visitors to businesses and attractions that might otherwise go unnoticed.
User-Generated Content: Participants share photos that can be leveraged as authentic UGC for social media promotion.
Economic Impact: More foot traffic leads to higher spending in local shops, restaurants, and attractions during the busy holiday season.
Enhanced Brand Awareness: Holiday-themed challenges create emotional connections with your audience.
Looking to build a broader holiday campaign around this? Our guide to 7 holiday guides your destination can create to drive local tourism covers the full editorial playbook — from shopping guides to events calendars to gift guides — with examples from destinations doing it well. The top digital passports to launch this holiday season shows how to layer gamified check-ins on top of that content to turn it into a full engagement campaign with first-party data collection.
41 Photo Scavenger Hunt Ideas for the Holidays
1. Snap a selfie with Santa Claus. 2. Take a pic of your favorite holiday window display. 3. Capture a photo of your favorite holiday lights display. 4. Snap a pic with a festive cocktail. 5. Take a photo at the community tree lighting. 6. Find a (rein)deer and snap a pic. 7. Visit a Christmas market and snap your favorite artisan. 8. Snap a photo with a snowman (real or inflatable). 9. Capture a holiday-themed food or drink. 10. Take a picture of a car decorated for the holidays.
11. Take a picture of unique holiday decorations. 12. Take a photo with a holiday treat. 13. Snap a pic of a holiday wreath. 14. Take a photo aboard the Polar Express Train. 15. Snap a pic at the local ice skating rink. 16. Take a picture with a festive pet. 17. Find a holiday-themed book at a local bookstore. 18. Take a photo playing in the snow. 19. Snap a pic at the holiday pop-up bar. 20. Find a snow-covered park or bench.
21. Take a photo doing a holiday tradition. 22. Take a photo of the community Hanukkah menorah. 23. Snap a pic while watching a classic holiday movie. 24. Visit a Christmas tree farm. 25. Take a photo wearing your favorite holiday sweater. 26. Take a photo with a gingerbread house. 27. Take a selfie with your favorite holiday ornament. 28. Find a holiday-themed public art display. 29. Get a picture of an elf on the shelf. 30. Find a holiday street sign and take a picture.
31. Take a selfie with Christmas carolers. 32. Take a photo with a holiday gift wrapping station. 33. Snap a picture of your holiday shopping haul. 34. Take a picture at a holiday toy drive or charity event. 35. Take a photo of your first snow of the season. 36. Capture a photo of a holiday parade float. 37. Take a selfie while making holiday cookies. 38. Take a picture with a holiday-themed board game. 39. Participate in a holiday-themed event. 40. Take a photo of your family wearing matching holiday pajamas. 41. Take a photo at a local ice sculpture.
A holiday photo scavenger hunt is the perfect way to engage your community, gather festive UGC, encourage exploration, and drive foot traffic to local businesses and events.