Invention Scavenger Hunt Printable, Indoor Hunt for Home, Thanksgiving, Christmas, Vintage Patent Drawings

That toothbrush in your bathroom? Someone patented it in 1857. Can you find it from the original drawing?

The INVENTION SCAVENGER HUNT is a printable indoor hunt made from 36 real U.S. patent drawings from 1849 to 1928. Each drawing shows an everyday object that's probably already in your house. Players read a clue, figure out what the old drawing shows, and go find the modern version. Three hunts in one pack: one for any day at home, one for Thanksgiving, and one for Christmas.

WHAT'S INCLUDED
- Home Hunt (any day): 12 drawings, like a toothbrush, a tape measure, a clothespin and a coat hanger
- Thanksgiving Hunt: 12 kitchen drawings, like a rolling pin, a potato masher, a pie pan and a can opener
- Christmas Hunt: 12 holiday drawings, like a tree stand, a wreath, a string of lights and a nutcracker
- For each hunt: a Kids' Clues sheet (simple riddles), a Grown-Up Clues sheet (patent history hints) and an answer key with the patent number, date, inventor and a fun fact
- Host guide with rules, scoring and tips
- Printable scoreboard, plus a fillable scoreboard and hunt log you can type into

FILES
3 PDFs: the full hunt (US Letter and A4, 17 pages each) and a fillable scoreboard and hunt log (Letter and A4 pages).

HOW IT WORKS
1. Buy and download the files from the link on your order confirmation page or email.
2. Print the clue sheets for the hunt you want, one per player or team. Color or black and white both work.
3. Players find the real object that matches each drawing, check "Found it!" and write where they found it.
4. Read the answer key out loud at the end. Great for ages 5 and up; younger kids can team up with an older helper.

GOOD TO KNOW
- This is a digital download. No physical item will be shipped.
- Nothing to hide ahead of time: players look for things that are already around the house.
- Colors may look slightly different depending on your screen and printer.
- For personal and non-commercial use (family gatherings, classrooms, church groups, parties). Please don't resell or share the files.
- Every patent shown is expired and in the public domain. This hunt is not affiliated with or endorsed by the USPTO.

Source: United States Patent and Trademark Office, www.uspto.gov

Made with an AI generator: drawings were cleaned up and text was drafted with AI-assisted tools, then checked against the original patent records.