Paper made for play
Printable treasure hunt: the mystery of the six invitations
Little Reindeer has hidden six invitations around the house. Shall we find them together?
- What you need
- Pages 5 to 11 printed single-sided, a pencil and removable tape. No cutting and nothing to buy.
- What to print
- Pages 5 to 11 · 7 sheets, single-sided
- In the PDF
- 13 pages. Keep the preview and your guide on screen (pages 1 to 4, 12 and 13), answers included (pages 12 and 13).
- A little guide to difficulty
- Ages 4–6 with a grown-up, no timer · at 3, play it closely together · three puzzles today and three tomorrow is lovely too
- Paper size
- A4 · US Letter · English (UK)
No sign-up · English (UK) · 13-page PDF · 7 sheets to print
What you print
7 sheets to print (pages 5 to 11), exactly as they come out of the printer. Your child discovers them one by one, at their own pace.
Invitation 1 · The six shadowsFind the shadow holding exactly the same two things as Girafoufou.Page 5 / 13 · to print 
Invitation 2 · The tangled invitationsFollow one thread, crossing after crossing, to a friend.Page 6 / 13 · to print 
Invitation 3 · Sky hide-and-seekLook for the moons, then the clouds, hiding around a storybook village.Page 7 / 13 · to print 
Invitation 4 · Hidden soundsListen to “bus”, then find the two pictures with the same /s/ sound.Page 8 / 13 · to print 
Invitation 5 · The missing friendsSpot the group of three friends that repeats, then the ones that are missing.Page 9 / 13 · to print 
Invitation 6 · The right shelfFind the shelf that fits all three clues: between, above, left and right.Page 10 / 13 · to print 
Little Reindeer’s surpriseThe final letter: a story to make up together.Page 11 / 13 · to print
Step by step, with you
The PDF guide, in three moments. You can show, help or take a break at any time: there is no perfect way to run it.
Hide the pages
The route card on page 3 gives six hiding places and a spot for the final letter: beside a book, on a chair, near a cushion… Change any that do not suit your home, then place or tape the sheets at child height.
The beginning
Read the story on page 4 together: Little Reindeer has lost the invitations to the story party. Then read the first clue: “Our first invitation is waiting beside a story.”
At each discovery
Read the instruction on the page you found. Your child points to or circles an answer; the answers on pages 12 and 13 help you encourage them. Then read the next clue. To finish, Little Reindeer’s letter invites you to make up a story together.
What if your child is unsure?
Show an example, offer two choices or do it together. A mistake never stops the game, and you can always take a break: enjoying the moment together is enough.
A little tip
Hide everything before you begin, at child height, away from sockets, water and heat; nothing to climb. For the sound puzzle, say “bus” naturally, then the sound /s/, not the letter name, and name all six pictures without stressing the answers. The answers on pages 12 and 13 are for you: one hint is often enough. The final surprise is a story to make up together, not a present. Illustrations created with the help of AI.
And for you, on screen
The answers (pages 12 and 13) are in the PDF, for you: we do not show them here, to keep the surprise.
A little help with printing
Choose your paper size: A4 (210 × 297 mm) or US Letter (8.5 × 11 inches). Print single-sided at actual size for the paper you chose. For other paper, select “Fit to page” and check the preview. Answer sheets are available separately.
In the print window, choose “Pages” and type 5-11. Page numbers are those shown by your PDF viewer, including the cover: the preview and the guide can stay on screen.
Keep exploring
More moments to share, on paper.
