Christmas special · printable detective game
The Christmas Eve Case
The Mystery of the Silver Sleigh Bell
Digital download (ZIP with PDFs). Price includes VAT where it applies; the exact amount is shown at checkout. Personal licence for private events.
Christmas special · real pages from the kitA look inside
Real pages from the kit
These are the actual printable pages, rendered from the files you download. Answers and the host guide are not shown.
The letter from Mrs Claus — read aloud to start
Suspect Sheet — five suspects, four traits each
Puzzle 1 — The Frosty Window
Puzzle 4 — The Rooftop Elves
Puzzle 5 — The Mail Sacks
Envelope labels — real and decoy look the same
Deduction Sheet — three clues, one culprit
Certificate of Detection
The story
It is Christmas Eve at the North Pole, and the Silver Sleigh Bell has vanished from its stand. When it rings, the reindeer know it is time to fly. Santa leaves at midnight.
Mrs Claus asks your detectives for help. A message written backwards on a frosty window, letter cookies in the bakery, spotted ornaments on the tree, elves waving signal flags on the roof and nine sacks of letters to Santa lead them through the workshop.
Reindeer hairs, a striped thread and three pine needles narrow five suspects to one, and the reason is a kind one. Name the bell-taker and the three-digit code, and the Bell Box opens.
Seven puzzles, one trail
Different skills in every envelope, so every detective gets a moment to shine. No outside knowledge, no phones.
- 1
The Frosty Window
A message written backwards with one finger on the frost. Hold it up to a mirror.
- 2
The Sprinkle Cookies
Letter cookies on a tray. Cross out the twins; the rest name the next room.
- 3
The Christmas Tree
Striped, spotted and plain ornaments. Only one kind counts, and the count is a code digit.
- 4
The Rooftop Elves
Four elves waving signal flags. Match their arms to the key to read a word.
- 5
The Mail Sacks
Nine sacks of letters to Santa and four riddles. One sack hides a digit.
- 6
The Toy Tags
The elves write gift tags in the Number Code so nobody peeks. One tag is not for a present.
- 7
The Workshop Map
Follow the snowy footprints through nine rooms to the hiding place and the last digit.
What you print
- Host Guide (7 pages): 20-minute setup, how to run the game, a 3-level hint ladder for every puzzle, full answer key, troubleshooting
- Case File: the opening letter, Suspect Sheet with five suspects, Deduction Sheet, Notebook
- Puzzle Cards: 7 linked puzzles — mirror writing on a frosty window, cookie letters, ornament counting, flag-waving elves, mail-sack riddles, number code, a workshop map
- 3 Evidence Cards and 5 Decoy Cards (wrong answers get a friendly nudge, not a “no”)
- 12 Envelope Labels, party Invitations (two per page) and a Certificate of Detection
- Every file in A4 and US Letter, designed to print in black and white
About 15 pages per team and game. Everything is black-and-white friendly; the suspect sheet and certificate look lovely on thicker paper.
Questions about this case
- Can I hide the envelopes around the house?
- Yes. The games work on one table or as a treasure hunt — same cards. Tell the detectives which rooms are in play.
- What if they get stuck?
- The Host Guide has three hints for every puzzle. Give them one at a time; the third is the answer. Decoy envelopes also catch the most common wrong answers automatically.
- Is it scary?
- No. Something goes missing; nobody is hurt and the culprit has a very human reason. Suitable for sensitive kids.
- Can I use it in a classroom or at a paid event?
- Classrooms and clubs are fine with the personal licence as long as nobody pays to play. For paid events, see For hosts.
- Can I play it again with the same kids?
- Once they know the culprit, the mystery is solved. Print a second copy for a different group, or pick another case.