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[Matthew Dawson]

Don't you just hate it when you spend all that time wrapping presents only to see the person rip the wrapping paper to shreds in seconds and quickly move on to the next?
During the Christmas of 07, I did a sort of nesting box present for my brother.... The present was cash, but it was fun watching him wonder what was in such a large, heavy box-I added bricks.  He had a fun time opening the many layers of the present. I think this is a much more enjoyable way of giving a cash present...

 A few years before, he hid his present to me in one of my puzzle boxes- I had a fun time reopening all of the boxes and finding the present.

This year I plan on doing a scavenger hunt for the presents.

Have had y'all done anything similar in the past?

[Peter Wiltshire]

Hey Matthew, you think just like me.  One year I gave my Wife a present which after she opened it lead to a note, the note directed her to a different location in the house, which lead her to another note.  It was fun watching her run all over the house to find her present.  The final note lead her back to the couch where she had been sitting when she opened her first present.  Her gift was under the couch right where she was sitting.  sometimes it's not the gift, but the giving that matters the most.  It sure was fun for me 

[Robert Yarger]

I am the master of treasure hunt presents.  The key is to be creative. 

Places I have used to hide clue notes in the past.

Wrapped in foil and baked inside a cupcake.  Have the cupcake
      Included as a a half-way treat along with a previous clue that
      says "give mom something sweet and she will give you your next clue."
      They give the cupcake to mom, but a future clue says "look inside the
      cupcake, so they have to go back to mom later and do a chore for her before
      she gives it up.  A CLASSIC!!! 

Place in a egg (you have to carefully poke holes
       in both ends and blow out the egg, then rinse and
       dry the inside.  Once the note is inside, add a little
       sand for weight then glue paper over both ends.  Use white-
       out to blend the patch with the eggshell color and texture.

Put note in balloon before filling with helium, then let it go so
      it floats to the celing.  (best when you also do the same with
      a bunch of dummy balloons).

Put note in balloon, attach paperclip, and stick it in a sink drain
      so the paperclip holds it in place.

Freeze a note in a block of ice.

Say "for the next clue - look in the dog" but it is really in a hotdog
      in the fridge.

Use morse code to print out a clue so they have to decipher it.

Write a clue on the back of another clue in invisible ink (lemon juice)
     A future clue says "see invisible writing on last clue - reveal by heat".  \
    They always have misplaced that clue by that time and have to search trash cans.

Have a clue say "you next clue is on "Park Place", then put the clue
    on the card in your home Monopoly Game Set.

Make each clue in the from of a riddle that rhymes.

Tape a clue on the bottom of a drawer or in an air vent.

Clean a mirror in the house, then write a clue on it with your finger
     it is invisible until you breathe on it, or apply steam.

Post a clue in a response to the person's "MY SPACE" online.




       

[Matthew Dawson]

Robert,  thanks for all the ideas.

[Robert Yarger]

No problem.

You should also glue magnets to the bottom of a table, then give them a bag of iron filings to dump out on it.  They will have no clue what the filings are for until the dump them out and it spells out something.

Write a clue onthe back of completed jigsaw puzzle, then take it apart and put back in the box.  Make them solve it get the clue.

[Peter Wiltshire]

Robert, you have taken the present treasure hunt to new heights.  Your ideas are fantastic, love the lateral thinking on hiding the clues, my favorite "for the next clue - Look in the dog" 

[Robert Yarger]

We used to do them all the time, but we make little "survival packs" that came with items that you would have to use in order to solve or obtain clues.  The cupcake for a bribe, the iron filings, morse code handbook, blowdart with straw launcher to pop balloon on the celing, ect . . .  all came in a bag at the start of the journey.

The funnest way to do this, is to have two teams trying to get the same prize at the same time.  You start one group with clues going one direction, and the other has the clues going the opposite way.  Every clue location has two clues (one red one blue) and you are on your honor that you will not take the other team's clue.  A treasure hunt race adds a new dimesion to the game, but you probably can't do that for a Christmas present.