My Castle Heart Publications

Ah, the present treasure hunt. Brings back fond memories of me and my sister, scribbling notes to each other with scented gel pens, racing around the house in paper crowns.

All you need is a pen, bits of paper, a gift, and a little imagination.

(It’s particularly handy if you have a gift too big or awkward to wrap.)

What You’ll Do

1. On scraps of paper, write clues to lead the hunter to different hiding places. For example, “Your getting sleepy. Rest your head. Your next clue is under your _______.”
2. Hide your clues around the house, making sure each clue leads to the next.
3. Have the last clue lead to the final gift. (Make sure your clue tells them it’s the grand finale!)
4. Mix things up with these variations:

• Use silly rhymes.
• Write clues in the form of an old treasure map.
• Wrap each clue as a gift.
• If you’re giving more than one present, wrap a clue inside each one and hide the gifts in order, with one leading to the next. Save the most meaningful or the biggest surprise to the end.

Clues to Get You Started

• In the dryer: This blows hot air — and good thing, too! I do not like damp clothes. Do you?
• Under the dining table: Where we talk and sit and eat, down by where we rest our feet.
• In the fridge: It’s chilly here, but you won’t freeze, open the door … and present seize!

Happy hiding … and hunting …

Have more treasure hunting ideas or cherished gift-giving routines? Please share!