Jump directly to the Content

The Christmas Hunt

Put some action into your Christmas with this fun family treasure hunt.

In our search for ways to celebrate a fun but materialism-free Christmas, we knew we had to get creative. So for more than 20 years, we have chosen to limit our kids' Christmas gifts to three—a book, a game, and a toy. Sprinkled in are also stocking stuffers, sibling gifts, and a small wacky joke gift from an "illustrious" personality (actually another family member signing a phony autograph). The books and games are under the tree, but the toy is wrapped and hiding somewhere in the house, yard, garage, or car. They can only be recovered via The Christmas Hunt.

Here's how it works. Starting from the youngest to the oldest (we switch the order every year), the kids start to hunt—one at a time—for this last gift by following clues designed by my husband. (For non-readers, use pictures to identify the places to check.) A magazine picture of a stove leads to the next clue: a drawing of a wall hanging in the family room, and so on.

For older children and teens, clues can include written puzzles to solve, cryptic verses to decipher, symbolic Bible verses, as well as e-mail and voice mail messages. Five or six clues later, the wrapped gift is found and saved till everyone else has located his gifts.

The truly fun (and crazy) part of the hunt is that the whole family trails each hunter till the gift is spotted. For us, that means six people running together from room to room. Once all the gifts have been found, we return to the living room in fits of laughter and tear open these final gifts.

Over the years the "toy" has turned into a special gift such as a phone, cd player, travel gift certificate, or cool shoes, but the process has stayed the same. It is one of our family's favorite traditions!

—Letitia Suk


Winter 2002, Vol. 15, No. 2, Page 10

Read more articles that highlight writing by Christian women at ChristianityToday.com/Women

Free CT Women Newsletter

Sign up for our Weekly newsletter: CT's weekly newsletter to help you make sense of how faith and family intersect with the world.

Read These Next

  • Acting Out
    My 7-year-old son has started lying to me about little things, and he's begun to hit me in anger. His father and I were divorced three years ago because my ex-husband became violent. After we left, my son and I moved and I married again. We have recently moved once again, which may be part of his problem, but he's too young to acknowledge that something is bothering him. How can we help him when we don't know what's wrong? And how should I handle his behavior?
  • Single Parents: Are You Ready to Date?
    Learning how to juggle all of your responsibilities and still fall in love... again.
  • What Your Husband Wants for Christmas
    4 intangible gifts you can give that keep on giving

Comments

Join in the conversation on Facebook or Twitter

Follow Us

More Newsletters

Facebook
Twitter
Pinterest
RSS