How to Hide Presents

Spend the extra time to hide your children's holiday presents somewhere clever so they'll be truly surprised when they open them.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Ribbons
• Towels
• Tape
• Towels
• Newspaper
• Newspaper
• Paper Bags
• Personal Organizers
• Tape
• Towels
• Paper bags
• Tape

1. Wrap the gifts while your children are at school or asleep.

2. Place them inside plain bags that are unlikely to attract attention.

3. Select a spot that is out of bounds for your children, such as the attic or basement.

4. Hide the gifts behind something large, such as the water heater or furnace, where they will not be detected.

5. Cover the gifts with towels or newspapers.

6. Place them on a high shelf in a linen closet.

7. Store them under the bathroom or kitchen sink, or in the laundry room.

8. Place small gifts inside an old purse, plastic bag or briefcase, and hang it in a closet in a spare bedroom that is not used very often.

9. Leave your gifts at work until the holiday is upon you.

Tips & Warnings

• Determine how much your children are likely to snoop and plan your hiding spot accordingly.
• Ask a neighbor, family member or friend to hold the gifts for you until the holidays come if your children are extremely curious.
• Be careful not to hide your gifts so well that you forget your clever hiding places. If necessary, jot down the locations in your organizer, or tell someone else where you've put the gifts.

on 1/18/2006 Do not hide your presents in a silly place, like under their bed or in the room they most are in. Hide them somewhere they'll never find them, like the loft or behind a cupboard. I think the best place is behind or underneath the TV. They don't go up to the TV to search for presents!

on 12/20/2005 I get the presents and put them in either a filing cabinet or the garage, or even the loft (where they cannot get a ladder and go up there).

on 12/19/2005 To make your kids even more excited about finding their presents, explain that there aren't enough of them for everyone, so whoever finds one keeps it, whoever doesn't should accept your apologies. For example, if there are 4 kids, say that there are only 3 presents (of course, you actually have enough for everyone). My parents did this when I was about 5 years old and I still remember it. It really gives kids a rush.

on 12/20/2005 I have three cars, and the way I hide presents is in the car I use less often. I then hide the car key's for precaution. The child never finds them. They think they are in the house.

on 1/13/2006 The best place to hide presents is in the parents underwear drawer, somewhere a child will never go, no matter how desperate.