If any of you already don't know, I am an older player. I have two kids, a daughter 10 and a son 8 (going on 9). We always do Christmas the same way every year. They get up, eat breakfast, we wait for the rest of the family to get here, and open presents. Well, I think it might be fun to spice it up a bit.

I was considering doing something like this. Have one present under the tree and write some really creative clues for them to go in search of the rest. Of course, we'd have to get up extremely early and put the presents at each clue destination. I was thinking about having it done around town where we live. We live in a VERY small town that doesn't even have a red light. They will find an initial clue under the tree with their first present and an additional clue at each other location they must find. I was also thinking about somehow relating each clue to school/their education. It'd be nice to make them think a bit.

Anyways, feedback...ideas...etc?

Hmm, I could give them a compass and add a bit of direction to it...

Depends on the kids, and if you just spring it on them all of a sudden. It's only the last few years where I've stopped being incredibly excited and impatient for Christmas morning (I'm 21).

I think a lot of children, if they're expecting a nice bounty under the tree, will be terribly disappointed to only get the one, especially if they have to work at finding the others. Also, depending on what they get, they could be distracted in looking for the others, or not care as much about each one as they search out the rest. Either way, it would seem to dilute the sheer joy you get when faced with a stack of presents.

That said, it's a very cool idea. I'm just not sure I'd use it for Christmas, with all the hype and tradition and expectation built up. Maybe a birthday, or Easter or something?

Here is my suggestion. Buy the Wii, play with it all christmas. Return it.

Then say, If you are good all year, maybe Santa will give you one next year!

That's just plain cruel.

You guys are soooo mean! It's a game! It isn't meant to have them (work) for their gifts. I thought they may like it and have a little fun while doing it. You know, driving around to different places, trying to figure out clues...

Being fairly young, I can tell you with some experience that the means by which the presents are acquired is of absolutely no consequence. The more loot there is, and the sooner it is acquired, the better. There is no room for clever games on Christmas, only for the endless cycle of mindless, enthralling consumerism from which there is no escape.

It is your responsibility as a parent to convey this reality to your children via nonstop hours of televised 'christmas specials', unhealthy obsession over the transfer of material objects, and frequent associations between Jesus Christ and spending every penny you own on **** you don't need.

What did you ask, again?

Every time you pass a store and don't buy a present for your children, Jesus beats them. With his mind. You think Narsrim has a nasty Mindblast? Just wait till your kids are bleeding from the eyes because the son of God is kicking their ass.


Sorry, I just had to.

I swear you people are possessed by the demons of total meandom... I'll be the first to admit that my children generally end up with way more than they should have on Christmas morning. But, it's kinda balanced as well. I don't pour gifts on them without teaching them to the best of my ability. We have an official Family Night every Friday night. We play games, talk, watch movies together, etc. Simply because throughout the week most of our time is spent in school, working, then doing 4 or so hours of homework each night. Which is another topic all together. I may soon visit the idiots section of the forums!

The issue isn't so much meanness, as that... kids tend to be very, mm, goal-oriented? It's more fun to *get* than the *process,* generally. This doesn't hold true for all kids and if yours don't fit it, great! Go ahead. But I know that I'd not have enjoyed this when I was ten, though I would now. When I was ten, I wanted to see a huge pile under the tree and hand out all the presents! And, OOO, there's one for me!

Now I just sit around, and if someone else is passing out presents, great. Otherwise they just sit there. A game would be far more interesting now that I'm not so fixated on the goal.

Sorry, I was using this thread as an excuse to mention the fact that the realease date for the WII is out.

Finding treasure hunts are always fun.

Despite likeing toys, kids also like adventure.

I like your idea.

Hmm, pretty sure I wouldn't have liked this at that age, but your kids might be different.

I have to agree that it depends on your kids. Most kids would much rather have a big pile of stuff then one thing and having to work for the rest. I always wanted to get my stuff ASAP so I could play with it before I had to put up with my family for the rest of the day.

Yeah, I agree with everyone else. It is a very cool idea, but I think it would be better suited to some other time. But you know your children far better than we do (since we don't know them), so it's your call whether they want a big pile or the added adventure.

Give them the toys, then make them find the batteries

I never got more than 6 presents half of them being clothing

Even better, give them toys packaged in those plastic shell things that you can't open without a freaking hacksaw. Then hide the scissors, knives, and power tools. Sit back and watch them break their teeth and bloody their nails trying to open the blasted things.

Teehee, reminds me of when I was a kid. My mom would wrap our gifts in these huge boxes and put an entire roll of the really big packaging tape on each one. She had this fear we would sneak into them before Christmas. Actually, she had every right because my sister had succeeded a time or two! So, she got smart and it would take us FOREVER just to open them!

Then, I remember being around 9 or so and making this plan with my sister. We were going to sit up and get to see Santa! So, we pretended we were sleeping, quietly got up, only to see my mother putting gifts under the tree and my stepfather eating the cookies and drinking the milk! It was horrible...we both were like...I KNEW it!!!

Editted for the third dern time because my keyboard keeps moving the keys. Yes, that's it...it's my keyboard's fault...

Your parents killed Santa and stole his stuff!