Treasure Hunt – Christmas Party

It’s that time of year again. The holiday season has begun. You hear people all over saying joyfully (maybe some not so joyfully) that the Christmas season starts earlier and earlier every year. To me that is just additional proof that folks everywhere are looking for a reason to celebrate.

First there is Thanksgiving. We in America have so much to be thankful for even though sometimes watching the news makes us think otherwise. Even when times are tough, we have our freedom, and no one can deny that freedom is a gift to be cherished and nurtured.

Before Thanksgiving is even over, (sometimes before it even starts) the Christmas season begins. All the stores are brimming with decorations and gift ideas. Humanity begins to reflect on their blessings and attitudes change. We are all caught up in the spirit of the season. We see each other in a new light during the holidays, and are generally more caring, giving and sharing during this time of the year than at any other.

We are also thinking about celebration. Celebration of a birth that has deep meaning for many, and celebration of our relationships with our families and friends. It’s time to begin planning our Christmas parties and shopping for Christmas gifts in earnest.

This article is about a new idea in gift giving that you may not have considered before. A Treasure Hunt! A Christmas party gift exchange with your family and friends or even co-workers that involves hiding all the gifts and finding them with clues. Maybe you have considered the idea, but thought it would be too difficult to set up. It’s a lot of work writing clues, hiding gifts, and having a plan that takes you from beginning to end smoothly. I can tell you from experience that it’s worth the time you spend to make your special event memorable.

Most gift giving parties have only one person receiving gifts, and a Treasure Hunt is a great way to liven up Birthdays, Anniversaries, Wedding or Baby Showers, but a gift exchange at Christmas can involve everyone there. I had a Treasure Hunt Christmas party for co-workers one year, and we had so much fun that I’d like to share it with you. We all drew names and then brought a gift for the person whose name we drew. We hid the gifts together and had a Treasure Hunt to find them.

In this example, every one was receiving a gift so we alternated the clues from one person to the next until the gifts were found. We were singing and acting and laughing all the way. It was easy to do. We gave the host (Shirley) the beginning clue in a card. The beginning clue led Shirley to the next clue which had written on the outside of it: Do not open- give to John. The clue was given to John, who opened it, did what was required, and was given the next clue on which was written: Do not open-give to Van. We alternated clues from co-worker to co-worker until at the end all the gifts that were hidden together were found and opened by all.

A Treasure Hunt is a unique way to make any gift giving occasion more fun. You don’t even need an occasion. Maybe you have a teenager or spouse that is constantly leaving things where they don’t belong. You can hide anything, anytime, from anyone, and make a point by making them find their things with clues. You may be thinking that a Treasure Hunt is for kids, but I can tell you that adults enjoy the experience just as much. This is what memories are made of, and your friends and family will be talking about it for years to come. Make sure to videotape your party. You won’t regret it!

(Originally published at GoArticles and reprinted with permission from the author, Nancy Kruse).