Christmas Treasure Hunt: 2025

I’m soaking up the laid-back, cheery vibes of a wonderful, relaxed Christmas. I had no intention of posting anything today. But something magical happens when your kids get older. THEY START TO ENTERTAIN THEMSELVES.

Aside from cooking breakfast, we’ve just had snacks and leftovers, so I haven’t spent much time in the kitchen. (We’ll have our big “Christmas Dinner” tomorrow evening.)

John, Indy, and my father-in-law were downstairs watching a Star Wars movie, but now my two boys have migrated upstairs and are each building their own LEGO sets. Belle is trying on earrings she got for Christmas, and, spoiler alert, admiring her new UGGs. I’ve just finished eating a bowl of granola with berries (holiday supper of champions) and was scrolling through photos from the last two days.

I’ll have all sorts of holiday and year-end recaps/reflection posts in the coming days, but realizing I am not needed at the present, I thought about what I wanted to do… and Write a blog post rose to the top of the list.

First up, why not talk about our annual Christmas Day treasure hunt!

Years ago we came up with the idea to create a Christmas morning treasure hunt for the kiddos with a series of clues leading to a joint gift. They loved the experience and, though it wasn’t the original intention, this has become a beloved family tradition.

By now the kids expect a treasure hunt, but they don’t know what they’re going to find at the end. The first year it was the booking confirmation for a one-night stay in a hotel (only the second time they had spent a night in a hotel), the next year it was new saucers for sledding, the following two years it was plane tickets for a trip to South Carolina to visit my sister, in 2023 we announced we were going to Barcelona over spring break, and last year we announced a surprise trip to Paris.

All this to say: the theme of their treasure hunt gifts has been overwhelmingly travel-related.

We write the clues in rhyme and it’s a lot of fun for us to prepare… and for them to solve. Most years it has been the final present they open on Christmas morning, and while I never seem to remember to take pictures of the unwrapping process, I always put the first clue inside a set of wrapped boxes (like nesting dolls) so it takes them a while to get to the teeny, tiny box at the centre with their first clue.

THE CLUES FOR 2025!

This year I added a twist: I overlaid the first clue on a puzzle template and cut all the pieces out. To read the message, they first had to complete the puzzle!

Clue 1 – In the Minecraft Game Box

With block after block, grand worlds you create,
You mine and you build at a very fast rate.
Here pixels feel real and adventures kick in—
Go check the game box. Let this year’s hunt begin.

It took them a while to put the pieces together which helped extend the fun. The older they get, the faster they can solve clues so I’m trying to increase the difficulty at least slightly.

Clue 2 – Little Library

This next stop is small, but it packs a surprise,
A little wooden box you’ve passed hundreds of times.
Take a short walk—you know where to look,
It’s the spot in our neighbourhood to grab a free book.

One read looks familiar, in there’s your next clue… make sure to bring that book back home with you.

Clue 3 – Bike (In the Shed)

Nicely done—you’re cruising right through.
Time to move on; there’s more work to do.
Two wheels, no engine, speed powered by feet,
Your next clue waits where our bikes rest off the street.

Clue 4 – Nerf Blaster

You’re getting closer—we all feel the stress.
Time for foam darts and some friendly combat mess.
One of these blasters, innocent-looking and fun,
Is hiding a secret inside a gun.

Clue 5 – Indy’s Room

You’re almost there now—don’t lose your nerve,
Your prize is close and well deserved.
Where bedtime is cozy and comfort is king,
With a brown blankie loved more than most things.
Ferrari the fish swims circles all day—
Your next clue waits where he holds sway.

It took them quite a while to find this clue (John had taken the top off the tank and taped the clue to the underside of the lid).

Clue 6 – My Phone

Sometimes you grumble and sometimes you sigh,
“Momtographer takes too many pictures,” you cry.
But memories matter—one day you’ll agree.
Bring me my phone to unlock the next clue for thee*.

*Had to sneak in a thee for Grampie’s benefit

In the end I wanted Belle to see the final clue on her phone, but I couldn’t send the video until the last moment… so when they came to me, I told them my phone was almost out of battery (true!) and that they should check Belle’s phone to see if she could access the clue.

Clue 7 – Video!!!!!

You’ve chased every clue, you’ve played a good game,
You know where you’re going already by name.
One detail’s been missing—small, but profound…
When and Where this adventure begins has yet to be found.
Head to the fridge—there’s something to see,
The official countdown and map for your European spree!!!

But wait! Plot twist—don’t put the phone away,
I have one last very important thing to say:
On January 7th, I’m coming your way—
Yes, there’s a Nova Scotia visit happening in JUST 13 DAYS!!!!

The kids knew we were headed to Europe for an extended time period, so I was a bit perplexed about how to make it exciting and at least a little surprising.

What they didn’t know was where we were starting (we’ll land in Munich and spend a few days in Germany and then plan to head to Austria; accommodations were more readily available and more reasonably priced in Vienna) and when we’re leaving, so we announced that information complete with a countdown chart for the fridge and a colour-coded map of where we’ll be going in Europe.

In the nearer-term, we got to tell them that my sister from South Carolina and one of my nieces is coming to visit.

When I say Cousin Elizabeth (note the spelling difference) is one of Belle’s favourite people in the whole world, I am selling her love for Elizabeth extremely short. I had Elizabeth record the final treasure hunt clue on video which wrapped up with her announcing she’s coming to visit us in a few weeks!!!

We haven’t seen her in almost two years and the smile on Belle’s face when she got the news was the highlight of my Christmas morning <3

Elizabeth is in her final year of nursing school and has a narrow window before classes start so the visit will be short but very sweet.

And that’s a wrap on our Christmas Treasure Hunt for 2025.