Inexpensive gifts or Christmas favors are hidden
all over the house, each gift having a large letter either printed
or pinned on its wrappings. Five or six cards which bear directions
for finding that gift have the same letter written on them.
Each child is given a card which directs him to look in a certain
place for further directions. When he finds his second card
of directions, he finds that he directs him to the third card,
which directs him to the fourth card. But this fourth card is
merciful and reads, “Look under the bed in the front bedroom
and see what Santa Claus has left for you!” You know that
it will not take him long to get to the front bedroom and under
the bed!
To make sure that no one picks up a wrong card of directions,
every card as well as every gift must be plainly lettered, the
letter on the cards corresponding to the letter on the gift
to which they lead. When the gifts are found they must not be
opened, but all gifts and direction cards are brought back to
the room, where a careful hostess sees to it that all the children
have gifts which bears letters corresponding to the letters
on their cars of directions. If this is not done some child
may be left without a gift.
When all the children have returned bearing a gift, the packages
are to be opened one by one, each child opening his package
in turn so that other children may see its contents. These gifts
reward the hunters either through the real value of the gifts
or through the laughter caused by misfits. Jimmy Pond, which
is a “regular” boy, gets a pink hair ribbon, while
dainty Majorie Burt gets a jackknife. Needless to say, gifts
may be exchanged !
Hiding places should be very simple. For example, one set of
directions may read as follows: A1. Look under the piano. A2.
Look under the rug in the hall. A3. Look under the dining room
table. A4. Look behind the first row of books in the large bookcase.
A5. Look behind the fourth step of the stairway. A6. Look under
the kitchen sink and take what you find !
Of course, if fat Bob Wright should draw a set of directions
which compel him to start in the laundry and all over the house
in his search, ending up having to squeeze under the bed in
the boy’s bedroom to get a package which he found later
to contain a baby’s rattle, we are sorry for him, but-!
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