From Christmas to Hanukkah to Kwanzaa all the way down to Festivus, no matter what you celebrate right now is the season of endless present-giving. And if you’ve got little ones, or maybe a particularly inquisitive significant other, you know that you’ve constantly got to be careful about where you’re stashing your presents. If you need a few ideas on how to safely stash some holiday gifts to keep them away from prying eyes, why not give these a shot?
The Attic
Let’s face it: most kids just plain old don’t like the attic. (I sure didn’t as a kid, and I can’t say I even go up there much now!) Especially if you have younger kids who aren’t allowed up there and probably couldn’t get up there if they wanted to, the attic can be a perfect option for hiding away presents. Get some wire shelving up there and stash them in a box or under a blanket to make them look like old house decorations or broken appliances, and watch as your kids lose all interest in looking to see what’s up there.
The Basement
Much like the attic, the basement can be a pretty uninviting place for younger kids – but you might have to work a little harder at this one. If you’ve got a finished basement with a TV and couch your kids might be a little more inclined to head down there, so some camouflage may be needed. Take a few boxes of something not particularly fun, like unused blankets or winter clothes they’ve outgrown, and stack those on or around where the presents themselves are. As soon as they look in that first box and see nothing but hats and mittens, they’ll probably be too discouraged to keep looking.
The Garage
Most kids think of the garage as the place where the big loud tools are, or maybe where they have to keep their outside toys when they’re not using them – and this can work to your advantage. Sneak in some extra garage shelving and stack the toys and presents way up high where they can’t see or reach them; even if they do go into the garage to help the parents with something, they’ll probably just assume it’s a box of power tools or something else that isn’t very fun (at least at that age).
Right in Plain Sight
If you’re feeling particularly bold, or maybe you’re just running out of options, the best way to hide presents is sometimes to not hide them at all. If you have a box of toys that you can’t find a good place for, then leave it right where it is. Label the side of the box something really boring sounding like “Old Tax Papers” or “Homework” and you’ll deflect any attention it might receive. Or, if the items can fit into a garbage bag, put them in there but surround the bag with old clothes or actual garbage and watch them look somewhere else.
You’ve only got a few days to go, and you should be all set now – but if you’ve still got some gifts to hide and you’re running out of space, follow these tips and you should be able to save the surprise for the big day!