Surprise holiday, kids 6&11, how to tell them!

[bullyingadvice2017]

Hi I am so excited just booked a fortnight in the sun leaving new year. I'm a newly single mum with kids 11 and 6 been on our own a tough year now but settled now.
they have been asking for a holiday and haven't really asked for anything for Christmas at all.
So I am not going to get lots of stuff for Christmas and want to wrap this up as it were, if anyone has any good ideas I'd live to hear them! I was thinking of a box with some euros and sunglasses etc in?

How wonderful! A 'slow reveal' on Christmas Day would be ace. Either a new rucksack, or a box or a stocking with all the bits insee if they guess. If not, ask them if they can make a connection between the things in there. Or you could do a treasure hunt You wouldn't have to spend much and can include things you need for your holiday anyway - maybe a new toothbrush, puzzle book for the plane, sunglasses as you say and you could keep the Euros separate as a final clue?

I did this for my ds's 13th birthday a few years ago, it was brilliant.

I bought a large map and put it behind the living room door on the wall as the final piece of the jigsaw. On the map was a pin in our destination.

I used several clues so it was like a treasure hunt. I highly recommend!

When we did Disney/Universal I hid the letters that spelt out where we were going and the kids had to find them and assemble them to work it out. They loved it.

Meant to add that on each letter I put a clue as to where they would find the next one like a treasure hunt

I wrapped a lonely planet book of the destination when when I booked a surprise for parents significant anniversary. How exciting!!

Where are you going? Was thinking of stocking suggestions relevant to your destination.

I'm afraid I have nothing to add, but I love these suggestions. Your dc are going to be so excited! It sounds amazing.

I know mine adore treasure hunts, mysteries, puzzles to solve, so I bet yours will be thrilled.

How brilliant!

What about a small suitcase each? Cabin sized. Mine was £10 on Amazon in the summer.

Then some suncream, micro fibre towel, miniature shampoos etc. Euros. Sunglasses. Puzzle books. Well anything holiday related wrapped up inside the suitcase that's wrapped up.

A friend did this and her kids were completely bowled over 😀

We are off to Tenerife. Went a few years ago as a family and they have always talked about going back. I'm going to find it very hard to keep it quiet!

I just hope it's going to be warm, has anyone been in January before?

Not Tenerife, but I've been to grab canaria in January - was definitely warm! Went when I was 12 as a surprise Christmas present as it happens. My parents gave us euros in a pouch from the travel agents.

With the destination and date on, I should have said.

When I booked surprise ski trip for a Xmas gift I wrapped dcs goggles up

Thanks there's some good ideas here

Please will you come back and tell us what you decide to do and how it goes? Am excited on your behalf!!

Yes I will do! Counting down the days now, 56! Wondering if I can shift a stone by then! 😬

suitcase (doesn't have to be new)

fill it with clues, and wrap each one, as they unwrap them and lne them up they have to guess what the present is.

You need to tell them that it is a game rather than a present, so the items don't all have to be new.

I lived there for years. Ds was born there!

January can be warm as it's a year round warm country. But be warned the evenings can be cooler and there's a chance of rain. So rain coat advisable just in case and a zip up hoody

I was thinking of the suitcase and then like a pad the parcel style with layers of clues in till the passports and tickets in the final bit

Do you have any photos from your previous trip? Maybe think about having one enlarged and made into a jigsaw puzzle - or just glue one to some card and cut it into random shapes that they can assemble.

So for my DH's 50th birthday (January) i arranged a trip to the Ice Hotel in Jukkasjarvi. For Christmas I gave him presents that were treasue hunts clues leading to an anagram of Ice Hotel. The he had long johns, new gloves etc as presents!

Definitely suncream, new swimsuits, flip flops etc as presents but be aware at that age as they up the ante on Tv Christmas ads letters to Santa may appear!

I've booked to go to centre Parcs in Feb half term. I've bought the dc's new swimsuits (because I'm pretty sure we'll spend the whole week in the pool)

I've bought gold envelopes and I'm going to print off a photo with the details and put these in the envelopes and put their swim suit and envelope in a Christmas box each for them to open

I can't wait!