- Create a scavenger hunt or play a balloon popping game to get kids excited about discovering their gift.
- Watch a movie featuring the surprise destination or dine at a restaurant specific to the culture they’ll be experiencing to surprise an adult.
- Reveal the secret at the airport the day of the trip to give kids the ultimate surprise.
Puzzle
A puzzle of your destination is a fun way to surprise kids or adults. Simply order a custom puzzle online featuring a picture of where you’re going, or make your own by printing out a picture, gluing it onto a piece of cardboard, and cutting it up into pieces. Wrap the puzzle up, give it to your loved one, and watch as they slowly uncover where they’re going. Order custom puzzles through sites like Shutterfly and Collage. Consider adding a message to your puzzle’s image like, “Surprise! You’re going to Hawaii!” or “Happy Birthday! Mickey’s waiting for you!” If the puzzle comes in a box with the puzzle’s image on it, put it in a blank box or bag, so your loved one won’t know what they’re revealing until the puzzle is complete.
Treasure hunt
Let kids of all ages uncover clues and search for their ultimate gift. A treasure or scavenger hunt is a great way to entertain younger and older loved ones! Plus, the game drags out the anticipation. Set up the hunt by scattering clues around the house, with each clue leading to the next. Theme your clues around the destination. For example, if they’re going to the beach, hide clues near a pair of sandals, under popsicles in the freezer, or beside the pool. Make the final clue their ticket or a message saying something like, “You’re going to Disney World!” Keep the clues age appropriate. If the vacation is for a younger child, help them read the clues or use pictures to describe where the next clue is.
Daily riddle
Keep a curious mind guessing with clues leading up to their departure. Let your loved one know you’ve planned something big by giving them a riddle each day to solve. Do this a week or month before the trip, giving them plenty of time to try and guess what you’ve got up your sleeve. Write the riddles on notes to stick randomly around the house for them to find. Text them a clue in the middle of the day to lift their spirits. Make the riddles as easy or difficult as you like; just keep your loved one’s age in mind. One of your riddle clues might be, “I measure time, I build castles, and I’m small enough to fit in a spoon. What am I?”
QR code
Make a video revealing the trip your loved one has to scan. Is your loved one technology-savvy? Design a QR code specifically for them to give them the surprise of a lifetime. Simply record yourself revealing the trip and link the video to the QR code. Print out and glue the code into a birthday card or send them a screenshot via text. Create a QR code easily on website like QR Code Generator, QRCode Monkey, or beconstac. If you don’t want to make a video yourself, no problem! Link the QR code to a travel brochure or documentary featuring the destination.
Box in a box in a box
Hide the tickets in endless packaging to make kids and adults curious. Have you ever received the tiniest gift in the largest box? Well, this idea works similarly! Find 5 or more boxes that fit inside of each other. Place the tickets for the trip inside the smallest box. Then, wrap each box individually, placing a wrapped box inside another before wrapping the outside box. Your loved one will have to work hard to find their present! No boxes, no problem! Try this same idea but use various sizes of envelopes instead.
Hide the ticket in another gift
Lower expectations by placing the trip location in a mundane gift. Whether you’re hoping to surprise a child or adult, this reveal idea will fool almost anyone! As you hand your loved one their small gift ( t-shirt, book, a box of chocolates, etc.), make an excuse like, “I’m sorry it’s not something more. Things have been tight this year.” Then, watch as they open the package to see one thing. If they don’t dig deeper, remark playfully, “Are you sure that’s all that’s in there?” Place the ticket in the fold of a piece of clothing, so they’ll have to unfold the item to find it. Slide the ticket in between the pages of a self-help book. Tape the ticket to the underside of a box of chocolates.
Write a message on a cake
Reveal the big surprise when your loved one blows out their candles. One of the best parts about birthdays is the cake. Your loved one is sure to know they’ll have cake, but they won’t expect a special message written on it! Use icing gel to write the message yourself or ask the bakery to. Here are some message ideas: “Happy Birthday, Abby! P.S. You’re going to London!” “Pack your bags! The Eiffel Tower is waiting!” Consider theming the cake around the destination, even if it doesn’t go with the party’s theme.
Ask a friend or family member for help
Fill in another loved one to make the reveal special. If you’re planning a surprise multigenerational or group trip, have a member of the family or friend call your loved one or show up at their door. They’ll be so surprised by the sudden call or visit that they won’t see the big reveal coming! Try getting your loved one’s favorite celebrity or influencer involved using Cameo (a personalized video service). Simply pay the celebrity or influencer through the service, and ask them to reveal the trip in their message.
Gift a travel essential
Luggage, passports, or snorkel gear can help reveal your big surprise. Rather than gifting your loved one their travel ticket in an envelope, opt for something a little more creative. What will they need on this trip? Opening a present of random swim goggles is sure to bewilder them, making the big reveal of why they need them that much more exciting. Try wrapping up a series of items for the trip separately but make the final present a note about how they’ll need everything for an upcoming getaway.
Cook a meal from the destination
A country-specific food is a delicious way to reveal a trip to a partner. Take date night or a casual mid-week dinner to the next level by cooking or ordering food from where you’ll be traveling. As you’re eating, ask them questions about the meal: Do they like it? Would they like to eat something more authentic? Then, reveal your surprise! For instance, if you’re taking them to Italy, try making pasta from scratch and serving wine imported from the country. If cooking isn’t your thing, take them to a restaurant featuring the country or culture’s cuisine.
Balloon pop
Hide a note about your getaway in a single balloon for kids to find. If you’re surprising a birthday boy or girl, center their big gift around a party game. Blow up 20 or 30 balloons, and slip notes inside each. On one of the notes, specify where they’re going with a picture or written message. Scatter the filled balloons across the floor and tell the birthday boy or girl and their friends that they must sit on and pop the balloons to find the final present. Fill the balloons with confetti or sparkles for extra fun. This game is best to play with children of elementary age and older as sitting on balloons could cause a few boo-boos.
Movie reveal
Plan a movie night to show your loved one where they’re going. If movie nights are already a part of your weekly routine, your loved one won’t expect a thing! Simply go through the day as normal, but insist that the movie you’ve picked out is extra special. As you watch the movie, point out anything they may see on the trip. Then, when the movie finishes, bring out the tickets. Consider these popular movies for their locations: Greece: Mamma Mia France: Ratatouille Scotland: Brave London: Love, Actually New York: West Side Story
Reveal the destination at the airport
Spring the news on kids at the airport for the ultimate surprise. Disguise your trip to the airport as a normal morning school or grocery run. Play the day like any other, but hide all the pre-packed suitcases in the trunk. When you pull into the airport, the kids will know something’s up, and that’s when you can exclaim, “We’re going to Disneyland!” Consider keeping your kids guessing even after you get to the airport. This way, they’ll have to use context clues and observational skills to “crack the code.”
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