Turn on the holiday delight with a Christmas day treasure hunt the whole family will enjoy! A treasure hunt before gift opening is a great way to keep kids from getting restless—and keep grown-ups entertained while Christmas dinner's cooking. You can also do a treasure hunt after the unwrapping to keep the day's excitement going.

Here are some ideas to start your own treasure hunt—and a new Christmas tradition:

• First, pick a prize the whole family will enjoy sharing. Or, use the treasure hunt to let the kids "discover" gifts that are too big or oddly shaped to wrap. (Those bikes the kids want or the big screen TV the family's been craving? Let them find it at the end of the hunt!)
• Next, draw a map using age-appropriate clues that lead to the treasure. Personalize the treasure hunt clues with fun family pictures, silly mementos or funny games like word scrambles or simple riddles.
• For younger kids consider leaving intriguing parts of the treasure as encouragement to keep going. Be sure to keep clues simple for this set. You can always make them more challenging for older kids and adults.
• You can also make clues Christmas-themed. For instance, you could lead everyone to a hidden candy cane stash with a cute clue like this:
  We're red and white and sweet to eat
  Find us for a nifty treat!
• Keep clue collecting vigorous to make it fun for kids and encourage grown-ups to get silly. Try these fun ideas:
  Hop to the kitchen table and peek under!
  Take giant steps to the window and look for snowflakes!
  Don't forget to kiss Mom on your way to the family room!
• Have the family work as a team or split into sides for some friendly competition—maybe something like the "Stocking Stuffers" vs. the "Turkey Gobblers."