The opposite of fine woodworking holiday scavenger hunt box.

[Isaac]

Every year for the last few Christmases I've created a scavenger hunt for my son to find his last present. It is a fun challenge to come up with new ideas, though I've kind of painted myself into a corner as I keep having to try to top whatever I did the previous year. Last year I had my son find various clues around the house, and then finally he got to my shop, which was closed up with a combination padlock, and he had to call his grandparents to get the combination.

This year I built this box, which will contain the present, and he'll have to follow clues around the house to find all the keys.

Anyways, it is intentionally crude, made with scrap pine boards and some mismatched hasps and locks. It is however, pretty sturdy, with glued and finished nailed joints.  I didn't make it fancy for two primary reasons. First with a newborn baby in the house, Shop time is limited, especially around the holidays, so I wanted to get it done quickly. Second, the box will probably wind up in my son's playroom, and its better for both of us if it is something he can beat up, draw on, put stickers on, or whatever without any concern about damaging it. 

Anyways, mostly just sharing this for the fun of the idea, rather than the box itself. 

 

[JohnG]

Very cool idea! Thanks for sharing. With ours nearing 2, I've been thinking a lot about things that I can make for her in the upcoming years. Heirloom pieces that they can have for the rest of their life are great, but so are things that are fun and enjoyable in the present moment. One of my daughter's favorite toys is a little mallet I made for her. It was an impulse project that used a poplar scrap and took 15 minutes tops. Just because you can make it fancy doesn't always mean that you should.

[Chet]

Good fun.  I am guessing by the size of the box that he's not getting a bike. 

[Isaac]

9 hours ago, Chet said:

Good fun.  I am guessing by th seize of the box that he's not getting a bike. 

Funny you mention that. Last year was a new bike. This year he’s getting a set of four laser tag guns. 

[Dennis O'Shea]

Sounds like a fun Christmas Morning 

 

[Ronn W]

Great fun.  He wil remember that for a long time.  i like it.

[Stumpnav]

Devious...I love it...that's cool tradition to keep going.

[BeingFrank]

I think the real question is...if he got out a crosscut  saw and just cut the box open, are you mad that he cheated...or happy that he is a problems solver and uses hand tools to do it?

Very nice tradition you have there, your son will be telling stories about this long after you are gone.