Hiding spotsSeptember 1, 20269 min read

Where to hide advent calendar rewards: creative Christmas treasure hunt ideas for home, apartment and office

Turn every December morning into a tiny treasure hunt. Dozens of hiding spots for houses, apartments and offices, plus rewards that are not presents.

Advent is one of the most magical parts of Christmas. Every December morning brings you one day closer, but the real joy is usually in the tiny traditions you build along the way. An advent calendar does not have to mean opening the same little door every morning. You can turn each day into a small Christmas treasure hunt instead.

Hide a chocolate, a small gift, a festive activity or a handwritten note somewhere around the house and let everyone search for it. Suddenly even the smallest reward becomes exciting. A chocolate hidden inside a winter boot feels far more special than one handed over at breakfast.

Why turn your calendar into a treasure hunt?

Christmas is full of presents, but advent can be about something better: anticipation. The fun starts before the reward is found. Is it in the kitchen? Inside a closet? Behind the curtains? Somehow in the refrigerator? Searching becomes part of the gift.

For families with kids it becomes a favorite December tradition, and adults enjoy it too, especially when the hiding spots get unexpectedly clever. Best of all, you do not need a big house. A small apartment offers plenty of hiding places once you start looking at everyday objects differently.

One reward, one hiding spot, one very determined treasure hunter.

Easy hiding places around the home

Start with familiar places. Sometimes the best hiding spots are right in front of you every day.

Inside a winter boot
Under a pillow
Behind a favorite book
Inside a Christmas mug
Inside a coat pocket
Between the sofa cushions
Inside the sock drawer
Under the dining table
Beside the toothbrush
Inside a kitchen cabinet

Creative hiding places for apartments

A small apartment can make the game even better, because you have to get inventive. Look at ordinary objects and ask one question: would anyone think to look here?

Behind a curtain
Under a sofa blanket
Inside an empty laundry basket
Inside a reusable shopping bag
Behind a flowerpot
Inside a hat, scarf or clean glove
Behind a framed photo
Inside a backpack
Beside the board games
Inside an empty suitcase
In the silverware drawer
Inside an empty saucepan
In the washing machine, before anyone runs a load
In the oven, only when it is cold and nobody plans to use it
On a windowsill behind a plant
Under a chair
Inside a toy box
Among the wrapping paper
Inside a closet
Beside the TV remote
In the refrigerator, for anything that should stay cold
Right by the front door, as if Christmas magic just arrived

The goal is not always difficulty. Sometimes the funniest spot is simply unexpected. Finding chocolate inside a saucepan beats twenty minutes of searching for something hidden too well.

Use your Christmas decorations

Hang a tiny package from a branch like an ornament
Place a numbered envelope deep inside the tree
Hide a bigger present underneath it
Tie a small tag to one of the decorations
Use stockings, wreaths, garlands and decorative boxes

A small reward hidden among ornaments can stay unnoticed for a surprisingly long time. That moment when someone realizes they have been staring at today's gift all morning is half the fun.

Treasure hunt ideas for a house

Around the staircase: an envelope under the handrail or tucked on the top step
Near a cold, safe fireplace: a little wrapped present on the mantel
In the pantry: cookies beside the cereal, or a baking note near the flour
In the laundry room: nobody expects Christmas magic next to the detergent
In a guest room: under a cushion, beside a lamp or in an empty drawer

Outdoor hiding places

On the doorstep, like a tiny overnight delivery
Inside your own mailbox, addressed as if the North Pole sent it
On a covered porch, under a chair or in a lantern with no burning candle
Inside a garden shed, for older kids and adults
Near the outdoor lights, where Christmas shines outside
Inside a clean watering can
Inside an empty plant pot

Outdoor rewards need protection from rain, snow, cold and animals. Food, batteries, cosmetics and delicate gifts belong indoors.

Funny and unexpected spots

Inside an empty saucepan
Attached to the vacuum cleaner
In an umbrella stand
In the pocket of a stuffed animal
Under someone's favorite chair
Behind the TV
Inside an empty cereal box
Among the clean towels
Under a Christmas sweater

Sometimes a strange hiding place creates a better memory than the reward itself.

Rewards do not have to be presents

Tonight we make hot chocolate
You choose the Christmas movie
Tonight we bake cookies
Pick one Christmas song and make everyone dance
Tonight we walk and look at Christmas lights
You choose tonight's dessert
One Christmas story before bed
Breakfast for dinner
An extra cozy pajama evening
Pick tonight's family game

Office edition

An office advent calendar adds Christmas energy to the working day and pairs well with Secret Santa or a shared countdown. Keep rewards simple: chocolate, coffee vouchers, funny notes, snacks or team privileges.

In a desk drawer the person is allowed to open
Under a keyboard, for a small note only
Beside the coffee machine
Inside someone's clean mug
On top of the printer, where documents appear
In the stationery cup
In a meeting room, under a notepad
On the office Christmas tree
Inside a personal locker
In the kitchen, clearly marked so nobody eats a coworker's lunch

24 hiding places, one for every day

1. Inside a winter boot
2. Under a pillow
3. Behind a favorite book
4. Inside a Christmas mug
5. Inside a coat pocket
6. Under the dining table
7. Behind a curtain
8. Inside the sock drawer
9. Under the Christmas tree
10. Inside a kitchen cabinet
11. Between the sofa cushions
12. Inside a backpack
13. Behind a framed photo
14. Inside an empty saucepan
15. Beside the toothbrush
16. Inside a Christmas stocking
17. Under a cozy blanket
18. Inside the refrigerator
19. Beside the board games
20. Inside a hat or scarf
21. Inside the laundry basket
22. Hanging from the Christmas tree
23. On the doorstep, or by the front door in an apartment
24. Somewhere special that leads to your biggest surprise

Keep some days simple

December is busy. Some days the reward can just hang on the tree or sit beside the breakfast plate. Save the tricky hiding spots for weekends. Mix easy spots with hard ones, beautiful ideas with silly ones. One morning the search takes ten seconds, the next it sends everyone running from the kitchen to the bedroom and back. That variety is what keeps the tradition alive.

No time to shop for 24 small rewards? Add our Reward Pack of small physical gifts.

Make it about memories

The best advent calendars are not the most expensive ones, they are the ones people remember. Years later nobody recalls which chocolate was hidden on December eleventh. They remember crawling under the dining table to find it, or checking the fridge when the reward was actually under a pillow. Advent is not only about counting the days. It is about making them feel special, and sometimes all it takes is a tiny reward, a clever hiding place and one question every morning: where did Christmas hide today's surprise?

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