How to Present a Bike to My Daughter

We did the clue thing for my son a couple of years ago and he loved it - we had him going all over the house, before he ended up in the garage - where his bike was with a big bow! It was a lot of fun and he had no idea!!

This may have been suggested already, but what about hiding the bike itself, then wrapping an accessory (a bell or a helmet, etc.). Good luck,whatever you decide!

My parents hid my bike behind the couch (which was up against the wall). Garage? Walk-in-Closet? I'd hide both 'big' presents for each kid, and have them open/get them at the same time. Start with the smaller presents first.

You could hide it... We do "The Grinch Stole Christmas" it is a tradition started in my husbands family to slow down Christmas morning a bit.
The Grinch steals all the presents and hides them before Santa gets there, so they do come down to Santa presents, but I'm sure he could come along after Santa has left. He leaves a hint in the tree with a little stuffed Grinch, written Dr. Suess style, hoping that the kids don't find his clever hiding places. We usually have 3 or 4 or 5 hiding places (depending on how tires The Grinch is on Christmas Eve)with hints at each one to find the next. It's been a fun thing for our family.

M.,

Although we didn't have much of the same challenges you have, we did have the same wrapping problem. We left our daughter's first bike in the kitchen upstairs. She found it when we went to go fix breakfast which obviously she wouldn't have done on her own prior to waking us up for Christmas presents!

Hope that helps!
V.

You could have her go on a treasure hunt! Create a series of clues that leads her through the house and then she ends in the garage where the new bike is. Just an idea-- good luck!!

When my parents would buy us big things they would hide the big presents somewhere and then send us on a treasure hunt for the gift.

I would cover it with a blanket. :)

Can it fit behind the tree? Maybe put a blanket over it with a big bow on top? You could disguise the shape with another box or something next to it so she doesn't recognize what it is.

Hmmm... or, maybe they aren't allowed to come up before a certain time and you can get up a little earlier and put it out with a big bow on it?

Good luck and Merry Christmas!!!
C.

You might try hiding the bike the night before in the garage, and buying a bike horn or some other small bike accessory. Wrap that and when she opens that someone can wheel in the bike.

How about a scavenger hunt for all the kids to find their "big" present. the two year old goes first with a couple simple clues big sis and bro help with...then they help eachother out with the other clues. You could wrap the first clue and make sure it is the last to be opened under the tree.

My parents would put the bike out on the driveway or in the garage with a big bow. It was alot of fun to go running outside and see what I got!

My dad bought me a much wanted 10-speed bike when I was about 10 - 11 yrs old. He wrapped a very small box with a note in it saying my gift was hidden in our basement. I then had to (obviously) go to our basement and search for the bike. I think the search for the bike is more memorable for me than the bike itself.

You could do this for your older children and as another mom suggested, save the big gifts for the end.

Set up a scavenger hunt of things related to the bike for her to find and ultimately find in the garage the bike.
Like wrap a bike helmet, then tell her to go somewhere else in the house for a bike bell, then somewhere else for something else for her bike and lead her to the garage where there is a bike with a big red bow on it! :)
Make sure the first gift is out in front with her name on it so she sees it right away! :)
I am with you on getting something they really want and will play with over the course of the year vs a bunch of little things that aren't going to be put to use!

At Christmas we always stay up long after the kids go to bed. We set out any presents that are from Santa and anything from us that is too bulky. This year the youngest is getting a enormous stuffed puppy that we decided to box in a homemade box (see below about the fusing of two boxes) and wrap.
I suggest that you stasrt with asking the store that you get the bike from, if they have the original box for a bike that is bigger than her's and check to see if it might fit. There are a lot of stores that break down their boxes and keep them until the next trash day and all it takes is to ask. Wal-Mart, Target etc. get items in boxes all the time.

If that doesn't work then take two identical smaller boxes and put them together by sticking one inside the other (flaps fully extended makes it easier) and then use packaging tape to fuse the two boxes together. Good Luck!

Do you have a nieghbor or good friend that could keep it until the last minute or store will also keep the bike at the store until Christmas if need be.
C. B

Maybe you could send her on a treasure hunt with one or two clues and hide it in the garage with a big bow on it. I always had fun doing that. (My 9 year old son made a treasure hunt for my daughter on her birthday, she was turning 26. She had fun even at that age.)Maybe, since its a big gift you could save it unril towards the end of the opening of gifta. Just have fun. Christmas is a great family time.

When I was younger and my parents got me a bike for Christmas, my mom set up a type of scavenger hunt with a card placed on the tree for the first clue. It then lead to a few other cards and then finally down to the basement where my bike was!! It was a fun memory that I will never forget!

Put a picture of the bike wrapped up in a box. A note with the picture could tell her to go to the garage or wherever you have hidden the bike.

I would get one of those really big bike bags to put it in. I have seen them at Walmart, just about anywhere that sells bikes. My mom has several because once you untie the top you can reuse it over and over. A bike sounds like fun!

i would hide it in an obvious place... Like the kitchen or a room separate from where Xmas presents are with a big bow on it and a tag that says "love santa" and have her get your coffee or someting. My son still gets presents from santa even though he knows it is me. It always gives him a little smile. It is fun.

How about a scavenger hunt? She gets an envelope on the tree with the first clue (or even the only clue) to where she has to look for her present and you can hide it (with a big bow on it, of course) someplace that she wouldn't see it first thing - like the garage, if you have one. Or even out in your backyard, if you don't. Saves you from missing the reaction by her finding it early. We did this with my Dad's birthday presents one year and we all had a really fun time with it. Hope you find a suggestion that will work! Have a happy holiday. :)

Love the treasure hunt or idea, or if you're wiped for creativity, try the hot and cold game....

I remember growing up and having my BIG present found through a treasure hunt. I was given clues that were rolled up and tied with a red ribbon. I had to search and run all through the house. It was so much fun!! I remember getting a clue that said,"Look inside the BOX that is FREEZING" which was our freezer downstairs. Give that some thought if you are willing to come up with little clues!! It's always fun seeing their expressions!!

We wrapped our son's bike in a couple of those big bags they have now. You can pick them up at the dollar store, or places like Target have really strong ones. That way it doesn't look like a bike, but a really big present.

Here's an idea. Wrap a big empty box with the first clue that will lead her on a "treasure hunt" to find her gift. You can put a few rocks in the box so it is not obvious at first that it is empty. The first clue will lead her to the next clue, etc....I wouldn't have more than four clues...but I think that would be memorable for her, and fun for the whole family...imagine her excitement building with each clue.

I would say do a scavenger hunt with a card placed on the tree for the first clue. That way it can take a little bit of time hunting down the clues to the gift and they/ you can all have fun playing and spending that time together as well as giving gift. (rather then here is your gift, what do you want for breakfast type of morning)

Well, I've never wrapped bikes nor had them wrapped. But Maybe one of those BIG gift bags (or several.

They make those Christmas patterned trash bag size things for big stuff like that. I'm sure you can get them at Target or Walmart, and use a few of those to cover it up. That might work.