We surprised our girls ages 8 and 4. It was difficult to decide how we were going to tell the kids. We dicided to do a treasure hunt. I did research on the web on creating treasure hunts for children, especially children who cannot read yet because we have a 4 year old who does not read. We decided to have both pictures and words. The 8 year old could read out loud to the 4 year old and they could use the picture to solve the clue. We thought that we could even videotape the entire experience. We made the decision that the treasure hunt would take place a couple days before our trip.
As time past by, I worked at getting the treasure hunt ready and putting together a prize as the finale. The treasure or prize would actually tell them that we are going to Disney World. This was when I discovered the Creative DISign section of the DIS. I thought that I could make them each an autograph book and WDW T-shirts and place them inside a wrapped box as a way for them to know we are going to WDW. I started with the Mickey Mouse tie-dye shirt, and then proceeded into ironing the transfers. I cannot forget to give Kudos out to the designers (specifically Julia & Nicks Mom) in the Creative Designs forum because they did some great work designing these Ts for me. The shirt on top said, Surprise We are going to Disney World, followed by several other WDW shirts. They were all adorable! I could just picture in my mind, the girls jumping for joy after reading that.
Two days before our trip we have the treasure hunt ready to go. The kids have no idea what is going on. I have the video camera charged, and the treasure hunt ready to go. We ask the kids if they want to play a game. They are just thrilled, Yeah! Lets play a game. I stay with the kids in the house while DH goes outside to hide all the clues. When DH returns, we explain the rules of the game. The camera is ready, we give DD8 the first clue, she reads it out load to DD4, they see the picture and run to the find the second clue, and so on. Finally they get to the final clue and find the wrapped boxes. I tell them to sit on the bench and open them. I am so excited that I could just explode. They unwrap the boxes and shout, Cool, T-shirts! DH has to explain to DD8 that she needs to read the shirts. She reads the first one, Surprise we are going to Disney World. Nothing, no reaction what so ever and moves on to the second shirt, Walt Disney World 2006. Again, nothing! DH asks her what the shirts say. She says, Yes, I know that we are going Disney World again someday. DH says, Not someday, look at the year, 2006. DD8 says, Ohhhhh! but she is still puzzled. I, of course am absolutely brewing inside so I shout out, Ashley we are leaving in two days. She looks at us with huge eyes and says, We are? I must admit that I was a little disappointed that they did not get the jump for joy, screaming around the backyard like I dreamed about for months. It must have been a delayed reaction because, it took a few minutes to soak in before they both started jumping around and giggling. They each had to put on their t-shirts and continue to wear them all day. I now have this disappointing moment in my life on video in case we ever want to relive the experience again someday. The good news is DD8 tells me that she wants to be surprised for all of our vacations from now on.
I think that since your kids are older, you could pull it off and they would get it, unlike my kids. If I had to do it all over again, I would still surprise. Good LUck!
We are going away for Thanksgiving and were thinking of having a relative coming over and decorating the house in Disney stuff and having the tix and the embrodered(sp) sweatshirts out for them?
