Every Christmas, I always have the feeling that my house isn’t my own anymore. People are always coming in, hanging out, and even sleeping here. My siblings and my cousins, in particular, love bringing their kids to my home. I guess the coolness of the winter season does make it conducive for just lying around and relaxing, but as the host, I couldn’t help but feel pressured to entertain them and make them feel comfortable.

I don’t know what they like about my home exactly. The whimsical decorations? The way I make hot chocolate? The way I just let them tinker with anything they liked? Perhaps all of the above. I always made it a point to have a game ready for the kids, if they were up to it. Most of the time, they were.

Their favorite game was the good old Christmas scavenger hunt. Being the youngest, I was designated as the ‘caretaker’ of our parent’s house, since I was the only one who is not married or has no children. Add a couple of hyperactive kids to a weird and eccentric combination of relics from the past you get the picture.

Since it’s Christmas, I figured that the kids would enjoy having a Christmas-themed game. I gave them a list of items scattered all around my home. It didn’t need to be all Christmas-related; sometimes I sneak in something like ‘a Betamax tape’ or ‘a silver Walkman’.

After all the fun and games, we rest by the couch, listening to old carols, a cup of hot chocolate in hand. Sometimes we play on old board games that the kids have accidentally unearthed during their hunt.

The scavenger hunt I design need not be as extravagant as those organized by professionals. The goal is just to pass the time, and maybe introduce the kids a little bit to times that have gone by.

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