I'm coming to y'all today with a PLEA to help me with a creative way to gift cash... Lukes' birthday is next week and his one ask is money. It's like the least fun thing to "shop" for and I'd love to give it to him in a creative way so HELP!!!
Here's what we did last year...
Luke asked for money for his birthday but I wanted to make it something fun and memorably so I got 13 envelopes and put cash in some, little things like chapstick and gum in a few and then a couple had notes in them that gave him the location to a gift (he got a fishing tackle backpack and a couple of shirts).
Once I had everything in the order that I wanted I started with envelope 13... wrapping it in saran wrap :) Then I just kept making the ball bigger and bigger adding the numbered envelopes along the way. I used almost two rolls of wrap and it looked like this when it was done. When we handed it to him he was so confused but he quickly realized he had to start unrolling...
... and it was seriously hilarious. He would unroll and unwrap until an envelope was exposed, then he'd open that envelope and he kept going until he got through all 13 envelopes. It was easy and fun and something that I think he'll remember. Score!
And for Christmas I bought one of these puzzles...
.... which had great reviews but which he somehow figured out in about 4 seconds. hahaha
We have also put cash into this box which was funny because when he opened it a spider popped out...
... and the box has provided lots of laughs after as well.
A few years ago my SIL gave Luke money for Legos like this...
... and I saw this idea on Pinterest which I thought was cute.
So here's where I need your help... if you've given money in a fun, creative or unique way PLEASE let me know in the comments! Right now my plan is to make a balloon garland for decor and put money inside each balloon and not tell him. Then after we eat dinner tell him that his money is hidden somewhere and see if he can figure it out but I'd LOVE to have a few fun ideas just in case.
Happy Thursday and THANK YOU in advance, friends!!!
Love your idea! My sister in law made a cash cake for my nephew....rolled all the money up and it's was a small 2 tiered cake then then she added a birthday pick on top.
ReplyDeleteMy class gave me a darling umbrella with cash and raindrops attached with fishing line. It was raining money. Cute!
ReplyDeleteLove what you've done so far and the latest idea of hiding the money in the balloons!
ReplyDeleteIdea #1: My suggestion was a - scavenger hunt similar to the cellophane ball idea but make him go all over. One clue could be at his fav restaurant, a friend's house, school, in his locker, last period class, bottom of the pool, etc. Then, the money will be somewhere hidden in your house like his pillow case or the dog's collar. And I would write the clues so only you know the answers this way Dad, siblings or friends can help solve the birthday clues/mystery.
Idea #2 - create a crossword puzzle or Wheel of Fortune game idea as to where his bday money is.
Idea #3: If you have a metal detector, put the money in a metal box and bury it somewhere either in your yard, local lake, beach or at a park. He has to metal detect for it and then dig it up.
Have fun!
Kids are NEVER too old for a scavengar hunt. You can incorporate math questions or history questions or whatever his passions are into the "hunt".
DeleteOne more idea, Idea #4: Crack the code. Create a code as to where the money is hidden.
ReplyDeleteI like your balloon idea! Ive given a chocolate box with all the chocolates taken out and money rolled in different ways in each "section"
ReplyDeleteI have hidden one dollar bills in a book. Whether they find it then or later when they are reading the book.
ReplyDeleteI like the pizza box idea I’ve seen online…”the best part of a pizza is the dough”.
ReplyDeleteRemember the shows on TV called something like Double Dare and Playhouse? Well the kids had to do messy/gross challenges to find the game peices. Like dig through big pots of spaghetti/slime/...soak a bunch of hot dog buns and hide money a the bottom. Roll up dollars and hide them in cheap hot dog weenies...anything “gross” should make a 13 ur old boy have a good time! 😉
ReplyDeleteMy sister gave my daughter a pizza box with dollar bills in a circle like pizza & then coins taped on top of the bills to look like pepperoni.
ReplyDeleteYou could also google how to fold $ to look like a shirt. My MIL did it - so cute!
You are so creative - can't wait to see what you come up with!
My sister gave my daughter a pizza box with dollar bills in a circle like pizza & then coins taped on top of the bills to look like pepperoni.
ReplyDeleteYou could also google how to fold $ to look like a shirt. My MIL did it - so cute!
You are so creative - can't wait to see what you come up with!
Freeze in Ziploc bags inside of ice cubes/block. Have him smash it or put in icecubes in his drinks. Oragami using money (have done with flowers, etc.).
ReplyDeleteFreeze in Ziploc bags inside of ice cubes/block. Have him smash it or put in icecubes in his drinks. Oragami using money (have done with flowers, etc.).
ReplyDeleteI took a plastic container and froze it. Put the money in ziplocs, partially freeze the water, insert the ziploc and freeze solid. The money could be added at different stages of freezing so it's suspended throughout the container.
ReplyDeleteI did this for an Easter egg hunt, but you could easily do it for a money hunt. I placed clues in an egg (you could do an envelope) with a clue to start. The clue is a quote from a book. He would go to that book in your house, look through the book, find the next clue/quote in the envelope which would take him to the next book and so on. You could either include money in each book or just a clue that leads to final book with all of the money, or have him pick money as he goes along with something fun at the end. I would try to do quotes from books throughout your house. I used all kinds of quotes both easy to figure out and harder ones. My daughters loved this!
ReplyDeleteSimilar to your balloon idea ... my niece received a huge wrapped box for her birthday. When she opened it, several helium filled balloons came floating out. Each balloon had money in it. She had to retrieve each balloon, most off of the ceiling! Then, of course, pop each one for the money. It was really fun to watch.🙂
ReplyDeleteI like the suggestion to freeze the money. I came to suggest you put the money in a clear mason jar and fill the jar with M&Ms to hide the money.
ReplyDeleteOne year for my birthday, I was gifted 'cold hard cash'. My relatives had put the cash in a ziplock bag and then froze water around it until it was a large frozen block.
ReplyDelete