Find the Presents

When you and your kids play Find the Presents, you'll find out who is the family mastermind. In this game of strategy, race your opponent to locate the hidden presents.

How to Make Find the Presents

What You'll Need:

  • Drawing Paper
  • Ruler
  • Markers
  • Blunt Scissors
  • Construction Paper

Find the Presents is a game of skill and concentration.
Find the Presents -- a game of skill.

Step One: To make the game board, draw an 8 x 8-inch square on a piece of drawing paper. Divide the square into 64 squares, 1 inch each, by drawing lines 1 inch apart down and across. There should be 8 squares down each side.

Step Two: Label the rows across A through H and label the columns down 1 through 8 as shown. Have an adult take your original to a copy center and make 4 copies -- you'll need 4 copies to play 1 game. (Save your original game board to make more copies later.)

Step Three: On a piece of construction paper, draw 10 presents. Make four 1 x 2-inch presents, and six 1 x 1-inch presents. Decorate your presents and cut them out.

Step Four: Each player gets 2 large presents, 3 small ones, and 2 game boards.

Step Five: To play the game, arrange your presents on 1 game board. Then take turns guessing the location of your opponent's presents by calling out the name of the square. For example, you might ask if the present is in E-3. If the answer is no, mark the E-3 spot on your blank game board with an X; if the answer is yes, mark it with a star.

Step Six: Then your friend takes a turn. The first person to find all the presents wins.

The Matrix game is a test of visual recall. Learn how to make this great educational game on the next page.

Get great ideas for activities that parents and kids can share. See: