You remember being a kid. Getting a present is great, but finding the presents your parents tried to hide from you is better. It was like cracking a secret code. You snuck into your parents’ bedroom, quietly slid open the closet drawer, and snooped around until – JACKPOT! – you found that Furby they bought you on Black Friday.

But now you’re the parent, and you want your children to be surprised. The good news is you know all the tricks. And if you don’t, we’re here to help you. Here is our list of 10 clever tricks for hiding presents from your kids this holiday season:

• The trunk of your car – Unless you share a car with your teenager, the trunk is a great place to hide presents from kids. Not only is it somewhere they are unlikely to look without prompting, but you can actually use black garbage bags or boxes marked for donation to throw them off the trail even further.
• In a suitcase – If you plan to travel for the holidays, then this hiding place isn’t for you. But for those of you staying in the city, unused luggage is a great place to hide gifts. Simply place your presents inside your suitcase and zip up – no additional hiding needed.
• The garbage – Do you really want to trick your kids this holiday season? Hide their presents in a trash can. Double bag your can with two opaque liners, hiding the presents between layers.
• In your underwear drawer – No kid wants to dig through their parents’ underwear drawer, so why not hide presents there? For bonus hiding space, store small gifts in a clean pair of socks.
• At a friend’s house – The best way to ensure your kids don’t find presents hidden in your home? Keep them at a friend or relative’s house. (The presents, not the kids.) You can even swap presents with another family to really keep your children guessing!
• In your attic or basement – Traditionally “spooky” rooms or nooks are perfect for hiding gifts, especially if you have young children. Think of the places in your home your kids are afraid of. Is it the room with the water heater? The attic? Hide presents there.
• At the office – Unless your children frequently visit you at the office, it is a good bet they will not find their presents.
• In the garage – If you own or rent a home with a garage, you can also hide presents there. Do you have boxes of camping supplies or bags filled with miscellaneous home goods? Take advantage of those spaces to trick your kids.
• Under your child’s bed – Think about this: how often does your child really look under their bed? Hiding a gift right under their nose is an easy way to ensure the holidays are still a surprise.
• Rent a storage unit – Citiwide Self Storage offers a variety of self storage units for you to store your stuff – and we’re here year-round! Whether you need us just for the holidays or are in need of a space to store the furniture that won’t fit in your place, we’ve got you covered.

Take a moment to view our storage unit sizes and prices, and then contact our team to learn more about holiday storage in New York.