See how long it takes you to solve this Christmas tree brain teaser
If you’ve got a lot of family time happening in the coming weeks, there’s bound to be a lull or two when no one’s quite sure what to do with themselves. When that moment arrives, see if anyone in your clan can spot the Grinch in this cute Christmas scene.
Posted on Facebook by Idaho weather reporter Rachel Garceau, the photo shows a forest of green Christmas trees with different decorations and shapes. All the better to disguise the sneaky face of the Grinch, who’s lurking in there somewhere.
Garceau said it only took her about 30 seconds to spot the villain when she tried it out. I did not have such luck: I stared at my computer screen for a full five minutes (no mean feat with a 3-year-old running around the house) and didn’t see him.
Finally, I viewed the post on my phone — where I could zoom in and scrutinize smaller features — and I found him! According to the timer on my phone, it took two minutes, but I swiftly realized that I’d been looking at him all along. On my computer screen he was just so tiny that I couldn’t make a positive Grinch identification.
Anyway, I’m terrible at these things. “Where’s Waldo?” tormented my childhood. Maybe you’ll have better luck! Give it a try:
Once everyone’s competed to see who can find the Grinch the fastest, there are lots of other holiday-themed activities to try, from low-stakes grownup games to easy, toddler-friendly fun.
Best of all, a lot of them use stuff you probably have on-hand anyway!
One that caught my eye: “What’s In Santa’s Hat?”
It’s ridiculously simple. Grab a Santa hat and put an item inside. Players have to feel the outside of the hat (no peeking!) to guess what’s in there. A stocking works, too, if you don’t have a hat around. Whoever guesses the most items right wins.
Even easier: Hide candy canes (or whatever you wish) around the house and have the youngsters search for them, like an Easter egg hunt. Boom — entertainment!
For a few minutes, anyway.
MORE: Find the hidden sheep among the Santa Clauses in this holiday-themed puzzle