· Almost half (42%) of British parents admit hiding decoy presents to outwit their children
· Nearly two thirds (61%) of British parents have forgotten where hidden presents are until after Christmas day
· Over two thirds (63%) of parents are most vulnerable to the annual present hunt when cooking dinner according to new research by Beano
Under the bed, inside parents’ wardrobes and under the stairs have been revealed as hotspot areas for curious children searching for presents in the lead up to Christmas, according to a new study released today from Beano.
The research reveals that over three quarters (79%) of British parents say they have had to become more creative when hiding presents, with almost half (42%) deploying decoy presents in more obvious locations.
The new research of 2,000 British parents and their children aged 6-14 years old reveals British houses are teeming with secretly hidden presents as parents say they have, on average, gifts squirreled away in four different areas around their house.
According to kids, parents are most vulnerable to the annual hunt whilst cooking dinner (63%), watching their favourite TV show (52%) or during morning lie-ins (49%). 59% of kids claim they now know all of their parents’ usual hiding spots with 65% finding the stash before the 25th December.
Although over two thirds (67%) of British children say they’re tempted to unwrap them early, only one in 10 (12%) would actually peek inside the wrapping, with the majority of kids saying they would employ simple tactics to guess what’s inside, including the classic touch test (43%), shake test (30%) and sniff test (5%).
Two thirds of British parents (66%) admit they’re forced to stash gifts outside the home. Top external hiding spots include: at a relative’s house (54%), at a friend’s (30%) and at the office (24%) whilst 2% said they had gone as far as renting out units specifically for present storage until Christmas.
However, some hiding spots are evidently too good with 61% of parents saying they’ve forgotten concealed gifts only to find them months later and 28% making the ultimate blunder of accidentally throwing them away.
Mike Stirling, Editorial Director of Beano Studios, said “The annual hunt for presents is a huge Christmas tradition for kids. Finding them, squishing them and using all of their thinking power to suss out what might be inside before the final reveal on Christmas morning is all part of the fun of the holidays. The old, faithful hiding spots are not as secret as parents might think. It’s time to up your game and get creative!”
The study shows that history repeats itself as eight in 10 British parents (85%) were also guilty of searching for gifts when they were children.
Top 10 Christmas present hunting spots according to British children aged 6-14:
1. Under their parents' bed - 42%
2. Bottom of their parents' wardrobe - 36%
3. Top of their parents' wardrobe - 30%
4. Under the stairs - 29%
5. Under their own bed - 27%
6. The kitchen cupboards - 22%
7. Under the sofa - 21%
8. Parents' chest of drawers - 18%
9. The airing cupboard - 17%
10. Their own wardrobe - 17%
Top 10 most inventive Christmas present hiding spots according to British parents
1. The underwear drawer - 33%
2. Inside mislabelled boxes (i.e. tax receipts 2018) - 24%
3. Old Christmas tree / decorations box - 22%
4. The laundry basket - 19%
5. Inside their children's bedroom - 14%
6. Behind books on the bookcase - 13%
7. Inside rolled up socks - 8%
8. The tumble dryer - 8%
9. Behind the bath panel - 7%
10. Under the floorboards - 6%
-ENDS-
Notes to Editors
About Beano Studios:
Beano Studios is a rebellious content business, driven by insight and data, which creates, curates and delivers entertainment for kids of all ages worldwide. The Studio produces diverse entertainment across multiple destinations; including TV, digital content, theatrical projects, consumer products, plus the legendary comic and annual.
The award-winning Beano.com is the UK’s fastest growing kids entertainment site, with 5M monthly reach across the Beano network.
Beano Studios’ International Emmy nominated Dennis & Gnasher: Unleashed! was CBBC’s highest rated animation at launch. In 2018 SO Beano!, a presenter-led entertainment show inspired by the hottest trends and most loved content on Beano.com, launched on Sky Kids.
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