Christmas is the most sneaky time of year. As parents, we try to figure out what our kids really want for Christmas the most, then we have to shop for it, often with our kids, and then we have to keep the gift hidden until Christmas! That is a lot of sneaking! Target has enlisted the help of a real spy, a former CIA Chief, Joanna Mendez to give us tips on super stealth spying, shopping, and hiding gifts this year!
I received a promotional item to facilitate this post.
Covert Shopping Tips from Target’s Kids’ Gift Detective

Oftentimes, parents have no choice but to shop for Christmas presents while our kids are with us. We can’t always ask Grandma to watch our kids and sometimes we just find a perfect gift while doing other shopping that we don’t want to miss!
Gift Detective Tip 1: Sneaky Charity Shopping
Christmas is the perfect time to teach children about helping others. There are many organizations that collect toys for those in need. We always pick a boy my son’s age and a girl my daughter’s age. Have your kids shop for their charity gift, but pick up two of every toy. Your kids will think you are giving away toys to extra kids and have no idea the extra gift will appear under their own Christmas tree.
Gift Detective Tip 2: Put Toys in Cart Right in Front of Kids
When your kids get excited about a toy, put it in the cart – a virtual cart, of course! Search for it and buy it right then and there with the Target Mobile app! They will still be begging for it, not knowing that you already bought it!
Gift Detective Tip 3: Covert Cart
Stop by the container aisle and place a large container or two in your cart, when kids aren’t watching, slip a gift inside. Or pick up undesirables like underwear, pajamas, or plastic bins to hide items under.

I do this all the time with my coat and undesirables. I was shopping with my daughter last week and really wanted to pick up a large Disney Frozen Anna doll that was on sale at Target. I picked up a few packs of pajamas for my son and threw my coat in the cart. My daughter had no idea! If you think that is amazing, how do you think I took this photo?!I did the same sneaky trick with my son when we were shopping together for a gift for his sister. He saw a the Skylanders Swap Force 2-Pack Characters, a Target Exclusive item that he really wanted. I slipped the character he wanted in the robe we bought for my daughter! He had no clue!! He’s a little more observant than his younger sister, so there was no way I was going to attempt to take a photo of it but I did take a photo of the Skylanders Swap Force display!
Find Out What Your Kids Really Want for Christmas
My kids get the kids’ catalog and circle almost everything. My son is almost 9 and is being more selective this year. He told his younger sister to only circle what you really want, so you get it. Sneaky – and smart! Parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles are trying to figure out what their kids want most for the holidays, and it can be tricky, especially for older kids. Target teamed up with Jonna Mendez, a former CIA Chief of Disguise to use her super sooth skills to give us ways to figure out what our kids want this year! Check out Jonna’s tips for finding out what your kids really want this Christmas.
The one that I could most relate to was about figuring out what your child asked Santa for this year. My kids visited Santa last week at the mall. I wasn’t exactly right next to them, so I didn’t hear the full conversation. Luckily, they told me the toys that they requested.
Jonna’s CIA Tip: When you take your kids to meet Santa, make friends with the elves to eavesdrop for you. He can text you or whisper in your ear later! Elves are use to helping Santa, they are sure to help you too!
Clever Christmas Gift Storage
When I was in second grade, I hit the jackpot! I found a box of gifts for my brother and I in the spare bedroom. I wasn’t even looking for Christmas gifts but found a box of toys that I didn’t even know we had! Boy was my mom surprised when I showed her! Hiding gifts can be tricky, especially as kids get older or if you don’t have traditional hiding spots like a basement or attic!
Target Gift Detective suggest gift storage that you might never have considered!
Gift Storage Tip 1: Hide gifts in plain sight – but in boxes stored in the cleaning closet, laundry room, or under the sink. Kids are aren’t going to look there!
Gift Storage Tip 2: Disguise gifts as everyday items – hide gifts inside healthy cereal boxes, in suitcases you never use or hanging in closets in garment bags
Gift Storage Tip 3: Hide gifts in another house – if your kids are older, they might find it a challenge to sneak a peek at their gifts. Hide gifts and/or have gifts delivered to a friend or family member’s house.
Target’s Top Christmas Kids’ Gifts #MyKindofHoliday
Check out the best.gifts.ever. available ever at Target this Christmas. They even have exclusive items only available at Target like LEGO Chima Equilas Ultra Striker for LEGO fans!
For girls, Target has all the new Disney Frozen items, including the Target Exclusive Disney Frozen Anna or Elsa Dolls Toddler Dress Gift Sets!
There is so much more at Target! #MyKindofHoliday
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