Happy Sunday! Here's what we've been working on.
We’ve just arrived in Tenerife. When the kids woke up this morning they had no idea they were going on holiday - all they knew was they were doing a treasure hunt.
I had 7 clues hidden around our house and neighborhood leading to an empty suitcase with a handwritten note: "Pack your bags. We're going to TENERIFE! Grandad picks us up in 2 hours!"
Here's what made it special: I used AI to create vintage treasure map clue cards in 30 minutes. Leonardo AI generated the parchment background. Claude wrote the rhyming clues. I printed them, coffee-stained the edges, tied them with string.
Total cost: £0. Total time: 30 minutes. Kids' reaction: Priceless.
- Mateo (8) read the final clue. Moment of silence. Then jumping, hugging, celebrating.
- Maria (5) immediately grabbed the flight map I had printed off to see where Tenerife was. Geographic learning: unplanned.
- Conor (3) went along with the excitement, not quite grasping what was happening until they ran upstairs to pack.
🎯 Full Family Tutorial Now Live on Website
The complete tutorial: Leonardo AI prompts, ChatGPT clues, coffee-staining technique, the works.
What's included:
- Exact Leonardo AI prompt I used (blank treasure map, parchment texture, compass rose)
- All 7 rhyming clues ChatGPT generated
- Coffee-staining method (with hairdryer for 5-minute drying)
- How to customize for birthdays, pregnancy announcements, moving reveals
- Why handwritten final notes matter
This isn't just about holiday reveals. It's about using AI to make family moments more memorable—without replacing the parent creativity.
👉 Read: How We Revealed Our Family Holiday With a Treasure Hunt (& AI)
📝 New Blog Post I Published This Week:
The research says 92% of parents believe AI knowledge is essential. Two-thirds of students already use AI tools multiple times a week.
But which tools actually work? Which hit paywalls? Which need parent supervision?
I couldn't find honest answers. So I tested them.
👉 Read: What Parents Actually Need to Know About AI Tools for Children's Education
What's Coming:
More testing. More honest reviews. And a bit of relaxing on the beaches of Tenerife 😎.
Quick Links:
📚 All Family Projects
🔧 50+ AI Tools We've Tested
📖 Parent's Research Lab
P.S. The treasure hunt clue cards are now in a memory box. Mateo asked if we can do another one for his birthday. Maria wants one for finding Easter eggs. Turns out, creating magical moments with AI is addictive.
Next week: More AI tools testing. Probably involving video. Possibly involving unicorns (Maria's request, not mine).
Quick Links:
All Family Projects
Instagram @aidadlab
TikTok @aidadlab
Thanks for following along on these experiments.
– Niall
