Some people prefer visual brainteasers, while others need a word-based challenge to get their mental gears turning. The image below combines the two popular styles into one tricky puzzle. There are five holiday-related terms hidden in the festive illustration—see how long it takes you to spot them all.
The online language tutoring marketplace Preply put together this brainteaser in celebration of the winter holiday season. It features a living room that’s been decorated for Christmas on December 25. Concealed among the tree, presents, and decorations are five words: Christmas, elves, tinsel, merry, and candy. Unlike a traditional word search, the terms are hidden in a cheery scene instead of in a jumble of letters. Take a careful look at every corner of the cozy room to complete the challenge in a minute or less.
Most hidden-image searches ask you to spot the object that doesn’t belong in the pattern. In this Christmas-themed puzzle, Rudolph and his red nose are hiding among all of the other reindeer. Other brainteasers amp up the difficulty levels by challenging you to find multiple hidden items. After analyzing the image above, see if you can identity the seven differences separating these two nearly identical scenes.
Still struggling to pick the five words out of the Christmas decorations? If you’ve been searching for a minute or two with no luck, you can find the solution to the jolly puzzle in the image at the bottom of the article. Here are more holiday activities to tease your brain.