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Tuesday 1 December 2020

100+ Fun & Easy Elf on the Shelf Ideas

Does the Elf on Shelf visit your home at Christmas time?

Our elf, Elfie Pokie Nokie, has been visiting our home since 2012 and during that time he's found himself in all sorts of crazy, and fun, situations. 

I know that a lot of parents can find the elf a little overwhelming, so today I'm sharing one hundred (yes, one hundred!) fun and easy elf antics. Most of these are easily set up in the evening with just what you'll find around your home. No over the top elf accessories here! 


Playing with Toys and Games

That elf sure loves to play when he's in our house. Over the years we've found him playing board games, card games and computer games, building with Lego, Duplo and Magnatiles, playing make believe and dress ups, and all sort of other fun.


1. Making (or messing up!) a puzzle
2. Playing computer games 
3. Playing a board game with toys
4. Building with Lego


5. Riding toy dinosaurs
6. Riding a Unicorn piƱata
7. Building with Magnatiles
8. Playing in a car made from recycling


9. Dressing up as a karate kid
10. Playing with vintage toys
11. Cooking on play oven 
12. Building with Duplo


13. Making Lego snow angels
14. Writing messages on a Lite Brite
15. Building a Jenga tower
16. Playing a card game with toys


17. Playing with a stacking toy
18. Pretending to bake cookies
19. Playing in a doll house (or shop)
20. Roller skating

Mischievous Antics

Ok, so we all know that the elf can be... well, a little naughty at times. He sure does like to get up to antics! Antics don't always have to be messy or time consuming though. Our elf is awfully fond of sticking googly eyes or candy eyes on family portraits (the glue wipes straight off the glass). One year he added himself to the portrait too! He's found himself covered in stickers, rolled up in toilet paper, drunk under the Christmas tree and trapped in our gecko's vivarium. Oh, and he loves taking lots of selfies!


21. Covered in stickers
22. Adding extra touches to prints
23. Sticking candy eyes on family portraits
24. Hanging out in gecko's vivarium 


25. Sticking googly eyes on himself and toy friends
26. Tangled in dental floss 
27. Adding himself to family photo
28. Drinking a little too much with friends


29. Graffiti on window with spray snow
30. Reclaiming trophies for himself
31. Filling my phone up with selfies
32. Helping elf cookies escape the cookie jar


33. Riding a lawn flamingo
34. All wrapped up in toilet paper
35. Laying out an elf outfit for a toddler helper
36. Taking Snapchat filter selfies 


37. Sticking googly eyes on paintings 2018 
38. Fishing on top of the aquarium 2013
39. Sneaking into luggage for a trip
40. Sticking North Pole sticker on a travel map

Hiding in plain sight

Some days quick and easy hiding spots for the elf are the best. No crazy pranks, no playing with toys: just hiding. He's not really the best at hiding though and almost always leaves at lease part of himself showing. These days may happen to coincide with when I fall asleep before the elf moves onto the next day's adventure!


41. Hanging on the fridge with magnets
42. Hiding on a coat rack
43. Hiding in a pair of boots
44. Sitting on a small storage shelf 


45. Hanging from the clothes line
46. Hiding behind a print on the wall
47. Chilling in the fridge 
48. Trapped in the dryer


49. Hanging on the corner of a monitor
50. Freezing in the freezer
51. Hiding in a vase
52. Keeping an eye on small pets (there's a gecko in there doing a better job of hiding!)


53. Hanging from a light fitting
54. Hanging out on the ceiling fan 
55. Stuck upside in a toilet roll
56. Hiding in a potted plant


57. Hiding in a school backpack
58. Stuck in a hanging glass planter for air plants
59. Checking himself out in a makeup mirror
60. Laying in the washing machine

Holiday Themed Fun

Christmas is the elf's favorite holiday, so he's always keen to get up to some festive fun, whether that be hanging out in the Christmas tree, stealing kisses under the mistletoe, masking snow angels or reading Christmas stories. He's also pretty fond of other holidays too and has been known to have fun with Halloween, Thanksgiving and Hanukkah in our home too.  


61. Stealing Halloween candy
62. Making snow angels out of marshmallows
63. Hanging like a Christmas ornament
64. Perched in a holiday floral display 


65. Making plans for a gingerbread house 
66. Rehearsing for a Nutcracker performance
67. Reading a Christmas book to a friend
68. Making a mess while wrapping gifts


69. Cutting paper snowflakes from coffee filters
70. Hanging with the Christmas stockings
71. Climbing the Christmas Tree 
72. Playing with a dreidel


73. Dressing up as the Sugar Plum Fairy
74. Eating gingerbread cookies
75. Sneaking a kiss with Barbie under the mistletoe
76. Bringing Christmas presents 


77. Dressing up as Krampus
78. Hanging with the Christmas cards
79. Riding a decoration in the front yard
80. Hanging from holiday banners


81. Making snow angels out of sugar
82. Hiding in a Christmas Book
83 Preparing ornaments to hang
84. Taking thank you letters back to Santa


85. Hiding inside a gingerbread house
86. Hanging out in a Thanksgiving display
87. Making snow angels out of flour
88. Tangled in Christmas lights


89. Bringing a holiday book to read
90. Hanging out in Elf on the Shelf cereal
91. Just hanging out in the advent calendar
92. Delivering letters from Santa on Christmas morning

Just hanging out and relaxing

Sometimes all that flying backwards and forwards between the North Pole and our house can get a little tiring, so the elf needs a day to just chill out and relax. This might mean making himself a coffee, reading a newspaper, relaxing in a bowl of colorful cereal, or taking a bath. It might mean taking a litle time to practice his favorite hobbies like painting and playing guitar. Elves deserve a little "me time" too, right? 


93. Spa day in a bowl of cereal
94. Reading a newspaper in the window 
95. Simply hanging out on a shelf 
96. Reading tiny photo books (these books feature photos of our elf's previous antics)


97. Eating cereal and reading a newspaper 
98. Watching the rain from the window
99. Making a morning espresso
100. Playing guitar


101. Painting a festive self portrait
102. Floating in a pool float in the sink 
103. Taking a bath in the sink
104. Hitting up the hotel mini bar (Ok, this should probably come under Mischievous Antics!)

Sending Messages

The elf is a pretty silent little guy, but that doesn't mean he has nothing to say. Sometime he'll leave us messages created with marquee light boxes or felt letter boards and sometime he'll bring teeny tiny letters. 


105. Speaking with speech bubbles
106. Felt letter board messages
107. Teeny tiny letters
108. Marquee light box messages

Phew... what a list! 

I hope this will be of help to elves (and parents) this holiday season.

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