25 FUN and EASY Ideas for Elf on the Shelf

Our Elf is often the last thing on my mind… and I mean that literally, as in I’m just about to fall asleep after a long day and suddenly, my eyes shoot open and I’m squawking, DAMN, I forgot to move the sodding elf as I grab my phone and start googling key phrases, like EASY ELF ON THE SHELF and LAST MINUTE ELF ON THE SHELF.

So, in the interests of parenting solidarity, here are some ideas I have created myself, stolen and collected. You can feel safe knowing that there are no ideas here involving extreme messes, bean bag styrofoam or anything else that is, to be honest, NUTS, (I mean, let me be clear, I commend the commitment and can appreciate the dedication some parents have to the craft, but it is objectively NUTS!)

Now move that dastardly elf and off to bed with you.

1. Hanging around.

Stick the little scamp inside a Christmas stocking. Easy and done!

2. A Sweet Surprise from Elf

Put some Christmas choccies or really whatever you have in the house in a little bag. I’m going to repeat this theme in various ways and I’m fine with that.

3. Toilet Paper Snowman,

and

4. Toilet Paper the Tree

Ideas with toilet paper are classic: kids love it and it’s easy. You’ll see these two ideas all over the web and I’m not even sorry for including them because it’s my list and if you’re here you’re probably lazy like me, so you get it.

4. Gone Fishing.

Fishing is a classic. I’ve seen people do it in various ways. We had the fishing game so it was simple, but next year I’m thinking of getting out N’s real fishing rod and setting up an outside frog pond scene.

Ugh future me is already annoyed with present me.

5. Christmas Express.

Plonk your elf on any old Christmas-themed vehicle. Honestly you could plonk your elf on any old vehicle and call it a day.

6. Use toys from around the house to create a scene.

N loved this one because it was a bit naughty and messy, and I loved it because it was an easy-to-clean-up messy.

7. Undie hammocks!

This sparked some debate because the undies I used were the exact ones N particularly wanted to wear that morning, and he hadn’t yet seen his elf so I had to do some maneuvering to get him to discover both elf and undies. Good times.

8. Donate some toys to charity.

Works on two levels: you move the elf AND you can clear out some old toys before Nanna arrives with a truckload of new toys for Christmas.

9. Get your Elf a buddy.

The possibilities really multiply when you add a friend. I had a leprechaun, so obviously they had to pilfer N’s pocket money (GOLD!)

10. Stage a campfire.

Easy and fun (although apologies if you don’t happen to have mini marshmallows lying around. Although if you don’t, are you really parenting at your best? Kidding. I had these lying around but they were a year out of date so I had to take them away from N once elf had been discovered).

11. Stage a coup.

This is a multi-day approach and you’re only limited by your storytelling. Bonus: your story can go anywhere at any given time because it’s YOUR story.

Here’s Elf fighting the evil Screaming Hair Monster overlord and rescuing Leprechaun before fleeing down Snake Ladder and across the Minefield of Tiny Pain.

12. Gift-wrap climbing.

This one was part of my escape from the Screaming Monster, but it’s a great stand-alone idea too.

Notice how Leprechaun is just dangling from Elf? Yep, choose your elf’s companion wisely or you too will have to figure out how to work with non-articulating arms. And Leprechaun was a weighty little guy too, no shame in that, EXCEPT he kept pulling the whole show down. I stuck that Elf on that dang door multiple times!

13. Hot-air Ballooning.

I think this was my fave. I did this while N was at school right before I need to pick him up as it wouldn’t have lasted all night. But if you have more robust tape and a less robust leprechaun, it might work for you. Those balloons have fishing wire taped to the top that is then looped and taped to the ceiling.

You could use anything for the buckets.

(I happened to have some cute little boxes on hand and I know, I know, WHO has cute little Christmas boxes just lying around, right?? Me! I do! And I feel smug about it too.)

If you don’t happen to have cute little Christmas boxes like me, don’t worry you’re not failing as a parent. I mean, you’re obviously not killing it like me, and you need to pick up your game, but you’re NOT a failure. Just use a tupperware container or lid. I won’t judge.

14. Food and more food!

Naughty elves like to get into all kinds of food – bikkies, choccies, you name it!

15. Got pets? Use them!

Get creative with the creatures in your house. Put a saddle on your guinea pig, harness up your cat, have your dog pull a sleigh. We all need to pull our weight at Christmas!

16. Zip-lining Elf!

This one is so simple and very effective. Your kid will love it. Just tie some string/wire to a high point (curtain rod is ideal) and the other end to the tree. Grab some candy canes and done.

17. Stowaways!

Another simple one. Pop your elf inside your kid’s school bag, overnight bag or simply take a bag to the shop and say oooh look, Elf’s here!

18. Set up a snowy or Christmas scene.

Most of us have our decorations out at this time of the year, so just re-arrange some and set up a Christmas scene.

19. Rock n’ Roll scene

Grab your kid’s musical instruments and some other cuddlies and you’ve got yourself a rock band.

20. Hatch an egg.

N had one of those eggs lying around with a toy in it. He already knew what was in it, but I staged an ‘egg-hatching’ and I don’t know why, but he was really into it.

So, here’s Fathom, the dragon hatching from her egg.