Ready or Not it’s Christmas Elf Season!

Whether you love the arrival of your Christmas Elf or not, here are lots of ideas to make this year just a little bit easier and a lot more fun! From crafts to creative antics and elf mischief there are so many ideas for you to consider!

(Some links in this post are affiliate links so I will make a small commission if you click and buy (but it won’t cost you anything extra!).  This helps me create more free content and tutorials so thank you in advance!)

Oh those funny little Elves! Depending on your perspective, you might find this Christmas Tradition to be an amazing opportunity to tap into your inner creative genius and create amazing memories with your family.

Or you may begrudgingly engage so your child doesn’t come home from school crying about how cool every other Elf is and wonder what is wrong with their Elf. Perhaps you fall somewhere in the middle…

The Elf on the Shelf® is A Christmas Tradition that includes a special scout elf sent from the North Pole to help Santa Claus manage his naughty and nice lists. You can find the original book, elf and lots of accessories on Amazon.

When a family adopts a scout elf and gives it a name, the scout elf receives its Christmas magic and can fly to the North Pole each night to tell Santa Claus about all of the day’s adventures.  

Each morning, the scout elf returns to its family and perches in a different place to watch the fun. Children love to wake up and race around the house looking for their scout elf each morning.

WHAT  YOU  NEED  TO  GET  STARTED…

• If you don’t have one already, your family needs to adopt an elf.
• A little imagination and a plan of action. 
• Maybe the help and support of your girlfriends!

CREATING  YOUR CHRISTMAS ELF  ANTICS  PLAN…

You can make your Elf on the Shelf® as simple or as complex as you want. Here are a few things to consider and decide:

• When do you want your elf to start? 
  Most elves make themselves known after Thanksgiving or sometime in December.
• How often will he or she be active?
  Do you have an elf that will do something every day, every other day, etc.
• How much work do you want to do?
  Decide how much time you want to put into the setup and cleanup of your family elf.

Also think about the years to come – you are setting a precedent for your elf so pace yourself. Don’t go over-the-top every day and think your kids won’t notice if your elf is a little less exciting the next year. Pace yourself for the years to come.

HOST  A  GIRL’S  NIGHT  PLANNING SESSION!

Why not turn your planning into a social event? Most people can come up with one or two ideas that get them excited but may get stuck after that. Why not gather other mom’s and brainstorm so you can share ideas and maybe even some supplies?

FIND IDEAS ON PINTEREST

People love to post photos of their creativity on Pinterest!  I have an Elf on the Shelf® Pinterest board you can look at and follow and you can also search “Elf on the Shelf”. 

CHRISTMAS ELF CRAFTS

There are so many things you can make for the holidays, crafts to do with the kids and more. Here are a variety of projects to consider from myself or other crafty entrepreneurs.  

61 THINGS YOUR ELF MIGHT DO

Here are 61 ideas to get you thinking about what your elf might do. Think about your family’s favorite things and have the elf can get involved.

• Do you have favorite games, movies or crafts?
• Do you love to cook or bake together?
• Are there favorite toys the elf might play with?

ELF IN THE BATHROOM…

• Spa Day
• Fishing for goldfish crackers in the sink
• Mischief in the toilet
• In the shower
• Mischief with toothpaste
• Shaving Elf
• Taking a marshmallow bath
• Marshmallow hot tub

PLAYFUL ELF…

• Re-enact favorite TV show or movie scenes
• Playing games with other toys, dolls or animals
• Playing board games
• Sack race in paper bags with other toys
• Building Legos
• Video Games
• Toy Car Race

ACTIVE ELF…

• Playing sports
• Making game plans & strategies (with a clipboard – like a football or basketball coach)
• Rappelling down the wall, window or doorway
• Doing push-ups
• Doing pull-ups
• Using your kid’s sports equipment or looking like they are getting ready to head to practice or a game

The most important part of the Christmas Elf tradition is to have fun and make memories with your kids.  The wonder of Christmas morning isn’t just one day if you lean in and let the elf go a little crazy – the delight on their faces in the morning will be worth all of the effort. 

Merry Christmas season!

🎅🏻 Tara Reed

P.S. Find more crafty and creative ideas for all year >