As the kids get older, the magic surrounding Santa gets harder to keep alive. Thankfully these crazy Elves help me out! I know you are looking for some creative, easy and fun Elf on the Shelf ideas and these are some of my very favorite! Some old…some new!
Fun Elf On The Shelf Ideas
Peppermint and Cupcake have been around our house for years. I have always had the elves start their visits on December 1st and now the kids know when to expect them. It’s fun…even at 8 and 10 years old, these elves bring a lot of excitement to my house for the month of December. Now, that doesn’t mean I don’t get sick of moving these little creepers, so like you…I am always looking for ideas to keep the magic going!!
A Special Breakfast Treat and a Note
This is always a favorite in our house. What a special treat for breakfast and Peppermint and Cupcake get to sit at the table while they eat. I love adding a little note too. I have done the Christmas tree out of donuts and also snowmen. Either one is a hit. Who doesn’t love snowballs for breakfast?
JUST HANGING WITH MY FRIENDS
There are nights that I cannot think of a new idea so I look around and find a place that is out of sight so it takes the kids a little extra time to find the Elves in the morning. Hiding them along with other stuffed animals and Christmas decorations is a good way to do this.
HANGING AROUND – WE ARE WATCHING YOU!
I always love putting the elves up in the air. It makes them seem even sneakier. Cupcake and Peppermint love to do a little acrobatics over the kitchen table. Makes meal time even more fun! Tip – use small hair ties to hold them together.
Joining You For School
Okay, 2020 has brought a lot of craziness – remote learning being one of those things. For one of the first visits I decided to use Teagan’s doll desks from her school set. They were the PERFECT size for the elves. I set the elves down in our school area and they hung out with the kids during school. They loved showing their classmates their elves next to them!!
Getting Cozy With The Cards
If you have a card holder/hanger this is a super easy option for those evenings that your brain has NO creativity left. I secretly moved the elves to this space before heading out overnight – the kids were so surprised that when we got home from the hotel they MOVED!! MOM WIN!! But an easy move like this is needed sometimes.
JUST FIND A SHELF
Seriously, the magic can be continued even if you just find a shelf to put your elves on. The biggest piece of the Elf on the Shelf tradition is making sure the Elves move. I put them in the water/ice dispenser of the refrigerator last year and it was such a fun surprise. The kids could not understand how they just sat there not moving while I opened the freezer to get food out. MAGIC!!
STUCK IN THE COOKIE JAR
I have used our cookie jar a few times over the years for the Elves. This year I made sure to try to hide the elves a little better by adding really big Christmas cookies to the jar. This was a hit…mostly because of the fun decorated and yummy cookies that they got to enjoy for desserts!
STOCKING HUNG WITH CARE
I personally love our stockings because my mom made them. So when I am low on ideas I always love to add the Elves to each of the kid’s stockings. It is a cute idea that just brings a little more holiday cheer to the living room too. This is a perfect idea on one of those really cold days. Peppermint and Cupcake need to stay toasty in the stockings.
Oh Christmas Tree!
Peppermint and Cupcake look so festive in our decorated Christmas Tree. This is also a great look out for them – they can see it all from the tree!! And the kids look at them often, they know they are watching!
MARSHMALLOW BUBBLE BATH
Okay this one is my favorite. It always takes the kids a little longer to find the Elves on this day because they are in the bathroom rather than in the living room or kitchen. Such an easy but cute way to bring a smile to the kids faces when they find them. The mini rubber duckies really add to it too.
Elf Approved Cereal
Have you seen the Elf on the Shelf cereal yet? When I was out shopping I stumbled on it and knew I had to add this to our Elf fun. The elves will be serving breakfast with another fun treat for the holiday season! Such fun holiday flavors too!
TELL ME WHAT YOUR FAVORITE ELF ON THE SHELF IDEA IN THE COMMENTS!
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