Winter is coming. OK, so the White Walkers might not be invading, but someone else is. Your Elf on the Shelf. If you are like us, you started this tradition looking for a Christmas magic and ended up more work than you bargained for. Here is our list of creative and fun but EASY (except for maybe the outfits, but I am working on printables for you!) ideas that any tired parent can pull together for their elf! Each one of these takes just a few minutes and your Elf will be ready to go!
Easy Elf on the Shelf Ideas
Make sure you have your elf on the shelf!
Day 1: The Big Return
You will need:
- balloons
- crepe paper
- tape
- paper and a marker
Blow up a few balloons and leave them all over the floor. Add a few streamers to the ceiling and walls with a sign that says I’m Back!
Day 2: Fun with Games
You will need:
- A Favorite Board Game
Set up the game like your elf is playing with a few stuffed animals! Don’t have any board games? Use a video game you have laying around. Better yet, make life really easy and do both! A board game one night and a video game the next.
Day 3: Band-Aid Craziness
You will need:
- Band-Aids
Open a couple of Band-Aids and stick them to your elf. Leave the rest in their packages on the counter. This is a fun time to give your kids a box of character band-aids if you want to, but not necessary.
Day 4: Little Artist
You will need:
- A coloring book and crayon
Color a few scribbles on a coloring page and then put the crayon in your elf’s arms!
Day 5: Crepe Paper Doorway
You will need:
- Crepe Paper (Grab it at the dollar store)
- Tape
Tape vertical streamer across your child’s door so when they wake up they have to walk through them. This is one of my kid’s FAVORITE things that their elf does!
Day 6: Decorated Kitchen
You will need:
- Present Bows (get a bag at the dollar store)
Stick the bows all over your kitchen cupboards!
Day 7: Blue Milk!
You will need:
- Food Coloring
Color your milk and then stick the elf in the handle. I recommend doing this when your milk is almost gone in case your kids won’t drink blue milk!
Day 8: Elf Costumes
You will need:
- Felt
- small decorations
- hot glue
Cut out a tree or gingerbread man for your little elf to dress up! You can learn more about how I made these specific costumes here: https://www.housewifeeclectic.com/easy-diy-elf-on-the-shelf-costumes/
If you don’t want to worry about making your costumes, you can buy a pre-made costume here.
Day 9: Elf Prints
You will need:
- Piece of Paper
- Marker
Lay your elf down on a piece of paper and trace!
Day 9: Google Eyes!
You will need:
- Google Eyes
- Tape
Tape google eyes on pictures, fruit and anything else you want to!
Day 10: Sledding or Zip Lining down the tree
You will need:
- String
Tie a string to your Christmas tree and have your elf slide down your tree. If you have small skis or a sled, you can add those too.
Day 11: Hiding in the Stuffed Animals
You will need:
- Your child’s pile of stuffed animals
Stick your child’s elf right in the middle of the stuffed animals and see if they can spot them!
Day 12: Hanging out in the ice
You will need:
- Your freezer
Stick your elf in the ice maker in your freezer or even put them in an ice cube tray!
Day 13: Marshmallow Bath
You will need:
- bowl
- bag of small marshmallows
Fill a bowl with marshmallows and add your elf! Make sure to add marshmallows on top of the elf too!
Day 14: Rolling Toliet Paper down the stairs
You will need:
- a roll of toilet paper
Stick your elf inside the roll of toliet paper and roll it down the stairs, leaving a trail of paper behind!
Day 15: Funny Faces
You will need:
- whiteboard marker
- framed pictures with glass in them
Draw silly pictures on the glass and leave the elf nerby with the marker!
Day 16: Sugar Angels
You will need:
- sugar
Stick a cup of sugar on a table and place your elf in it. Move their arms and legs to look like the made a snow angel! Sugar is much easier to clean up than flour. Ask me how I know. 😉
Day 17: Tangled in Thread
You will need:
- a spool of thread
Wrap you elf up in a spool of thread. If you have them leave a needle and scissor nearby.
Day 18: Foil Clothes
You will need:
- aluminum foil
Make your elf a stylish Alumnimum foil outfit!
Day 19: Trapped under glass
You will need:
- a glass bowl or jar
Stick your elf inside a glass jar with a sign that says they are trapped!
Day 20: Underwear on the Christmas Tree
You will need:
- your child’s underwear
This is another one that always cracks our kids up. Add some underwear to the tree!
Day 21: Stuffed Animal Sack Races
You will need:
- brown paper sacks
- stuffed animals
Roll the top of the paper bags down and stick stuffed animals inside of them for a sack race!
Day 22: Stuck in a spider web!
You will need:
- white dental floss
- a spider or spider ring if you have one
Wrap the string around to places in your house like a spider web. Between two chairs works great! Add a spider if you have one!
Day 23: Toliet Paper Roll Snowman
You will need:
- a roll of toilet paper
- Construction paper
- tape
Stick your elf inside three rolls of toilet paper stacked on top of each other. Cut small squares out of black construction paper and a triangle out of orange and tape them to the toliet paper.
Day 24: Snowball fight
You will need:
- blocks
- toys
- mini marshmallows
Set up small barricades for your toys and elf to hide behind and then sprinkle marshmallows behind and between the two. Don’t have blocks? I have also done this one with soccer cones.
Bonus ideas:
Build your Elf into a Jenga tower!
Build a Jump ramp with pillows and a larger toy vehicle!
Freeze your elf in a cup of water and set it out with an Elsa Figurine.
Write I’m Back in M&Ms for a welcome back night!
Cleaning Elf! Elf with cleaning supplies.
Add some change to your couch and your elf searching in the cushions!
Wrap your elf in a towel and put them in the fridge!
Wrap your elf like a Hershey Kiss and then surround them with the candy! 
Mr. Potato Head Elf! 
Elf roasting Marshmallows!
Snowglobe elf! All you need is some faux snow and a mason jar. 
Elf drinking syrup. A bendy straw keeps the straw from sinking all the way in!
Tic Tac Toe Elf. Washi tape and bows for a cute elf day!
Elf Lifting weights. Two small marshmallows and a toothpick!
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