So, it’s that time of year again, the pumpkins have long been carved and the last bonfires gone out and we all know what that means… Christmas! You’re starting to think about your Christmas to do list, you’re deciding who’s going into the loft to get the Christmas tree down but more importantly you remember you have an extra guest coming to stay…. your Christmas elf!
For those who don’t know, Elf on the Shelf is where an elf comes and stays with you for the month of December. The elf watches your children and reports back to Santa each night as to whether they belong on the naughty or nice list. Each morning your (often cheeky) elf then appears in a different place in the house which creates a fun hide and seek game. We all know that it can be difficult to think of imaginative places to put your elf each morning, so you’ve come to the right place for some Elf on the Shelf inspiration! We’ve also got a few suggestions if the traditional Elf on the Shelf just isn’t for you (see on the bottom of this post)! You can also get your official Elf on the Shelf here, or more purse friendly options are available online or on the high street.
First things first – have you given your elf a name? If you are struggling to come up with a name you can use our What’s your elf name generator, you could even give yourselves funny elf names!
1. Fridge Elf – Wrap your elf in a flannel or similar small piece of fabric as a blanket and pop them in the fridge. Maybe they’re trying to steal some food!
2. Little Chef – Have your elf bring your mini Mumblers their breakfast.
3. Slumber Party – Put your elf and other action figures in fluffy socks and let them enjoy a slumber party under the Christmas tree.
4. Sprinkle Angle – A little bit of a messy one but create a snow angel using ice cream sprinkles.
5. Rolling Away – Have your elf roll down the stairs in a toilet roll leaving it unravelled behind them.
6. Movie Night – Your elf can be waiting when the kids get home with your family’s favourite Christmas movie and a bowl of popcorn.
7. Frozen – For all you Disney fans out there, have Elsa freeze your elf in a block of ice (requires defrosting for the next day though!)
8. Jenga Fort – Have your hide inside a Jenga construction, this is a great one for the kids to discover as he is slightly more hidden away!
9. Sweet Bath – Put your elf in a bowl of marshmallows pretending to be a very bubbly bath.
10. Self Portrait – Forgive my Christmas puns… but for those of you who want to bust out the pencils, have your elf draw a picture of themselves and perhaps leave some pencils or crayons out for your mini Mumbler to do the same!
11. Hook a Duck – Use a chopstick or similar item with a piece of string and a rubber duck!
12. Green Thumb – Have your elf deliver some seeds such as cress seeds for your mini Mumbler to grow!
13. Tree Topper – Your Elf can steal the place of the angel or star you have at the top of your Christmas Tree.
14. Pillow Mountain – Have your elf build a pillow mountain and attempt to climb to the top.
15. Game Master – Leave your elf with some soft toys/dolls playing a board game.
16. In a Tangle – Your elf might get into a bit of a tangle trying to help put the fairy lights up!
17. Food faces – Have your elf draw little faces on eggs, bananas or other food with removable peel / packaging!
18. Crafty Crafter – Your elf can be making friendship bracelets with some festive coloured thread (to make these: tie three colours of thread together, tape the end done to a board and plait, knot to create a bracelet or keyring!)
19. Mini Messages – Your elf could leave little messages for your kids or even a countdown to Christmas.
20. Nap Time – Let your elf have a rest and take a nap in the tissue box.
21. Mechanic Elf – Put your elf to work on one of the kid’s toy cars with a mini screwdriver and spanner.
22. Reindeer Food – Let your elf make a mess trying to make some reindeer food that the kids can then use (use things like seeds, oats and dried fruit, avoid glitter!)
23. Lego Creator – Have your elf make some Lego art or something else!
24. Adventurer – Have your Elf go on a jungle adventure through the house plants or create a pillow mountain for him to climb.
If you’re not someone who wants to have to move the Elf around every night, some people opt to just have their Elf visit at weekends in December or even just in the last week leading up to Christmas! Alternatively, if Elf on the Shelf isn’t for you how about these ideas:
1. Clumsy Elf – Hide a jingle bell somewhere in the house that the elf “dropped” when they visited overnight. This means less elaborate elf positioning needed but still creates a fun hide and seek game!
2. Inspirational Elf – Have your elf leave notes to inspire your mini Mumblers for the day. This could be something like ‘Let’s bake something for the neighbours.’
3. Christmas Countdown – A Christmas countdown activity calendar with activities like writing to Santa or making a gingerbread house.
4. The Good Elf – Here is an idea York Mumbler did in previous year where the Elf helps to bring items to those who need it.
