Elf On The Shelf Ideas

Staging Ideas: 

Step 1: Arrival 

• Find Scout: Place your Elf into a cup and cover with another cup on top. Stage 15-20 of these sets in the living room. Place a note saying ‘I’m back, find me!’ Have the children look in the cups to find him!
• Zip Lining In: Tie ribbon to the ceiling and tape the Elf’s hands to a candy cane. Place the candy cane on ribbon with the illusion that the Elf will land into the Christmas tree.
• In From The North Pole: Create a trail of sugar/flour, add in footprints, and lead the trail to the room the elf is in. Have the children run to find them in the room!

Step 2: Your Elf Daily North Pole Check In

• Level Easy:
  • Elf On The Go: Place your Elf inside a clear container (like this) with a note placed beside saying ‘I climbed into this container so you could carry me around today. I can’t wait to see everything we will do!’
  • Elf Re-fuel Station: Sitting with a Keurig pod in it’s lap with a note ‘Elf Re-Fuel Station’ 
  • Do Not Disturb Mode: Sitting with legs crossed & Airpods in it’s ears
  • Hope You Don’t Mind: Add green food dye to water, add water to the toilet. Place the Elf on the back of the toilet seat with a note ‘I had to go!’
  • Get Nerdy: Tape a nerds rope from the sink and fill the bottom of the sink with sprinkles. Place the Elf on the faucet with a note ‘Who needs water when you have sprinkles?’
  • Smooch The Elf: Place Hershey Kisses on the counter next to your Elf and write a sign saying ‘Free Kisses’
  • Jenga Time: Place your Jenga game on the floor with the Elf playing the game!
  • Can I Get A Coke?: Pop open a Coke (or any soda) and place a straw into it. Stage your Elf to be taking a drink from the straw!
• Level: Medium
  • Out Of This World: Wrap in tinfoil (like an astronaut), cut out stars + moon. Stage with note ‘I love you to the moon & back’
  • Quack of Dawn: Place facing into wall with toilet paper pulled down a little. Place melted chocolate on the paper pulled down to resemble him going #2. 
  • Just Hanging Around: Create a seat/swing out of an empty toilet paper roll (cut out a half circle), tie festive string through the ends, hang it from your ceiling, and place your elf inside!
  • Elf Climbsalot: Create a ‘rock wall’ out of bows on your kitchen cabinets. Stage your elf climbing the bows with tape!
  • Floor Is Lava: Tape your Elf to your wall with bows on top of the tape. Write a note saying ‘The floor is lava!’
  • Get To Brushin’: Place tape over the faucet of your sink with a little room for the water to escape. Place the Elf behind the sink with a note ‘Get to Brushin’! When the kids turn on the water, it should shoot out at different angles!
  • Oops they did it AGAIN: Download a broken screen image from google. Set it as the background of your TV in the living room. Place the Elf hanging onto the side of the TV with a note saying ‘The operation did not go as planned! Oops!’
  • No Clean Bowls: Take 1 shoe from each child, fill the shoe with cereal and stage with a spoon! Place your Elf sitting on the cereal box next to the bowls with a note saying ‘I made breakfast! Couldn’t find the bowls, hope you don’t mind?’
• Level: Hard/Extreme
  • Elf Scissor Hands: Making little cuts in your kids clothes while they’re sleeping. Stage Elf with scissors. 
  • Scout Is An Artist: Write on your child’s face while they’re sleeping and have them wake up to their Elf sitting there holding the marker on their bedside table.
  • Carnival Elf: Create a seat/swing out of an empty toilet paper roll (cut out a half circle), tie festive string through the ends, hang it from your ceiling fan. Turn. your fan on low and watch them ride around!
  • Rudolph Lookalikes: Place these red pom pom’s on the nose of your children (like Rudolf) in pictures around the house. While your child is sleeping, draw a red dot on their nose. When they wake up, they will find the Elf placed on the wall next to these pictures!
  • Paint It Red: Paint your husbands (or anyone’s) toenails with any color nailpolish. Place your Elf on the countertop with a note saying ‘I left (person) a little treat! Go find him now & look at his feet!’
  • Gone Fishin’: Pour your blue toilet cleaner into the toilet water with goldfish. Stage your Elf on top of the toilet seat with a makeshift fishing pole into the bowl. Write a note saying ‘Gone fishin’!’

Step 3: Exit

• See You Next Year: Take a polaroid picture of the Elf with everyone sleeping. Place the developed polaroids on the counter with a goodbye note! ‘See you next year!’