With Thanksgiving looming, and Christmas only a month away – it’s time for many a Elf on the Shelf to return to homes around the world to keep an eye on the children and report back to Santa! Ours returns Thanksgiving night (to be found on Black Friday) so time is running out…..If you’re anything like me, about 2 days in – the ideas stop and late night internet searches start to find the perfect Elf placement idea!
I have pulled some resources for you (and me) to help!
Spell out I’m Back in M&M candies
Grand Arrival with balloons (tip: Pick up balloons at the dollar store)
Grand Arrival on a zip line!
Crumpled paper for a fun snowball fight inside!
Marshmallow Snowmen! Maybe combine it with some hot cocoa mix for a fun treat!
Naughty elf alert! Toilet Paper your tree!
This was a favorite last year, a mini Steve! head and along with Minecraft props!
On December 1, your elf can bring advent/countdown calendars!
Tangled in the lights!
Maybe your elf gets artistic one night
Our elf brought mini christmas trees (found in the dollar section at Target) a few years ago. Now he brings a new decoration for the tree each year!
And, a trick I learned last year – keep in touch with neighbors who also have elves – trade props with each other, your hard work can be used multiple times and you’ll get an easy day when you use someone elses! Those costumes you make, printables or other silly additions – pass them down the street!
Any fun ideas from you? I have hundreds pinned, but we can always use more, share yours in the comments!
You might be surprised to hear that there are many people who think Elf on the Shelf is creepy. They say it’s a ‘Big Brother is Watching You’ kinda thing. I’ve never had one in my home, so I don’t know how I’d feel about it.
A lot of people do think it’s creepy, but a lot of people embrace it too! For us, it’s less about the ‘behavior watching’ aspect, and more about it being a fun way to countdown the days until Christmas. The kids love looking for the elf every morning, seeing what kind of trouble he caused or what he might have brought for them. We do work in some behavior things, like if the kids had a bad day the elf might come back letting them know he told Santa they had a bad day. For us, it’s fun (and a lot of work for mom and dad)! Just another tradition to create lasting memories! <3
I think the new custom is adorable and just wish it had been around 40 years ago. 🙂
[…] Source: Elf on the Shelf […]