Chicken and Elsa have been visiting us for over 5 years now, they are some really silly elves! Here is a list of some of the mischief they have caused over the years. They have even buzzed Daddy’s hair and painted his toenails!
On their arrival they always bring a welcome letter and a gift. Last year they brought personalized elf cookies – they were a hit! Other years they have brought books or a small gift.
On the day of their departure they bring another small gift, Christmas pajamas, a goodbye letter and take a picture with the kids as they are sleeping and put the picture as the background picture of their tablets. They wait for Santa by the cookies, milk, and reindeer treats to return to the North Pole until next year.
Here’s a list of 100 ideas for your Elf on the Shelf! Be sure to download the free Elf on the Shelf Christmas at the bottom of this post!
1. Take a bubble bath in a toy bath tub with cotton balls and rubber duckies.
2. Soak in a coffee mug full of marshmallows. So relaxing!
3. Hang out in the refrigerator wrapped in a towel. Brrrr it’s cold in here!
4. Make snow angels with sugar on the counter or a cookie sheet pan. You could also use sprinkles!
5. Make foot prints on the floor with flour or glitter (also a good idea for Santa footprints on Christmas Eve!)
6. Play find the treat by hiding candy or small items under solo cups and scatter all over the counter or floor.
7. Hide the pickle ornament – we discovered this tradition last year! It’s a fun one!
8. Hide in the tree or hang on the tree topper.
9. Read a story to a group of stuffed animals – Chicken and Elsa’s favorite is “How to Catch an Elf”.
10. Movie night! Have a popcorn and movie party with stuffed animals – line them up on the couch, cozied up with a blanket, and popcorn! Don’t forget the remote!
11. Build a magical building or village with magnatiles or legos.
12. Make pop-it toast, don’t forget the pop-its! Before toasting bread push firmly with fingertips to create a pop-it look.
13. Potty in the potty with colored sprinkles and chocolate chips – this was a fun one during potty training!
14. Leave a message in toothpaste on the bathroom counter or mirror.
15. Toilet paper strung through the hallway – there are so many ideas with toilet paper. These silly elves make such a mess sometimes, but it’s worth the laughter!
16. Zip line across the living room with fishing line or twine – this is a favorite in our household.
17. Take a ride on the ceiling fan with underwear. Weeeee!
18. Leaving on a jet plane – place elves in a toy airplane, don’t forget the boarding pass! This was a special one when Daddy was traveling a lot!
19. Trouble with kids sleeping in their own beds? The elves would love a cozy place to rest! They love to sleep in big boy/girl beds!
20. Playing house with a toy set – Barbie house, dollhouse, any set your child has!
21. Sitting on top of the Nativity Scene admiring baby Jesus. A classic.
22. Playing Star Wars – Darth Vader has nothing on Yoda and the Elves!
23. Attack of the dinosaurs – set up dinosaurs, the elves love dinosaur rides!
24. A visit to the farm – bring out all those farm toys and put them to good use!
25. Build a lego fort. Or leave a message made out of legos!
26. Color a picture for the kids to keep! Elves are great artists!
27. The floor is lava! Tape the elves to the wall and a drawing of lava under them.
28. Riding a reindeer or sled – Frozen toys are a good option for this one! Candy canes also make a great sled!
29. Go on a candy cane scavenger hunt – hide a box of candy canes throughout the house, clues optional!
30. Bring donuts for breakfast – we all deserve a treat every now and then!
31. Create a ball pit with M&Ms, colored cotton balls, Christmas bulbs, or marshmallows.
32. Camping with friends – set up a popup tent, gather their stuffed animal friends, dont forget a flashlight or lantern! Chicken & Elsa have their very own sleeping bags! Bonus points if there’s a campfire!
33. Play a game of tic tac toe with painters tape and Christmas bows on the wall or table!
34. Wrapping paper legs – lean wrapping paper tubes against the wall or place in shoes, the elves love being so tall!
35. Wrap books in wrapping paper – this is a fun one towards the beginning of their visit! Unwrap a book a day for story time!
36. Going on an adventure for the day? Show and tell? Bring your elf with you in a clear jar! We picked Daddy up from the airport one year and Chicken and Elsa tagged along!
37. Teach your elf to floss – wrap them in dental floss. Is this how you do the floss?
38. Fishing with goldfish. Use the Let’s Go Fishing game poles (they are perfect elf size) put a bowl of goldfish out or fill a sink with goldfish! They love to fish!
39. Watch out for sharks!! Use shark gummies or shark toys! Fill the bathtub with water and let sharks swim around, the elves can watch from a far! Don’t get bit!
40. Make paper snowflakes or a paper chain and hang from ceiling. It’s a winter wonderland!
41. Have a snowball fight with marshmallows. Build a wall with marshmallows, the elves can have a snowball fight with miniature marshmallows!
42. Play the piano. They are actually great musicians! Sometimes they play drums or guitar as well!
43. Leave a kind message. We could all use a kind message.
44. Have a toilet paper race! The elves fit perfectly in the toilet paper tubes, they also love rolling down the stairs!
45. Hide on the top of the curtain rod. Who will find them first?
46. Play twister – use colored dots or stickers to make an elf-size twister mat!
47. Leave “kisses” with chocolate kisses. Always a sweet treat.
48. Draw on string cheese – snowmen are super easy!
49. Leave a message on a carton of eggs or draw funny pictures on them! What a surprise when making breakfast!
50. Bring reindeer poop from the North Pole – use chocolate cereal or chocolate chips. Ewww!
51. Have a car race with toy cars or use a hot wheels track!
52. Swing from the ceiling with a toilet paper roll and twine. So much fun!
53. Homeschool family or homework to do? The elves can set up school for the day or do their own lesson! They encourage learning!
54. Play connect 4 or any board game. Another classic!
55.All aboard the shoe-shoe train! Line up shoes down the hallway, you can even make tickets! 56.North Pole Express! Hot chocolate to follow up!
57. Deliver a message from Santa! How special?
58. Elsa (Frozen movie – not our Elf, Elsa!) loves to play with the elves! Put them in a plastic zip loc bag and freeze them in solo cup, remove cup and position Elsa! The cold never bothered them anyway!
59. Ice fishing – freeze toy fish in bowl and use small fishing poles!
60. Toilet paper bowling – set up toilet paper in place of bowling pins – loads of fun!
61. Bring some Christmas magic dust from the North Pole! Spread some Christmas cheer with glitter!
62. Elves love taking selfies! Print out for a keepsake or simply put on their tablets background!
63. Elves take a shower – wrap in wash cloth and place on shower shelf. They enjoy spa days too! Make mini cucumbers for their eyes!
64. Play pin the nose on Rudolph with red stickers! Don’t forget the blindfold!
65. Make snowflakes with q-tips. Beautiful!
66. Wrap christmas tree in toilet paper or even wrapping paper! Those silly elves!
67. Play hide and seek in the cereal box, what a surprise at breakfast! Imagine those giggles!
68. Make snowmen out of toilet paper.
69. Hang upside down like Spider-Man! Use twine or colored string and hang from the ceiling.
70. Those naughty elves! Break into piggy bank – mask optional!
71. Go sledding or make a snowman out of cotton balls with friends! They can even snow board!
72. Let the races begin! Have sack races with friends! Who will win? Be sure to keep score!
73. Uh oh! Sometimes they get wrapped up in Christmas lights – they were only trying to help spread holiday cheer!
74. Yummy! Oreos go great with toothpaste! Or do they?
75. Car wash! They love setting up car wash stations for those dirty hot wheels!
76. Go for a ride in the mixer – soooo dizzy!
77. Bring reindeer food from the North Pole to feed those reindeer on Christmas Eve! They sure are hungry! Oats and glitter are their favorite (with a side of carrots).
78. Oh no! The milk has gone bad – draw an angry face on the milk jug!
79. The elves love science experiments! Create a skittles rainbow, all you need is skittles and water!
80. They will even bring you a snowman from the North Pole – includes water, sticks, googly eyes, and a carrot nose! Dang it! It melted!
81. Another hide and seek game – check the silverware drawer! Snug as a bug in a rug!
82. They can build a Christmas tree out of gummy bears or any colored candy!
83. Did you know they are great in the kitchen? They love leaving special treats, cookies are a hit! 84. Especially sugar cookies to be decorated with the family!
85. Set up a war scene with army soldiers – who will win the battle?
86. Their favorite drink…maple syrup! Don’t forget the straw!
87. How many days until Christmas? Make a paper chain or countdown of your choice!
88. Another special delivery – a gingerbread house kit! These memories will be cherished forever.
89. Going back and forth to the North Pole is a lot of work! Sometimes they need a nap in the kleenex box.
90. Help! Sometimes they get trapped in the microwave…bonus points with an overflowing microwave of popcorn!
91. Howdy partner! Sometimes they get lassoed by Cowboy Woody!
92. To infinity and beyond! Take a ride on a spaceship or get captured by aliens and Buzz Lightyear.
93. Some nights they like to keep it simple but still bring joy- leave a message with candies or sprinkles. A message from their Elf heart.
94. Another message – simply leave a heart, smiley face or message made of cereal.
95. What naughty elves! Paint Daddy’s toenails while he’s sleeping! Hehe!!
96. Ahhh! They love taking a bath in sprinkles!
97. On your mark, get set, GO! Have boat races in the bathtub with those toy boats! Who will win?
98. Baby it’s cold outside! Have fun and roast marshmallows over a candle! Don’t forget to bundle up!
99. Oops! Sometimes they get trapped in a balloon and can’t get out!
100. Ouch! Bandaids make everything better!
101. Not all superheroes wear capes. Elves vs. a favorite superhero! My bet is on the elves!
102.After all that mischief sometimes the elves just need to be put in time out!
Bonus: they have occasionally left a warning note for naughty behavior! They are always watching!
I hope you enjoyed this list! Most importantly, cherish this wonderful time of year with your family! Be intentional and remember to slow down and create those core memories!
Merry Christmas, from our family to yours.
Download your free Elf on the Shelf Christmas here! Please subscribe below if you found this post helpful!
Comments