Hey guys! Now that we’ve reached Blogmas day 3, and have therefore reached December 3rd, it’s time to talk about the Elf on the Shelf Christmas tradition. If you’ve got kids in the house, this is probably something that you do once December rolls around, but halfway through the month you might run out of ideas where to hide your elf! Well, help is here, because I’m going to be sharing some ideas of what to do with your elf so the kids can have fun finding him or her! Take a look!

In the Pantry/Fridge

Perhaps the elf is hungry? If you hide the elf in the pantry or fridge (or even the freezer?), there’s lots of things you can do! Maybe he/she is raiding the pantry and stealing your food, or if they’re in the fridge or freezer, perhaps they got a little homesick for the North Pole!

In the Garage

There’s lots of things to do in the garage, and perhaps your elf is feeling handy! They could be digging through the tools, fixing to ride the lawnmower, or maybe just trying to find a quiet place to take a nap?

Roasting Marshmallows

If you’ve got a firepit or fireplace, a fun thing to set up is for the elf to do a little marshmallow roasting! Just get some mini marshmallows and a stick, and you’re ready to go! I believe we once did this with our elf, and it was quite popular with my younger brothers.

Reading a Book

Your elf may be a bookworm, and it wouldn’t hurt for the elf to influence the kids on a fun activity for Christmas break! Get a book, particularly a Christmas one, and set it up to look like the elf is having a little reading time!

Writing a Letter

I believe we have done this one as well! Have the elf be writing a letter to Santa, or even a note to your kids! Write “Dear Santa” at the top of a small notecard, and you can even add some of what the elf is writing if you’d like! Set the elf up with a pen or pencil with the notecard, and your kids will have fun with this one!

Interacting with Toys

I remember when I was younger, I came downstairs once to find that one of our Transformers action figures had been duct taped to the wall (it even had duct tape over its mouth). The elf had apparently captured him, and there were other action figures coming to his rescue. This one was pretty funny!

Playing a Game

Set up a board game with your elf, and include some stuffed animals! I don’t believe my family has ever done this before, but now that I’m older I’ve been put in charge of hiding the elf sometimes, so maybe I’ll give this one a try, too!

Causing Mischief

This one is always fun! Once my siblings and I woke up to find the elf had made rope out of toilet paper and had sung over the staircase railing and onto a balcony. Even though the elf is supposed to be watching out for the kids’ behavior, sometimes they get in the mood for mischief and they just can’t help themselves! Some mischievous ideas would be to have the elf ripping into (fake) presents or making a mess. Along the lines of making a mess, you could have the elf trying to be helpful and wrap some presents, but he ends up just getting tangled in ribbon, tape, and wrapping paper!

They Bring Treats?!

If your kids have been especially good, maybe the elf will bring treats for them! My family has done this multiple times throughout the years, and it’s always what gets my younger brother most excited (for obvious reasons). Treats can include candy or a favorite snack!

So there’s some ideas for your Elf on the Shelf! If you’ve been hiding an elf for more than a couple years, you start to run out of ideas! Now that I’m in the business of hiding the elf, I’ve tried to get creative, and it can be fun! I hope this gave you some ideas! If you have any creative hiding places you’d like to share, just put them in the comments below! I’d love to hear from y’all!

Now God bless y’all and have a wonderful weekend!