Love it or loathe it, Elf on the Shelf has become a festive tradition in many of our homes.
The cheeky toy elves return each December to cause chaos on their annual visit from the North Pole.
The idea is they watch over your family during the day… then report back to Santa each night to tell him who has been naughty and who has been nice.
But during the night, the elves get up to plenty of mischief – and leave evidence of it in the morning for the family to find.
For many children, the return of Elf on the Shelf marks the start of the build-up to Christmas. But for weary parents, it can be a struggle to come up with clever ideas to impress the kids day after day.
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Dr Amanda Gummer, founder of the Good Play Guide, says the elf can help promote bonding. “There are lots of fun ways to make Christmas magical with an elf,” she says.
“And keeping play at the forefront of family life reduces stress, promotes attachment and creates memories that last a lifetime.”
If you’re one of the parents who is struggling to get creative with your elves, don’t panic – Elf on the Shelf superfan Emma Bridgeman is here to help.
Family food blogger Emma, who lives in Surrey with her husband Ricky and kids Nate, 10, and five-year-old Georgie, says:
“This will be my eighth year doing Elf on the Shelf. For me, it adds to the magic of Christmas.
“I always make sure our elf, Buddy, arrives on December 1 and leaves with a letter from him to the kids, which I print out.
“It is amazing seeing the kids’ faces in the mornings when they rush downstairs to see what Buddy has been up to overnight.”
Here are a few of Emma’s fabulous elf ideas…
For Elf on the Shelf inspiration, follow @togethertoeat on Instagram or Facebook.
Searing in the sofa
This one is super simple – just position your elf with their head down the sofa, with the back cushion slightly raised. Then leave either a few pieces of play money, small toys or real change next to them.
Egging him on
Top tip: Don’t leave Sharpies lying around with an elf in the house. I wanted the eggs to look like different characters so I drew a face on each one.
Then, I simply posed our elf next to the egg house with the Sharpie over his lap so it looked like he drew the faces on. You can also do this with eggs in the carton and the lid up, and even with eggs in your fridge.
A grate idea
Our elf really had it in for the poor carrot! I drew the eyebrows, eyes and mouth on black paper and then cut them out and stuck them on to a carrot with glue.
Grate the carrot at an angle until just the top half is left. Then turn the board to the side and position the elf straddling the grater.
Ketchup chaos
Not sure our elf knew that ketchup was for eating… I set this one up in the morning before the kids were awake so the ketchup didn’t completely drip off the wall – or stain the grout.
Just hold the bottle a little above the counter, point it at the wall and squeeze. Then, position your elf straddling the bottle and you’re done!
Super pooper surprise
If your child has a reindeer toy, they will love this. You’ll need to find something that looks like small poop – I used Nesquik cereal but you could also use Coco Pops, chocolate covered raisins or peanuts
Then, just pop them in a bowl and write a little note from your elf saying, “Free Reindeer Poop”. Then pose your elf and the reindeer nearby.
Wee love this one
All you need for this one are some clear shot glasses and some yellow food colouring plus some water.
Make a little “lemonade for sale” sign then position your elf – carefully – sitting on one. If you’ve added wire to your elf’s arms, have them cheekily covering their mouth. It gives the display a little something extra!
Apple of my eye
Great for toddlers. Cut a straw in half and attach a mini marshmallow to the end. Then rotate the other end of the straw into the top of an apple.
Next, stick on googly eyes and draw on the mouth in black marker. Then sit that apple on a table with five more apples behind it in a wiggly line and have your elf riding upfront.
A new Game of Thrones
If you have a toddler, you are sure to have some Mega Blocks lying around.… all you need for this one is a little time to build up a rocket or throne-style chair to fit your elf. You could also use Lego Duplo if you have enough of it.
Time to get tin-ventive
An easy one that works with whatever tins you have in your cupboards.
Simply open the door to one of them and stack the tins up in front until they are the right height for your elf to stand on and lean over to grab a snack.
Flossing is important
Write a note from your elf – be sure to disguise your handwriting! – asking, “Is this how you do the floss?” then simply wrap dental floss round his body.
Place your elf somewhere in the bathroom. Both my kids got a real kick out of this one and proceeded to show him the right way to do the floss!
It's easy peasy
My son found this one hysterical. It’s a great one to do once your kids can read.
Just write it out in frozen peas the night before then sit your elf on a pile of peas as well. Yours doesn’t have to be covering his mouth like this – I did it by adding wire into ours to make him more pose-able. You can find this hack and how to do it on YouTube.
