38 Creative & Easy Elf on the Shelf Ideas For 2024

Creative Elf on the Shelf ideas to bring extra Christmas magic into your home in December… minus the last minute panic! The Elf on the Shelf craze has exploded every December, with many parents working hard to come up with creative Elf on the Shelf ideas each night, ready for the kids to come looking in the morning.

This is not always an easy task, and I’m the first to admit I have forgotten to move the Elf. These Elf ideas will help you come up with a fun new scenario for each day in December!

Plus plenty of extra ideas if you need more creative inspiration for years to come!

Want more? Get my mega printable Elf Planner & Tool Kit

What Is Elf On The Shelf?

The concept behind Elf on the Shelf is to enhance the Christmas magic for kids, encouraging them to keep believing.

It also helps with keeping them more nice than naughty through December.

After all, the elf does pop back to the North Pole each night to report to Santa all that has happened each day.

The idea is to create a fun festive experience for your children in the lead up to Christmas, with the naughty elf getting into mischief each night while they sleep.

We have had an annual elf visitor in our home for many Christmas seasons now. The first year, our then 3-year-old was quite uneasy.

Now, the kids talk about him through the year and wonder when he will be back.

Our elf is affectionately named Bo which was what my then 3-year-old named him when he first arrived. Easy to remember. Find loads of funny elf name ideas.

This article was first published in 2014 and updated each year.

Staying Organised With Elf On The Shelf

I’m no super mum when it comes to coming up with totally awesome Elf ideas each night. I have a few favourites that I reserve for those busy days when I eagerly await the kids to go to sleep so I can move him and head to bed myself.

In fact, I won’t even tell you how many times I got into bed then remembered I hadn’t moved the elf. Usually just after I get comfortable!

Or there was once or twice when I completely forgot to move the elf.

We had to make up a story about how he didn’t move because the kids had been ratbags and it was his way of telling them so! It was effective!

This is a big reason why I had to create my own Elf on the Shelf planner.

Otherwise, that first year had many late-night Pinterest searches, looking for some quick inspiration!

You can download this bundle for FREE including my Elf on the Shelf planner, idea list and return letter:

My top tips for staying organised:

• Plan your Elf scenarios in advance
• Have your props ready – like these free printable ones
• Keep it simple
• Set a nightly reminder on your phone
• Try a month long theme like Disney or Harry Potter
• And be prepared in case you forget

Make sure you come and join our Elfing Around Facebook group for even more ideas and inspiration!

CREATIVE ELF ON THE SHELF IDEAS

If you are looking for some funny and simple Elf on the Shelf Ideas for the holiday season, look no further!

I have some seriously creative friends who have allowed me to share a few of their best Elf on the Shelf ideas. You can find more ideas from my friend Sam on her Elf on the Shelf Instagram profile.

Others are easy Elf inspiration we have done ourselves at home with our scout elf Bo.

I have put each idea as a new day in December so you can do the same, or pick your favourites and add them to your Elf planner!

And if you happen to be a household that has 2 elves on the shelf – or more, be sure to check out these funny Elf on the Shelf ideas for 2 elves.

Dec 1 – Welcome back Elf Arrival Letter

A letter from your Elf on 1 December is a fun way to get the kids excited right from the start and a good way to remind them that Santa knows if they are naughty or nice!

You can also grab my free printable elf return letter and find more return ideas over here.

Dec 2 -Kissing Booth

Save a box, such as a tissue box to make your own Elf on the Shelf kissing booth.

Dec 3 – Wrapped Christmas Tree

This one is very impressive. That is a lot of effort. Well done Jess. If you do this early in the month, you can reuse the paper to do your gift wrapping if it isn’t too crinkled.

I recommend having a tall helper to do this because two sets of arms make it much easier.

Dec 4 – Say Cheese

Line up some of your children’s favourite toys for a bit of Elf photography. Or instead of a photography session, perhaps it’s a wild west hold up with Toy Story!

Dec 5 – All Rolled Up

If you need a really easy option that takes almost no planning or prep, this toilet roll scenario is perfect. This takes less than a minute and will have the kids giggling.

Dec 6 – Taco Tuesday

This one was a bit of fun. We love tacos in our house so there are always wraps on hand for a quick Elf idea. A perfect option for a Tuesday!

Dec 7 – Balloon Time

This Elf in a balloon will amaze the little ones as they try and work out how the Elf got inside.

Take care not to pop the balloon in the process though because you don’t want kids waking with a fright late at night and coming to investigate.

Dec 8 – Candy Cane Thief

Sometimes you need to give the little people a friendly Elf reminder to be nice instead of naughty.

Dec 9 – Sack Races

This super cute idea is great if you have more than one Elf or if you want to get some other toys involved.

Dec 10 – Bath Time

Bath time is important, even if you are an Elf. Use cotton balls to give the look of a bubble bath. Our Barbie bath was the perfect size.

Similar to the cotton ball bubble bath, this bauble bath is a fun festive twist.

Dec 11 – Hanging With The Angel

Just hanging about and making friends with the other festive character in the house. A quick and easy last-minute Elf on the Shelf idea.

Dec 14 – Nutcracker

A regal outfit for your Elf while he hangs out with some of the other decorations. This idea adds an extra challenge for your kids when they try and find the Elf well camouflaged with the other decorations around the house.

Dec 18 – Give To Get

This is my personal favourite. We always encourage our children to give away some of their existing toys and clothes before every Christmas or birthday. During December, we put out a washing basket for each of them and a note for them to fill the baskets. They are only young so even a few items added to the basket is a win for me.

This is also a great way to encourage them to be more giving during the Christmas season, by starting a new family tradition of donating items they no longer need each year.

Dec 19 – Toilet Paper Tree

When the little prankster decides to let loose with a roll of toilet paper, no tree is safe!

Dec 20 – Balloon Bubble Bath

This one was inspired by my daughter’s birthday with balloons adding a bit of celebration to the cheeky elf and his bubble bath! This is perfect if you are looking for Elf on the Shelf bathroom ideas.

Or if you don’t have a bathtub at home, you can do similar with the shower as my friend Sam did with her 3 Elf visitors:

Dec 21 – Decorate The Toilet

Expand on the toilet humour with a Christmas decorated toilet area – you can get festive toilet decorating sets if you want to go all out like the idea below:

Dec 22 – Find the Treat

Hide a treat under the cups for your child to wake up and find. This is a great one for the weekend if you are willing to allow a pre-breakfast treat and hopefully get to sleep in a little longer.

It totally did not work for us. They still asked if they could have their treat first!

Dec 23 – Dog Treats “Don’t Give Santa These Cookies”

If you have a pet dog or cat, have your Elves get into the pet dry food with a sign “Yuck! Don’t give these cookies to Santa” as a funny reminder that Santa will be arriving soon.

A big thank you to Jess and Sam for letting me share several of these fun Christmas elf ideas. I will be adding even more of my own Elf on the shelf inspiration each year too!

Grab my Santa Tag freebie for a cute gift tag for your children’s gifts this Christmas. And if you’re stuck on inspiration, or looking for a budget-friendly idea, these handmade gifts are easy and thoughtful ideas.

I hope these ideas for Elf on the Shelf make your planning much easier!

Do you have an Elf on the Shelf visiting your household?  

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