The Elf on the Shelf is finally back! Here are some fun and creative ideas of where you can hide your Elf on the Shelf.
And don’t miss the broadway musical performance of Elf the Musical on Nov. 17 – Dec. 6 at the Citi Performing Arts Center Wang Theatre. Buddy the Elf journeys to New York to discover his identity and uncover the true meaning of Christmas. $35 and up. Call 866-348-9738 or visit citicenter.org.
Please join the Boston Parents Paper staff on Nov. 24 for a family night broadway musical performance of Elf the Musical at the Citi Performing Arts Center Wang Theatre and save $25 on mezzanine seats with the code BPPL. Family night starts at 6pm, show starts at 7pm. Hope to see you there!
I’m Back! – Spell out “I’m back!” with M&Ms on a table and put your Elf on the Shelf next to it on the first night he or she visits your house. Through the Elf’s stay, you can also spell out “Santa says ‘hi,’” “Be good,” “I love you!” and “You’re sweet as candy!”
Sack Race – Grab some of your child’s favorite stuffed animals and your Elf on the Shelf and put them each in a brown paper bag. Fold the top over a little so they can be seen and make sure to crinkle the bag a bit to give it some shape. Place the stuffed animals and your Elf on the Shelf in any order you want. Don’t forget to “draw” a finish line with tape or a long piece of yarn. The kids will be excited to see who won the race the next morning.
Date Night – Pair the Elf up with Barbie and plan the perfect spot for their date night. Maybe they want to take a ride in the Barbie convertible. They can even share a drink together – don’t forget the two straws!
Snow Angels – Have your Elf make “snow” angels with flour on the counter. Pour flour on a flat surface and create your Elf’s snow angel. You can even make a sign that says, “Having snow much fun at your house” or “Make cookies!”
Sledding – Make a sled out of a few candy canes and let your Elf go sledding through the snow! Use a glue gun to glue the candy canes together and then allow it to dry before sticking your Elf on. Flour or marshmallows work well for snow. Be sure to have a lot of snow in the area that your Elf is sledding.
Movie Night – While the kids were asleep, the Elf got cozy on the couch to watch a good movie. Grab a few pillows and a blanket, and position your Elf in a comfortable spot. Leave the remote out so he can watch something good and be sure to pop a little popcorn to put in a small bowl.
Zip Line Adventure – Create a zip line by stringing thread across the room of your choice. Make sure to secure his hands to the string; a bread twist tie works well. Your children will be shocked to see what kind of adventure your Elf was up to during the night.
Mischief in the Fridge – The Elf gave the milk a little holiday spirit. Add red or green food coloring to a cup of milk and leave the Elf in the fridge sitting next to the milk. It may take the kids a little while to find the Elf but they will shocked by the color of their holiday milk.
Snowflakes – Create snowflakes out of coffee filters and be sure to put them all over the house. When the kids get up, they will walk out into a winter wonderland.
More Elf on the Shelf ideas on the next page!
Naptime – Causing mischief is exhausting. Put your Elf to bed in a tissue box. Be sure to use some tissues as a pillow. If your child has any small toy animals, place them in the box with your Elf to go to sleep with.
Chocolate Lover – Be careful leaving any sweet treats out when you go to bed since Elves loves anything sweet. Have your kids wake up to the Elf head first in a bag of chocolate candy.
Candy Cane Game – Hide candy canes in a room, then put a sign next to your Elf on the Shelf that says, “I hid 5 candy canes. See if you can find them!”
Wrap It Up – Purchase a roll of wrapping paper from the dollar store and wrap up your toilet, child’s chair or another household object. Put the elf inside the empty roll next to whatever you wrap – your kids will be squealing with delight!
For more Elf on the Shelf ideas, click here.