Our Elf on the Shelf has 6 New Ideas for You!

Our elf on the shelf, Pizza, has historically been a bit of a procrastinator. There have even been a few nights of near misses, when that crazy elf was just too lazy and very nearly didn’t even move! This year I swear, the elf is gonna get his act together once and for all. And check this out- he already has some ideas to share with you!

Now that #thebigone is an independent reader, handwritten notes from our elf just aren’t gonna cut it anymore. So I threw together some quick printables for Pizza, and am sharing them with you at the end of this post. Enjoy!

SIDE NOTE: Curious how I pose our elf, or get him to ‘hold’ things? My secret is scrapbooking glue dots. They’re clear, tiny, pretty sticky, and remove fairly easily from most things. (Paper is a little iffy, because they’re obviously made to stick to paper. So don’t stick your elf to any heirloom family photos or anything!)

CHRISTMAS BUGS & KISSES
Some plastic bugs from the dollar store and a bag of Hershey Kisses makes a simple and tasty set up for the elf. Plus, as a boy-mom, anything with bugs is a guaranteed hit! And extra bonus- you only need like, 5 Hershey Kisses for the elf, which means you get to eat the rest after the kids are in bed. SCORE!

GOT A GREEN THUMB?
Pick up a few of these holiday themed planting kits from the One Spot at Target, and let you elf teach your kids a little bit about puns! Cheap, simple, and can kill a little time when you’re looking for an educational-ish activity for the kids!

STUFF THOSE STOCKINGS!
A cheap pair of novelty socks for each kid, hung by the fireplace or along a ribbon or clothesline somewhere in the house is cute & easy. Bonus points for picking up holiday themed socks! If your elf is feeling extra kind, have him or her throw a candy cane in each sock for some extra excitement in the morning. (Socks are from- big surprise- One Spot at Target!)

TELL TALL TALES
The elf of a reading family obviously needs to encourage literacy in some small way during December. Pizza picked up a cute snowball pen & some blank coordinating notebooks, and is hoping #thebigone will have a fabulous snowstorm story to write for him! (Wanna guess where I bought them? Yup. One Spot. Target. LOVE!)

MAKE A LIST & CHECK IT TWICE
A little more writing encouragement from our elf, and I’m pretty sure #thebigone will love it, because it’s gift related! Some cute Elf on the Shelf branded pencils and notepads [Target, One Spot, big shock there] will add to the excitement. It’s always more fun to write Santa’s wish list with holiday themed supplies, instead of a plain yellow #2. If your child is too young to write, drawing their list or cutting & pasting from a catalog are both great options!

I’M A CREEP, I’M A WEIRDO…
[I mean, who says elves don’t love a little Radiohead now & again?!]
So, if you’ve got a kid who’s obsessed with Minecraft like mine is, this will likely be a huge hit with them. Grab the Minecraft-inspired printable below, and get busy with some scissors and a bit of tape or glue to turn your elf on the shelf into a total creeper too!

PRINT THESE BAD BOYS OUT!

Would love to see some of what your elves have gotten into in years past! Share in the comments, or tag me on social media.

If you need more ideas to keep your elf on the shelf hopping this year, here’s a great place to start!