Our family may not do Santa, but I couldn’t pass up this creative opportunity to play around with this Elf.
Our family’s adaption to Elf on a Shelf is that it’s like Toy Story – all our toys come to life while we’re away / sleeping. And at Christmas time, Buddy the Elf joins the fun and, because he only comes out with the Christmas decor, he doesn’t know the “rules” of returning to your spot before we’re awake. Naturally, he is such a hoot that all the toys get distracted and have to freeze while they’re doing funny things.
Here’s a list of some simple but fun ideas you could do to surprise your family this December.
- enter the family in a unique way (on a paper airplane, with a note, bringing gifts, etc.)
- pack the kids lunches and wrap each item with wrapping paper
- roll down the stairs in toilet paper
- FaceTime fellow elves
- sneak a dog treat out of its container
- set a trap outside the kids’ door by taping streamers and balloons across the doorframe
- take a marshmallow bath
- have a snowball fight (with marshmallows)
- go online shopping
- go fishing in the sink for gold fish crackers
- read a book
- play a game
- do a puzzle
- put bows on all the cabinets
- get tangled up in lights
- make breakfast
- get stuck in the ice dispenser on the fridge
- put him in the car
- tape him to the wall and put other toys around like they did it (see the picture above)
- stick him in a toy car & have a race
- poop candy in the potty (kiddy-potty if that’s available)
- take toy dogs on a walk
- hide all 12 candy canes from a box around the house
- take a selfie
- prep a movie night (with popcorn)