Creative Elf on the Shelf ideas for moms who’ve run out of places to hide him (2024)

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The Elf on the Shelf is a fun December tradition many families look forward to all year long. But after a couple of years—or even a couple of weeks—it’s easy to run out of new places for the Elf to be found in the morning. Never fear: Here isa slew ofunique Elf on the Shelf ideas you may not have seen before to help keep your kids on their toes.

  • Stocking swap

    Creative Elf on the Shelf ideas for moms who’ve run out of places to hide him (4)

    Give your kids a good giggle by helping your Elf swap out the stockings for a pair of everyone’s clean undies or a sock.

  • A swinging good time

    Creative Elf on the Shelf ideas for moms who’ve run out of places to hide him (8)

    Some string and an empty cardboard tube are all you need to recreate this playfulElf swing from Building Our Story.

  • Let it snow!

    Creative Elf on the Shelf ideas for moms who’ve run out of places to hide him (9)

    Let your Elf inspire your kids to help make it a white Christmas, no matter what the weather is like outside.

  • Bungee jumping

    Creative Elf on the Shelf ideas for moms who’ve run out of places to hide him (10)

    This bungee-jumping Elf from Spotted Pink Potatoes is a great way to appeal to your kid’s daredevil side. It’s also a great reminder of how fun a Slinky can be!

  • Meet me under the mistletoe

    Creative Elf on the Shelf ideas for moms who’ve run out of places to hide him (11)

    Waiting under the mistletoe is a sweet spot for your children to find your Elfin the morning.

  • The fairy Elf

    Creative Elf on the Shelf ideas for moms who’ve run out of places to hide him (13)

    If your child loves all things fairy, then they’ll love this whimsical Elf-with-wings idea. Make up a tale about an overnight run-in with some pixies and you’re officially the cool mom.

  • Super star

    Creative Elf on the Shelf ideas for moms who’ve run out of places to hide him (14)

    Most young kids are thrilled at the idea of touching the star at the top of the Christmas tree. Let them live vicariously through their Elf with this top of the tree Elf hiding spot idea from Clearly Candace.

  • Fans of the fan

    Creative Elf on the Shelf ideas for moms who’ve run out of places to hide him (15)

    Tryhanging your Elf from a ceiling fan, like this example fromBuilding Our Story, and watch your child’s eyes light up as they watch their Elf spin around and around.

  • Let me in!

    Creative Elf on the Shelf ideas for moms who’ve run out of places to hide him (17)

    It’s never too early to start teaching kids the importance of sticking to their curfew. This playful idea from Lil Blue Booof placing your Elf outsideshows what can happen when your Elf wanders out in the middle of the night.

  • Snow angel

    Creative Elf on the Shelf ideas for moms who’ve run out of places to hide him (18)

    If your kid is wondering whether your Elf misses the snowy North Pole, brace yourself for a little clean up and let your Elf make a snow angel.

  • Hanging with friends

    Creative Elf on the Shelf ideas for moms who’ve run out of places to hide him (19)

    You can’t expect your Elf to hang around for a month without making friends with the locals! This simple Elf set up with stuffed animals from Building Our Story will have your child’s imagination in overdrive.

  • Doodle Elf

    Creative Elf on the Shelf ideas for moms who’ve run out of places to hide him (20)

    The fun thing about the Elf on the Shelf is that he can get away with mischief your kids can’t. Use a dry erase marker to doodle on a glass frameand give everyone a funny face.

  • Reindeer food

    Creative Elf on the Shelf ideas for moms who’ve run out of places to hide him (22)

    A good Elf never lets his friends go hungry. Let yourElf help the kids spread a snack in the yard for Santa’s reindeer.

  • Making mini-Rudolphs

    Creative Elf on the Shelf ideas for moms who’ve run out of places to hide him (23)

    Delight your kids bytransforming them into their favorite red-nosed reindeer. Have your Elf paint a red dot on the bathroom mirror and leave a note explaining his trick. The reaction when your children see their reflections will be priceless!

  • Brrrrr…

    Creative Elf on the Shelf ideas for moms who’ve run out of places to hide him (25)

    The chilly freezeris the perfect temperature for your Elf, since he’s used to the cold of the North Pole, but it’s likely to be the last place your child thinks to search.

  • Clever spots to prop Elf on the Shelf

    Creative Elf on the Shelf ideas for moms who’ve run out of places to hide him (26)

    Can’t wait to give these a try this holiday season? Pin it!

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Creative Elf on the Shelf ideas for moms who’ve run out of places to hide him (2024)

FAQs

Creative Elf on the Shelf ideas for moms who’ve run out of places to hide him? ›

Try hanging your Elf from a ceiling fan, like this example from Building Our Story, and watch your child's eyes light up as they watch their Elf spin around and around.

How do you end elf on the shelf for older kids? ›

If you've been doing the Elf on the Shelf thing for a while and want to stop but don't know how at this point, maybe just tell your kids the Elf had a change of heart. He's been inspired by all the homes he's seen and is going back to school for interior design.

What does Elf on the Shelf do if kids are bad? ›

We're basically telling our kids that he is reporting back to Santa on a daily basis about our behavior—bad or good—and that Santa won't bring the gifts they asked for if the Elf reports bad behavior.

What are parents supposed to do with Elf on the Shelf? ›

Each morning, the elf chooses a new vantage point from which to keep an eye on the kids. The night before Christmas, the elf flies off one last time to spend the year with Santa until reappearing next season. Every night, a parent hides the elf in a new place.

What is the number 1 rule for Elf on the Shelf? ›

The Elf Must Not Be Touched

Considered the most important rule, the Scout Elf must never be touched (of course, apart from when the parents move them around) as that will cause them to lose their magical powers. In some cases, they could also disappear when touched, such as when a dog might get a hold of them.

Why I'm against elf on a Shelf? ›

“Elf on the Shelf” undermines a child's natural motivation to try hard and do her best. For example, if a child cleans up her room in the hope of getting more presents at Christmas, she'll be less likely to clean up her room at other times of the year, because there's no incentive.

How does the elf say goodbye? ›

Up, Up and Away

It's time for your Scout Elf to take off after a wonderful season spent with you! They'll say, “Toodle-loo” while hanging on to a bunch of balloons.

What age does your elf stop coming? ›

By age eight, kids begin to acknowledge the unlikeliness of one man travelling the world in a single night. The good news? If you started the tradition of Elf on the Shelf in your household, you can likely send the elf into early retirement around your child's eighth Christmas.

Do parents move the Elf on the Shelf yes or no? ›

The rule in the storybook is that the Elf is not to be touched or he'd lose his magic. Of course, that's a rule for the child. The parent can reposition the toy anytime they want to. It's like many rather common and harmless little traditions in some families, like Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny or the Tooth Fairy.

Is Santa real or is it your parents? ›

And the first question after that, in the “People also ask” section, is: “Is Santa real or is it your parents?” The top response comes from the motherhood website Her View From Home. “The answer is no. We are not Santa. There is no one, single Santa.

At what age do kids quit believing in Santa? ›

What do we know about how, why and when children stop believing in Santa? The average age that children stop believing in Santa is eight. There's a huge amount of variation though — some kids will report it around four or five, some are closer to 12 or 13. So the average is eight, but each child's journey is different.

What percentage of parents do Elf on the Shelf? ›

About three in 10 say that an Elf on the Shelf is a family tradition (30%) or their children heard about the idea from someone else, and so their family decided to do it (29%). Another 22% say that it makes the children behave better. But a majority (61%) of parents say their household doesn't have an Elf on the Shelf.

What does a black elf mean? ›

Noun. dark elf (plural dark elves) (Norse mythology) A member of the race of Dǫkkálfar or Dark Alfs, creatures who live underground. (fantasy) A member of a race of elves that is evil, has a dark (often greyish or bluish) skin and/or lives in dark places.

Can your mom touch your elf? ›

Santa advises that no family member touch their Elf on the Shelf, but he does describe a few rare instances when an adult may use tongs or potholders to help an elf in an urgent situation. Parents: read on to learn about special, few and far between cases where emergency help will be required.

Is elf in Netflix? ›

Unfortunately, Elf isn't available on almost all Netflix libraries, including the US. Luckily, with a robust VPN, you can change your virtual location to where Elf is available on Netflix. In this case, it's only available in Australia and Switzerland.

What do elves like to do for fun? ›

Well living and working at the North Pole is fun most of the time, but in their spare time elves like to sing and dance. Some like to dance the cha-cha, just like Norris Figgyworth.

How do you make an elf feel better? ›

What to Do If Your Elf Is Touched
  1. Write a nice apology note to your Elf telling your Elf how very sorry you are for touching him. This is a great way for your Elf to regain Christmas magic.
  2. Sprinkle some cinnamon near the Elf. ...
  3. Sing your Elf a Christmas carol with all of the family.

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