• Home
    • Disclosure
    • Terms of Use and Privacy Policy
  • About Me
    • Contact Me

Mom. Wife. Busy Life.

Crafts, recipes, parenting tips and more for the everyday busy mom.

  • Recipes
    • Breakfast Recipes
    • Lunch Recipes
    • Dinner Recipes
    • Appetizers
    • Desserts
    • Smoothie Recipes
    • Beverages
    • Side Dishes
    • Snack Recipes
    • Low Carb
    • Recipe Index
  • Activities
    • Activities for Kids
    • Crafts for Kids
    • Slime Recipes
    • Sensory Bottles
    • DIY
  • Holidays
    • New Year’s Day
    • Valentine’s Day
    • St. Patrick’s Day
    • Easter
    • Patriotic Holidays
    • Mother’s Day
    • Halloween
    • Thanksgiving
    • Christmas
      • Advent Calendars 2022
  • Seasons
    • Spring
    • Summer
    • Fall
    • Winter
  • Kids
    • Babies
    • Toddlers
    • School Age Kids
    • Teenagers
    • Gifted Children
    • Adopted Children
    • Special Needs
  • Family
    • For Moms
    • Homeschool
    • Potty Training
    • Marriage
    • Schedules
    • Organization
    • Parenting
    • Tips & Tricks
    • Back to School
  • Printables
    • Printables
    • Printable Coloring Pages
    • FREE Printable Library For Email Subscribers
  • Shop
  • Bloggers

Kid Friendly Elf on the Shelf Ideas

This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

November 30, 2022 by Mom. Wife. Busy Life. 35 Comments

Here are 30+ Kid Friendly Elf on the Shelf Ideas to enjoy this holiday season!

elf

We’ve been participating in the Elf on the Shelf for a while now!

Our elf started visiting our home in 2013 and my girls (and now son) remind me every year about our elf coming for a visit in December! We actually added a girl elf in 2019 to mix things up a bit!

Order Now: Elf on the Shelf Kits for 2022

Dollar Tree Elf on the Shelf Ideas

I have to say, hiding our elves and creating activities for the kids to enjoy is actually a lot of fun.

Finding new ways to display our elf does take a bit of time and creativity! This year, I’m planning ahead and getting things ready and in place before our elves arrive. It can be easy to forget to move the elves or come up with ideas when you are rushed or tired!

I have this printable checklist that goes with our ideas below to help you plan for your elf on the shelf this year.

>> CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR MY EMAIL LIST AND GET ACCESS TO THIS FREE PRINTABLE ELF ON THE SHELF LIST!

I wanted to compile a few of our favorite kid friendly Elf on the Shelf ideas for you that we have personally done, from 2013 to 2019.

If you need ideas for welcoming your elf back this year, check out these Elf on the Shelf I’m Back Ideas!

Not into planning this year? These Elf Kits below with 24 nights of activities, personalized letters, props, and more can help!

Elf on the Shelf Ideas

elf on the shelf ideas

Here’s a great assortment of dolls to use for the tea party elf on the shelf idea.

Kid Friendly Elf on the Shelf Ideas

Find KidKraft Dollhouse ideas at Amazon!

Kid Friendly Elf on the Shelf Ideas

Check out Barbie cars on Amazon!

Kid Friendly Elf on the Shelf Ideas

Find a variety of kids fishing poles for this idea!

Kid Friendly Elf on the Shelf Ideas

Find the Fisher-Price Little People Musical Christmas Train at Amazon!

elf on the shelf ideas riding a reindeer

 These deer figurines are similar to the ones pictured above.

elf on the shelf ideas reading books

Use these little learning book sets for this idea.

elf on the shelf ideas coloring

Shop the Crayon selection at Amazon!

elf on the shelf ideas playing the guitar

These Disney Figurine Sets are perfect for this elf on the shelf idea!

elf on the shelf ideas walking the dog

The walking pet toys would be perfect to use for this Elf on the Shelf idea!

Elf on the Shelf Ideas christmas tree

Check out these Elf on the Shelf Ornaments to add to your Christmas tree!

elf on the shelf ideas riding horses

The horse toy options are great for this idea!

elf on the shelf ideas building with blocks

Use these foam blocks to recreate this idea above!

elf on the shelf ideas playing candy land

Shop Candyland games at Amazon and add this to your game closet!

Elf on the shelf ideas

Choose a paint set for kids!

Elf on the Shelf Ideas Playing with Playdoh

Here are great Play-doh set ideas that you can use for this idea.

Elf on the Shelf ideas making coffee

Check out this selection of Keurig coffee makers!

ornament

Here’s are ornaments to use for this idea.

band aids

You can use any bandages for this idea, but I recommend using bandages for kids! This bandage idea has been one of my kids favorite ideas of all!

cookies

Use these Christmas cookie sprinkles for baking this year!

elf-on-the-shelf-twister

Order Twister at Amazon!

Here are printable Twister boards for your elf, too!

Elf Twister Elf on the Shelf Printable Christmas Elf Prop
Elf on the Shelf Printable Twister Prop


Create a shoe-shoe train with your elf!

Here are a few of my favorites from 2018 using a Spiderman toy:

elf 2

Find 12 inch Spiderman action figure toys at Amazon!

Here are mini pool table toys for kids, too.

elf 3

Elf on the Shelf 2019

My girls were begging for a girl elf to visit this year! She was a gift under the Christmas tree as a surprise on the first day back! See the letters below. They named her Crystal! Now Crystal and Clyde are busy creating fun activities, arts, crafts, and games for the kids all month.

elf

“I’m back! I missed y’all so much and I couldn’t wait to see y’all again. I’m so proud of y’all for being good in school and doing your chores at home! GUESS WHAT?!?!? I have a COOL surprise for you – look under a tree. I think you’ll like it! Hint: DOUBLE THE FUN! Sincerely, Clyde P.S. Don’t open until parents are awake!” 

elf on the shelf

Hide candy canes around the house.

elf on the shelf

Gather supplies to make an ornament.

76901519_2510201782430943_651702364511666176_n

Make a snowman craft!

elf on the shelf

Hide tiny gifts around the house for a game of hide and seek. Then, give a surprise when they find them all!

elf on the shelf

Have a movie night and watch your favorite Christmas movie

elf on the shelf

Create snowmen donuts with packages of powdered donuts.

elf on the shelf smart

Write a letter telling your kids they are smart! Use Smarties candy canes or candy.

elf on the shelf baking

Have fun in the kitchen! Help the kids bake cookies!

IMG_3988

Jesus is the Reason for the Season! Paint crosses and display in your home.

IMG_4054

Paint ornaments to hang on the tree.

elf on the shelf hiding game

Have your elves play hide and seek. If hints are needed, have a friend or family member text a hint “from the elves.” For this one, I had my mom text us that the elves were hungry and needed a snack.

Check back for more ideas from this year! I’ll try to update as often as possible! My kids LOVE coming downstairs to figure out what the elf did over night!

Elf on the Shelf 2020

For 2020, I put together several Dollar Tree Elf on the Shelf Ideas! Check them out, too! Keep scrolling for 2021 ideas.

Elf on the Shelf 2021

Our elves came down the fireplace on their first night back! They left a “We’re Back!” letter!

Welcome Back Letter to Kids From Their Christmas Elves Have
We’re Back Letter to Kids From Their Christmas Elves


Our elves brought candy to fill the Advent calendar for the month!

Find reusable Advent calendars here.

elf on the shelf snowball fight

Find indoor snowballs for kids at Amazon!

My husband turned 40 this year! The elves had cake supplies and cards for the kids to make to celebrate!

This is a yearly tradition at my house. My 5 year old loves to put window clings on the windows in my house. Each child received their own set of Christmas window clings this year from the elves.

My kids always love finding things around the house, so this is becoming a yearly tradition where the elves hide candy canes around the house to find to add to our tree.

We took the kids to a concert to see our favorite band, For King & Country in Houston this month during their Little Drummer Boy Tour! Listen to their Christmas album here. It’s amazing!

When we came back to the house the elves set up mini gingerbread houses for the kids to decorate!

My kids love scavenger hunts! The elves set up two scavenger hunts this year so far!

Here are the scavenger hunts they used. These two scavenger hunts are FREE to print!

Scavenger Hunt #1

Scavenger Hunt #2

My kids love to paint! The elves left them three Christmas rock painting kits to work on for the weekend!

Pin to Pinterest:

Kid Friendly Elf on the Shelf Ideas
Kid Friendly Elf on the Shelf Ideas

This Tabletop Ceramic Lighted Green Christmas Tree could work for the idea above!

Elf on the Shelf Ideas

Do you have any Elf on the Shelf ideas to contribute? Leave a comment! 

elf on the shelf

Filed Under: Activities for Kids, Christmas, Family, Holidays, Kids Crafts & Activities Tagged With: Christmas

Previous Post: « FREE Elf on the Shelf Checklist and Calendar
Next Post: FREE Elf on the Shelf Jokes »

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Primary Sidebar

Recent Posts

  • How to Dye Easter Eggs with Rice
  • How to Dye Easter Eggs with Whipped Cream
  • Easter Bunny Paper Plate Craft
  • Easter Bunny Treat Cups
  • Easter Egg Ribbon Wands

Footer

Amazon Affiliate Disclosure:

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Read More:

Most Recent Posts

  • How to Dye Easter Eggs with Rice
  • How to Dye Easter Eggs with Whipped Cream
  • Easter Bunny Paper Plate Craft
  • Easter Bunny Treat Cups
  • Easter Egg Ribbon Wands

Copyright © 2023 · Sprinkle Pro Theme on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in

This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish.Accept Reject Read More
Privacy & Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Non-necessary
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
SAVE & ACCEPT