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25 Awesome Elf on a Shelf Ideas

November 4, 2019 Kerrie @ Family Food and Travel 58 Comments

Looking for Elf on a Shelf ideas? We’ve gathered 25 easy and awesome Elf on a Shelf Ideas your family will love.

From classic fishing and marshmallows to more adventurous and mischievous activities your Elf on a Shelf will keep your family entertained and laughing this year!

Even if you are hesitant to get an elf you will find it really exciting, fun and absolutely manageable if you focus on easy and fun. Make Elf on a Shelf fun for kids and parents with these 25 Awesome Elf on a Shelf Ideas. 

Elf on a Shelf Ideas

Have some fantastic Elf on a Shelf Ideas to share? Make sure you leave your ideas in the comments below. Our elf, Reindeer is always looking for some new fun.

He is quite the photographer and loves to make collages with our Instax Camera.

Elf on the Shelf Ideas with Fuji Instax

25 Awesome Elf on a Shelf Ideas

1. Elf on the Shelf Helps with Christmas Lights | Family Fun Journal

2. Elf on the Shelf Has a Snowball Fight | Stockpiling Moms

3. Elf on the Shelf Makes Some New Friends | The Coupon Challenge

4. Elf on the Shelf Swings on a Toilet Paper Roll | A Small Snippet

5. Elf on the Shelf Plays with His Food | The Frugal Navy Wife

6. Elf on the Shelf Uses the Potty | DIY Inspired

7. Elf on the Shelf Hijacks the Family Pictures | This Mama Loves

8. Elf on the Shelf Gets Chocolate Wasted | A Mitten Full of Savings

9. Elf on the Shelf TPs the Christmas Tree | Cincy Shopper

10. Elf on the Shelf Takes a Marshmallow Bath | Snippets from Suburbia

11. Elf on the Shelf Makes Holiday Magic Milk | Missy’s Kitchen

12. Elf on the Shelf Makes Magic Snowflakes | Searching 4 Savings

13. Elf on the Shelf Helps Clean Up the Sink | A Few Short Cuts

14. Elf on the Shelf Makes a Snow Angel | Stockpiling Moms

Easy Elf on a Shelf Ideas

 

15. Elf on the Shelf Toasting Marshmallows | Source: Family Fun Journal

16. Elf on the Shelf Takes a Cereal Bath | Source: The Frugal Navy Wife

17. Elf on the Shelf Makes a Bed | Source: Home Stories A to Z

18. Elf on the Shelf Leaves a Message | Source: DIY Inspired

19. Elf on the Shelf and His Friends Have a Sack Race | Source: Picklehead Soup

20. Elf on the Shelf Plays Jenga | Source: A Mitten Full of Savings

21. Elf on the Shelf Gets a Midnight Snack | Source: The Frugal Navy Wife

22. Elf on the Shelf Goes Fishing | Source: Rocking My 365 Project

23. Elf on the Shelf Lifts Weights | Source: Snippets from Suburbia

24. Elf on the Shelf Hangs Out with His Snowman Friends | Source: Mom VS The Boys

25. Elf on a Shelf Gets a Marshmallow Treatment | Source: A Mitten Full of Savings

When we first decided to get an Elf on a Shelf I scoured the internet for fun ideas. I quickly got into the spirit and have loved hiding him every night.

From simple locations to more creative poses coming up with a variety of Elf on a Shelf ideas has been one of my favorite holiday traditions with my boys.

Looking for more of our favorite holiday activities check out our Christmas section and these awesome Christmas apps to help you have the best holiday ever.

Elf on the Shelf 25 ideas

What are your Elf’s favorite activities?

We’d love to hear them in the comments below. We’d love to include them in our post. 

Enjoy every moment leading up to the holidays with these fun and festive Elf on a Shelf ideas. 

Check Out These Awesome Posts

  • Elf on the Shelf Ideas with Fuji Instax CameraElf on the Shelf Ideas with Fuji Instax Camera
  • Christmas TraditionsChristmas Traditions
  • Christmas Word Search For Kids – Free PrintableChristmas Word Search For Kids – Free Printable
  • Kids Christmas Craft: Button Trees Kids Christmas Craft: Button Trees

Family Christmas

Comments

  1. jay nelson says

    November 27, 2015 at 12:28 pm

    Thank you. It is difficult to come up with new ideas and ones which are not a lot of work. I like the toilet paper roll swing.

    Reply
  2. Rosanne Robinson says

    November 30, 2015 at 9:12 pm

    Thanks so much for these tips for the Elf on a Shelf…..my grandson gets so excited looking for his Elf (Joe) and we were running out of ideas on where to position him.

    Reply
  3. Meg says

    November 30, 2015 at 10:29 pm

    While I think the Elf is adorable, it does seem like a lot of work, haha. Great ideas!

    Reply
  4. Cheryl says

    December 2, 2015 at 9:36 pm

    Thanks for the ideas! I am always running out of them!!

    Reply
  5. Heidi M says

    December 3, 2015 at 1:28 am

    Look at the cute Elfs on the Shelf, what a busy boy

    Reply
  6. Jennifer Wilson says

    December 3, 2015 at 7:13 am

    Great Ideas!

    Reply
  7. Victoria Ess says

    December 3, 2015 at 8:22 am

    Haha these photos made me laugh!

    Reply
  8. Cheryl says

    December 3, 2015 at 2:00 pm

    Very cute! We don’t do elf on a shelf

    Reply
  9. Helena says

    December 3, 2015 at 2:33 pm

    ha ha, l love the little potty training Elf. So, so cute.

    Reply
  10. nicolthepickle says

    December 3, 2015 at 5:50 pm

    The goldfishing in the sink is so funny and the nutella one my kids could totally relate to. My elf is just going to come out tonight for the first time. Thanks the the ideas.

    Reply
  11. Brent says

    December 3, 2015 at 8:11 pm

    Good ideas. Will use a couple for sure.

    Reply
  12. laura feist says

    December 3, 2015 at 10:57 pm

    great ideas

    Reply
  13. Heidi c. says

    December 4, 2015 at 8:04 am

    So many cute ideas! My kids would love them.

    Reply
  14. Elizabeth Matthiesen says

    December 4, 2015 at 2:57 pm

    What super ideas, I’m sure they’ll come in useful for a lot of people. We don’t actually have an Elf, which I’m not too sorry about. :-)

    Reply
  15. KC says

    December 4, 2015 at 4:40 pm

    Elf on a Shelf is so cute! I can’t wait to have children of my own to use all these fantastic ideas

    Reply
  16. Debbie Bashford says

    December 5, 2015 at 7:11 am

    we never did this, I had a Elf when I was young but he sat on the tree and never moved

    Reply
  17. Treen Goodwin says

    December 5, 2015 at 7:29 am

    love the ideas so cute , thanks for sharing :)

    Reply
  18. kristen visser says

    December 5, 2015 at 11:53 am

    we don’t have an elf on the shelf and the thing actually freaks me out lol.

    Reply
  19. Jessica Benoit says

    December 5, 2015 at 12:11 pm

    Those are awesome Ideas.

    Reply
  20. Lynn M says

    December 5, 2015 at 1:33 pm

    I like how people are so creative with their elves.

    Reply
  21. Deanna Barkley says

    December 5, 2015 at 7:09 pm

    Cute ideas, but I don’t do Elf on the shelf.

    Reply
  22. TonyaB says

    December 5, 2015 at 8:18 pm

    Thanks for the awesome ideas! I like alot of them :)

    Reply
  23. Silvia D says

    December 6, 2015 at 2:56 am

    so many fun ideas!

    Reply
  24. Alexa Nernberg says

    December 6, 2015 at 9:39 am

    A great selection of “Elf on the Shelf” ideas. Love how this little guy keeps kids behaving good.

    Reply
  25. Donna Durie says

    December 6, 2015 at 7:43 pm

    Great ideas!

    Reply
  26. ClaireD says

    December 7, 2015 at 9:39 am

    Hahaha. Lots of good idea ^_^ I’m going to make them all ;-)

    Reply
  27. l p says

    December 7, 2015 at 2:13 pm

    thanks for the ideas.

    Reply
  28. David Hamelin-Pelletier says

    December 7, 2015 at 2:36 pm

    I love to have many ideas for those elf. We are running out of ideas lol

    Reply
  29. tammy jeffery says

    December 8, 2015 at 6:00 am

    This Elf is very sneaky. Always need ideas for the little guy, thanks.

    Reply
  30. krista gould says

    December 8, 2015 at 6:25 am

    Love learning new ideas for our elf and love sharing them with others as its always hard to come up with something at times

    Reply
  31. Cassandra Gale says

    December 8, 2015 at 10:40 am

    Love the ideas

    Reply
  32. srishayini says

    December 8, 2015 at 12:15 pm

    i ould love to see my ids face when they see him in the nutella jar

    Reply
  33. Cheryl Almas says

    December 8, 2015 at 1:42 pm

    Great ideas for Elf on the Shelf

    Reply
  34. Cherie Varrin says

    December 8, 2015 at 2:57 pm

    Thanks for the ideas! I dont have an elf on the shelf yet but I may just do it next year.

    Reply
  35. Jess H says

    December 8, 2015 at 5:02 pm

    Very cute

    Reply
  36. Debbie C says

    December 8, 2015 at 5:38 pm

    Pretty cool ideas! We have never had Elf on the Shelf. Our kids are in their 30’s now!

    Reply
  37. Velma Hart says

    December 8, 2015 at 6:43 pm

    I would love to win this.

    Reply
  38. Christine Holliday says

    December 8, 2015 at 9:16 pm

    This is a scary thought!! HA

    Reply
  39. rose langill says

    December 9, 2015 at 10:04 am

    Haha I so don’t have one of these but looks fun

    Reply
  40. Jackie bob says

    December 9, 2015 at 1:30 pm

    Love elf on the shelf. He’s so mischievous.

    Reply
  41. Meg says

    December 9, 2015 at 10:42 pm

    This Elf truly has a cult following! I didn’t get one, and I feel half left-out, and half relieved.

    Reply
  42. Angela Massis says

    December 10, 2015 at 9:01 am

    Those are adorable Elf on a Shelf ideas!! Thank You for sharing, I can’t wait to use some of them.

    Reply
  43. Haroon Khan says

    December 10, 2015 at 2:55 pm

    Such cute and creatives ideas!

    Reply
  44. Danni Plume says

    December 11, 2015 at 3:38 am

    they are so cute

    Reply
  45. Megan Smith says

    December 11, 2015 at 8:59 am

    I love elf on the shelf but Im the only one in the house lol so cant do here :(

    Reply
  46. Lia James says

    December 11, 2015 at 10:29 pm

    this thing creeps me out tremendously.

    Reply
  47. Jennifer Thornton says

    December 12, 2015 at 12:05 am

    The “potato sack race” idea is hilarious!
    Jennifer Thornton recently posted..Incubating a Fetus Maternity T-Shirt by materniteezMy Profile

    Reply
  48. Melinda B says

    December 12, 2015 at 2:15 am

    My daughter who is going to be 25 got one last Christmas but is pregnant now so keeping the posts about him tamer than normally would with baby coming i February 2016.

    Reply
  49. BARB F. says

    December 12, 2015 at 8:13 am

    do not have the Elf on the shelf but from the listing like

    . Elf on the Shelf Swings on a Toilet Paper Roll

    Reply
  50. Jeanette says

    November 9, 2018 at 12:28 pm

    Elf on a Shelf has always cracked me up. I love seeing how creative parents are with Elf on the Shelf. It’s fun for the kids to get up every morning and see what mischief the elf has gotten into.

    Reply
  51. Stacie says

    November 9, 2018 at 12:44 pm

    This couldn’t have come at a better time. I have officially run out of Elf on the Shelf ideas.
    Stacie recently posted..Pepperoni Pizza Pull-Apart Bread RecipeMy Profile

    Reply
  52. Scott says

    November 9, 2018 at 4:50 pm

    We just unpacked our decorations and will be using these ideas for where to place ours! Thanks so much!
    Scott recently posted..Blue Lagoon Game GiveawayMy Profile

    Reply
  53. Amy says

    November 9, 2018 at 7:37 pm

    LOL!!! These all make me laugh so bad! My elf is so lazy and he doesn’t do anything but fly around to the next shelf.

    Reply
  54. Sherry says

    November 9, 2018 at 10:46 pm

    These are some really cute ideas for Elf on the Shelf. I’ll have to pass these along to my friend who does this with her little girl.

    Reply
  55. Brianne Manz says

    November 9, 2018 at 11:30 pm

    Thank you for these fun ideas for Elf on the Shelf. I love doing new things with the Elf for the kids and I found a couple I would love to do.

    Reply
  56. Emily says

    November 9, 2018 at 11:34 pm

    I love the toilet paper and Elf in the tree! Such clever ideas. I wish we started doing these when the kids were younger.

    Reply
  57. Claudia Krusch says

    November 10, 2018 at 12:53 am

    My son used to love that when he was little! Sharing it with my SIL who has a little one!

    Reply
  58. Jennifer says

    November 10, 2018 at 7:17 am

    I wish the elf on the shelf was around when my kids were little. Now that they are grown, we will never get to experience it!

    Reply

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