Magical and easy Elf on the Shelf ideas that your kids will adore!

Christmas is a magical time of year and as parents it’s up to us to add to this magic! From the annual Santa’s grotto visit to the festive lights trail, creating memories soon adds up, but your traditions don’t necessarily need to be expensive or complicated. Elf on the Shelf is a fantastic way to bring some festive cheer to your home, and it’s guaranteed to bring big smiles every morning in the lead up to Christmas.

We had a cheeky elf visit us at one of our show homes. This is a round up of some of our favourite Elf on the Shelf antics, that are easy, affordable and kid-approved. 

A cosy night in

Toasted marshmallows anyone? This Elf on the Shelf idea is a cute one and it can be done with things you probably already have at home.

All you need for this festive elf scene is a candle, a marshmallow, a cocktail stick and some sticky tape. Your cheeky elf can then hold the marshmallow over the candle to create delicious toasted marshmallows for the household.

Disclaimer: Please be careful with candles and never leave a lit candle unattended. (Elf supervision doesn’t count – if you’re leaving the room, make sure to blow it out.)

Present wrapping gone wrong

Wrapping presents clearly isn’t an easy task for our Elf on the Shelf… this morning we came down the stairs to see him wrapped up in tape and ribbons, with a new toy for the little ones on full display – whoops!

This is another easy Elf on the Shelf idea for busy parents, that takes five minutes to set up and is fairly low cost. All you need is some wrapping paper, sticky tape, scissors, ribbon and then a gift or toy of your choice – this can be a cheap bar of chocolate or a new toy or game, whatever fits your budget.

A game of ‘The floor is lava’ 

Have you ever played the floor is lava? This is a fun and festive twist on this game. Using present ribbons our Elf on the Shelf secured himself to the wall and invited the children to join in the game.

Why not make it even harder by moving some of the furniture or adding extra obstacles?

This is the perfect weekend Elf on the Shelf idea – a game that can keep them occupied for hours. Win win! 

If you loved these simple yet magical Elf on the Shelf moments, we’ve gathered even more ideas to inspire your holiday season. From funny setups to a heartfelt goodbye, you’ll find lots of creative inspiration on our dedicated Pinterest board.