The Elf on the Shelf for Christmas: 10 Ideas for Parents

For those with kids who believe in Santa, chances you have heard of Elf on the Shelf. This is a popular option for those who are wanting to make the spirit of Christmas last throughout the entire month. The idea is that this magical elf sits on the shelf and monitors your kids to make sure that they are being good. However, at night they come to life and they often get into a bit of mischief. For kids it is great fun, for parents, it adds another element to their Christmas. And it can be hard to decide what ‘bad’ thing your elf should do at night. Here is a list of a few ideas that you can run with that may actually help you out in the long run!

If your kids are not cleaning their room, let the elf leave a note that says Santa won’t be able to get here since he could not imagine trying to get through their room. You will be surprised at how fast your kids clean up their room.
Let the elf steal the remote to the TV. Since kids cannot touch the elf, they are going to have to do something other than watch TV.
Let the elf toilet paper the ceiling fan. It is relatively easy to do and takes little time, yet little ones are going to find it hilarious.
Have the elf holding onto a cup of hot chocolate, since this is their preferred drink of choice!
If you have pets, let your elf hang from a chandelier as though they were trying to outrun the family dog!
Hide candy canes throughout the house and let your elf send the kids on a treasure hunt to find the candy canes.
Dress up the elf in something that shows your favorite sports team so it looks like the elf is getting into game night.
Eat some candy and scatter the packaging around the elf-like they ate it.
Let the elf steal a gaming system controller…it is a great way to get kids off the games if they are being stubborn.
Have the elves hide in the bathroom cabinet so that when kids open it, they are excited frightened to see it staring at them!

While the elf on the shelf is a pain for many parents, it is just one way to add to the magic of the season.

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