Elf on the Shelf Ideas 2024

"Elf on the Shelf" is a popular Christmas tradition that involves a small elf doll that is said to have magical powers. The idea behind the tradition is that the elf is sent by Santa Claus to watch over children and report back to him on whether they have been naughty or nice.

The elf typically arrives at a family's home in late November or early December and takes up residence there until Christmas Eve. Each night, the elf "magically" moves to a new location in the house, and children are encouraged to search for it each morning. The elf is meant to serve as a reminder to children to behave well in the lead-up to Christmas.

The tradition was popularized by a 2005 children's book called "The Elf on the Shelf: A Christmas Tradition" by Carol Aebersold and Chanda Bell. Since then, the idea has become widely adopted by families all over the world.

We fully appreciate December is a very busy time, the busiest of the year for lots of us. Having to think up "Elf on the "Shelf" ideas can add extra stress for those juggling so much already. So we have decided to help by listing some great ideas to help you through the 24 build up days. 

Note: Not all of the ideas belong to us and we have borrowed some popular ideas from other creators. 

1) Welcome the Elf into the family / Welcome back

If your elf is returning to your household again, it's always a great idea to have a little note the Elf brings with them. Most Children won't be able to read, so it's up to you parents to read this out to them.

If it's the first time for your little one(s), then you can do something similar and introduce them to the family and try to explain the rules. If it's their first ever Christmas, then they may be too young to understand, but still fun to do it.
Remember - they must never touch the elf, otherwise the magical powers may come off. 

 

2) Cheeky Banana 


3) The Carrot Grater 

 

4) Hide and Seek

 

5) Beach Life

 

6) Snowball Fight

7) Story Time

 

8) You will talk

 

9) Toilet Fishing

 

10) Snow Angels


11) Elf tanning



12) Hostage Situation



13) Sticky Hair



14) Wounded Elf



15) Christmas Carols 


16) Card Games

 

17) Late night drinking


18) Photocopy Elf



19) Shaving Elf

 

20) Chocolate Building

 

21) Flossing Elf


22) Poo Elf

 

23) Toothpaste Antics 

 

24) Lemonade Sales

We hope some of these ideas help and make you and the family laugh during the festive season. If you want more Elf on the shelf ideas then please ensure you follow us on either Instagram or Facebook as we will try to upload daily ideas.