Daily ideas for The Elf on the Shelf all November and December long. Easy The Elf on a Shelf Ideas Pinterest Board from bloggers all around the web and free The Elf on the Shelf costume printables – elf jokes, notes from elf, game downloads & more to bring Santa’s North Pole helper & visitor to life!
Disclosure: Frugal Coupon Living (the website, blog, and all social media channels) is not associated with CCA and B, LLC d/b/a The Lumistella Company, home of the official The Elf on the Shelf and Scout Elf.
What is The Elf on the Shelf?
The Elf on the Shelf is a Christmas Tradition. The holiday tradition began with a 2004 book and The Elf on the Shelf Doll. The book is written poetically and in rhyme sharing the purpose of Scout Elf’s visits. The Scout Elf visits around each Thanksgiving. For some people, it is earlier and for others the North Pole visitor comes around December 1. He/she goes and returns from the North Pole each evening reporting to Santa the best behavior of the children in the home he is assigned. Every morning North Pole visitors can be found in a new location in the house.
Daily Scout Elf will hide. The little red guy has been found in silly places like inside the refrigerator, fishing in the toilet, writing messages on the mirror, or hanging from the lights. Some silly Scout Elf antics can include many common things around the house like candy canes, hot chocolate, marshmallows, LEGOs, cereal, popcorn, or even a toilet paper roll. Scout Elf loves mischief – but of course not too much, it’s important to stay on the nice list and keep the bad behavior under control.
It is very important, that The Elf on the Shelf is not touched or his Christmas magic and ability to return home to Santa will be lost. If this does happen, fear not. There is a solution to What To Do If The Elf on the Shelf Gets Touched and loses magic! Each family can name their special North Pole visitor. You can see a list of The Elf on the Shelf names! Print it off and name your family Scout Elf. All elves return to their home, Santa’s North Pole workshop, every Christmas Eve.
If have more FAQs, look at all the answers in The Elf on the Shelf Frequently Asked Questions Section.
The Elf on the Shelf Ideas List
I began Frugal Coupon Living in 2008. A few years later, in 2013, I came to you all with my list of The Elf on a Shelf ideas. Daily we began posting new ideas on FCL in November and December. That was about 50 new ideas a year. I tried to house all those ideas for you on this page and the load just became too much.
What can my Scout Elf do tonight?
That is the purpose of Frugal Coupon Living’s Christmas elf ideas page. To give you a new idea for your little red guy EVERY night. If you are wondering what can my Scout Elf do tonight, sign up for our daily email. We will send you a quick idea each day and only email you these ideas until Christmas Eve.
For a quick list of what your Scout Elf can do, try these:
- Roll down the stairs in toilet paper
- Hide in the Christmas Tree
- Dress up like a Toilet Paper snowman
- Play a game board like Twister
- Make cookies
- Hide in a kitchen mixer
- Climb the wall using Christmas bows
- Give a hands-free printable note – teaching sharing with others
If you need some inspiration for a creative place to set up your Scout Elf, take a look at The Elf on the Shelf Photos. We have moved all of our images to The Elf on the Shelf Ideas Huge List Page. Use these as last-minute fun red visitor ideas including Scout Elf doll ideas I just listed.
The Elf on the Shelf Pinterest Ideas
Our biggest community of users comes from The Elf on the Shelf Ideas Pinterest Board. While it is our board, we share this page with dozens of other creative bloggers. This brings together all of the best ideas for The Elf on the Shelf from many great minds. Ideas range from beginner to expert. There are The Elf on the Shelf ideas for parents who like a challenge or parents who need an easy night. It’s okay to claim sleep as a priority. It’s okay to identify as lazy.
It’s hard to be Santa as well as arranging 24 new nights of a Scout Elf. Mom and Dad can only wear so many hats. Our Scout Elf Ideas Pinterest Board also provides plenty of free printables too! Digital downloads always make 24 nights of having a North Pole Visitor easier. Try adding in a kids’ joke and adding a prop based on the joke. It’s the joke that provides humor, not the way mom spent 45 minutes trying to get Scout Elf posed just right.
Funny The Elf on the Shelf Facebook Ideas
Also, check out our Funny The Elf on the Shelf Ideas Facebook Page. During the Christmas season, we share our own red elf ideas from the past and present. Occasionally, we share trending Scout Elf ideas around the web and from other bloggers.
The Elf on the Shelf Arrival Ideas
Scout Elf returns Thanksgiving night or around December 1st. Every family is different. For us, at Frugal Coupon Living, Scout Elf arrives on November 1st. The first way to introduce the visitor is with The Elf on the Shelf Christmas Tradition book. During this time you will name your Scout Elf. If you lack ideas for naming this new friend, see The Elf on the Shelf Names Ideas List. Scout Elf gets its magic with a name!
If you have introduced Scout Elf before, your little red friend will return using his already assigned name. He might bring a friend the next year (a second Scout Elf) or perhaps get creative with a Mini The Elf on the Shelf Idea, a baby elf.
The Elf on the Shelf’s first-day ideas include:
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The Elf on the Shelf Ideas for Thanksgiving
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Scout Elf returns through an elf door
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Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade The Elf on the Shelf Arrival Idea
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The Elf on the Shelf Quarantine Ideas
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Scout Elf arrives in (or carries) a package at the front door
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Scout Elf spells”I’m back” with candy
This is a small snippet of first-night The Elf on the Shelf ideas. See a large list of The Elf on the Shelf Arrival Ideas.
We can’t move on without showing you our favorite Scout Elf arrival idea – How to EASILY Stuff The Elf on the Shelf in a Balloon! If you don’t care to do this the first day, be an awesome mom and do it at least ONE of the days during the North Pole helper’s visit back!
What The Elf on the Shelf arrival ideas have you done?
The Elf on the Shelf Departure Ideas
We don’t want to leave you hanging with only arrival ideas. Also, take a look at our 18 creative ways to give a Goodbye to The Elf on the Shelf on the Last Night. Scout Elf can say goodbye by disappearing through a window, the little guy might leave a letter, or the little helper might grant one last hug. Each home and Christmas tradition will be different.
What are some of The Elf on the Shelf Departure ideas you have done?
Free The Elf on the Shelf Printables
We want to bring your Scout Elf to life with our free The Elf on the Shelf printables. Leave your name and email address and we will send you a link and password to access every little red elf printable we have made. Like I said earlier, having printables really eases the stress on you each evening to come up with a new idea.
See how we used each of our free Scout Elf printables in The Elf on the Shelf Huge List of Ideas. The Elf on the Shelf catalog is supposed to guide you with new ideas each day of December.
Highlights of our freebies include:
The Elf on the Shelf Printable Notes: Print these notes and jokes and add props to stage your little red friend.
The Elf on the Shelf Magic Gripper: Have no fear? Did Scout Elf fall? Don’t lose the Christmas magic by attaching this tag to a pair of kitchen tongs aka Magic Grippers for holding on to the Scout Elf’s magic and saving the little guy from the floor (or worse, a pet!)
Christmas Elf Shop
We also have a printable shop. Shop some of our most popular Elf downloads including holiday games, fun props, notes, letters an more!
The Elf on the Shelf Costume Printables
The first week of The Elf on the Shelf isn’t a challenge. During this week you are motivated and your kids are excited to see the newest Santa helper enter their house.
The worst part of Scout season is when you are warm and cozy in bed and you remember “I forgot to move the little red guy!” We want to prep you ahead with The Elf on the Shelf Calendar of Ideas and our The Elf on the Shelf Printable Outfits. Save The Elf on the Shelf costume printables and create easy nights for your sanity. I always felt having a printable to help me create an adorable elf vignette made things much easier.
The Elf on the Shelf Costume printables and this Scout Elf Calendar aren’t meant to challenge. They offer small snippets of ideas. Ideas include him rolling down the stairs in a roll of toilet paper, the visitor having a movie night with popcorn, a snow angel with flour, or climbing a bow wall, wrapped up as a burrito, and more.
We also give you access to our digital downloads so you can use some of the calendar ideas like elf plays mini-games, elf notes, and more.
The Elf on the Shelf Funny Ideas
To create many of these funny Scout Elf ideas, it’s best to have a bendable elf. How to make The Elf on the Shelf Bendable. That can be done in a few simple steps and will have you time at night trying to tie or tape elves to different spots. You can also Reconnect The Elf on the Shelf Hands easily to create fun elf ideas.
One of our beloved funny ideas is The Elf on the Shelf Taped to Wall. Easy-peasy and guarantees a life! Make sure to add all the goodies to your Scout Elf Grocery List and take a night off when The Elf on the Shelf has Reindeer Flu.
Sometimes, writing things out like funny jokes for kids, can bring more humor to your child than the way you set your Scout Elf up. Try researching kids’ jokes. That will give you direction as to funny things for your fun little friend to say and then give you direction for props.
Funny Kids Jokes for The Elf on the Shelf
- How do you get a tissue to dance? You put a little boogie in it. (Display Scout Elf with tissues.)
- What room can no one enter? A mushroom. (Display Scout Elf with mushrooms.)
- What do you call fake noodles? Im-pasta. (Display Scout Elf with pasta.)
- Why did Santa go to music school? To learn to wrap. (Display Scout Elf with wrapping paper.)
- What do you get if you cross a Christmas Tree with an apple? A Pineapple. (Display Scout Elf with a pineapple.)
All of these Scout Elf jokes create funny The Elf on the Shelf ideas and don’t require you to spend 45 minutes in the evening staging your little red guy. In fact, eight creative jokes cover eight nights of The Elf on the Shelf ideas – simple, easy, and fun!
The Elf on the Shelf Calendar
If you are someone who just needs to be told what to do every day, we have that option too. Download and print a calendar. We tell you what to do each day and what supplies you will need. Get this ready before December 1st and then every night will be easy following our guided The Elf on the Shelf Calendar. We also give you a blank calendar so you can fill in your own ideas and stay organized the entire holiday season.
Huge List of The Elf on the Shelf Ideas
If you need brand new ideas, see our daily Largest The Elf on the Shelf List of Ideas. Since November/December of 2013, we have come to you every day with new ideas. This is about 50 new ideas each year. Please scroll through our master list of The Elf on the Shelf Ideas and create your personalized calendar. This can be specific to the needs of your child and home… and to the challenges, mom is up for.
I am happy to share free printables. When sharing with others, please lead them to The Elf on the Shelf Ideas webpage instead of emailing them the file(s). It takes time, effort and money to put the freebies forth and I earn when you visit. Thanks for visiting and thanks for sharing with others!
WHAT’S TRENDING? Looking for a few engaging activities? Grab Minute to Win it Games – Traditional, Holiday, Group, and more! Use these fun activities in the office, classroom, or at your next birthday party.
