I’m sure you guys know this already but in case you don’t…I really, realllly love Christmas. I love just about everything about the season and it is important to me to make this time magical for my kids. But it’s also important to me that I don’t make myself crazy trying to make the season magical. So, I don’t put in tons and tons of time and effort and money. It’s more just small, simple things to make the days leading up to Christmas a little more special. One of those things we do is the Elf on the Shelf.
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HOW WE DO THE ELF ON THE SHELF
Noah’s PJs | Connor’s PJs | Audrey’s PJs
LEGO advent calendar | Hot Wheels advent calendar
When our elf, Red, finally arrives, he brings pajamas for each kid, an Advent Calendar for the boys, a coloring book for Audrey, and a countdown to Christmas activity book for each of the boys.
After the boys see that Red has arrived, Abe reads the book to them while I make a special breakfast. Usually Santa pancakes and powdered donuts.
For the rest of the month, we follow the basics of what the book describes but we make it work for our family. For example, instead of starting Thanksgiving night as the book says, we usually start the first weekend in December.
Some nights our Elf will be more adventurous and require more set up. Some nights he will leave the boys a small treat- supplies to bake cookies, a new Christmas movie to watch as a family, or a craft to put together. But most nights our Elf leaves a little note and hangs out in a different spot of our house. I like this flexibility especially when the nights may be a little busier with different holiday activities. If we have a lot going on, our Elf will have a more mellow night. When we have more time, the boys may wake up to see our Elf had an exciting night!
If you need help, there are tons of ideas on Pinterest for things to do with your Elf.
Don’t overthink it, though. This is a fun and special tradition for your kids and it doesn’t have to be stressful! It is helpful to have a handful of “tricks” planned with supplies on hand and some quick and easy spots to place your Elf. You will definitely have nights where you are just about to fall asleep and you realize “CRAP! I didn’t move the elf!”. Having those ideas ready to go will come in handy on those nights.
Etsy also has some awesome kits you can buy to help you be more creative with your elf.
NOW IT’S YOUR TURN!
Is the Elf on the Shelf a tradition that you do in your family? Is your Elf a troublemaker or more mellow? Share with me your kid’s favorite thing your Elf has done.
Check out this post for more advent calendars.
photos by: Megan Higgins Photography
