If you're doing Elf on the Shelf...

[lucysmam]

What does your elf get up to?

I'm after ideas

What does the card factory elf look like? I couldn't see any when I was in there earlier.

Oh great - know I find out about it!! My guys would have loved it but think that ship has sailed!

DD (11) is poo-pooing the idea of Santa whilst DS (8) is still entranced by the whole idea on the basis that 'how could parents ever spend that much money' .

HOw do your elves arrive? I've just got one but am not sure how to intrdouce him?

Our just appears in the sitting room in the morning of the 1st with supplies for a special breakfast.

Our elves (we have 2, Holly and Snowball), kidnapped Barbie and tied her to one of DD's chairs with tinsel.

Scattered the DVD's round the lounge and were sitting in front of the TV with crisps and chocolate.

Wrote their names, and 'I was here' on the bathroom walls and mirror in toothpaste.

Toilet papered the bathroom

Sealed one of the doorways by christmas papering it up

Rode in one of DD's toy cars (i.e one for Barbie type dolls), and were found positioned at the top of a ramp about to drive down it

Were reading a story to all of DD's cuddly toys/dolls that were sat round listening

They had a bubble bath in a box (foam packing balls were the bubbles)

Helped themselves to the cereal (DD likes the boxes of individual cereals, so they had one each). They scattered it round the kitchen and made a mess.

Can't think of any more off the top of my head, but am looking for ideas for this year so will be watching with interest! I'm not sure I could get away with painting DD's nose without her waking up.

FragileBrittleStar our elves arrived with a letter from Santa saying that he was sending the elves to watch over miniHush for xmas to check she was being a good girl and that they would report back to him every day. It also said that she had to keep an eye on them because they could be a bit cheeky.

The letter stated that children must never touch the elves because that would make them lose their magic powers. They then disappear every morning to go and report to Santa and then come back for more antics that night.

When DD went through a few days of being really naughty, the elves arrived the next morning with another letter from Santa saying that the elves had been reporting to him and that DD had to be good as he'd heard some naughty things. It worked a treat. On xmas eve DD left a note for santa about what the elves had been up to, and then when he came with presents that night he took the elves back to the North Pole with him.

I thought it was a bit naff when I saw all the pictures on facebook last year, only 2/4 of my dc are believers now but I've seen so many funny ideas on Pinterest I would quite like to do it this year. The older ones would probably join in with the elf positioning antics too :)

Our elves used the dining chairs and a blanket to make a big den.

They baked breakfast muffins and left floury footprints.

They used the White towels to cover the stairs and rode the boys sledge down it like a hill.

They bought breakfast treats and colouring books because they boys had behaved.

Now my children are older bit more difficult but if I didn't do it there would be hell to pay.

Jingle Crackerbottom will this year

Brush his bottom with their toothbrushes
Have a minecraft head
Put googly eyes on all the fruit or everything in the fridge
Be Spiderman and hang upside down
Eat oreos and have it all over his face
Same with nutella
Leave hersey kisses as little poos
Hide in toilet rolls made up as a snowman
Turn the milk green
Pretend to be drunk
Use a banana as a large willy
Rifle through my purse and try to shop online
Squirt tomato ketchup in the kitchen

We've had fun with our efl for three years! Our daughter loves him.
This year he will "arrive" by post (we moved house this year) with a message saying that he found her new home ... after that I will look to Pinterest for 23 more ideas have done 36 already!
Here are some pictures from previous years: www.flickr.com/photos/emmaklosson/sets/72157632456549828/
And Pinterest ideas: www.pinterest.com/emmaklosson/elf-on-the-shelf-ideas/
Enjoy!

Ours has been known to 'throw' the star off the top of the Christmas tree and hang up there himself :)

marking place

Apparently Clinton cards one is same as this xx

Clintons also had this one for £10 xx

Oh God I knew in my heart I had made a rod for my own back by ordering an elf.

I have an elf door as well. Not sure if elf will be good elf or bad elf.

My elf likes to bring stuff to do:
Cookie ingredients
Pancake ingredients
Craft kits
Christmas books / DVD's
Fancy dress

if you look on Etsy theres loads of cheap downloadable stuff to print out as well

Ive got a whole box of props this year (thanks pound shop!) so I cannot wait for the elf to arrive. I just picked up things like dr's kit, duck fishing set and a mini shop. last year my ideas were mostly pinterest stolen, he did things like fish from the fish tank, have a toy race, covered the door in ribbon so you couldn't get in, poo'd jelly beans in the toilet, graffiti'd photos with whiteboard markers. I drove my OH mad by creeping around at 4am, but honestly i can't wait. I nearly cried on christmas eve when the elf took his bit of magic with him.

You lot are fab...I expected a load of folks telling me it was nonsense

I don't know what to dooooo now though 'cos there are too many things to pick from

Tracky the Elf had lots of fun last year when DS was still using a potty. I am marking on here for inspiration as he normally ended up doing something at the last second because I'd forget about him!

I think the best one was when he ate all my chocolates and was found in a pile of wrappers, mid sugar comedown haze the next morning. Ahem.

oh, that sounds a lovely idea,I've never heard of it before :( Is it too late to try with 14 year old DS....???

We do elf on the shelf every year, without a doubt DD (5) favourite is Xmas eve when she can touch 'Elfie' (Santa collects him so he doesn't need his magic to get home), she took him to bed last year and was thrilled when she woke up without him.

I got our elf from 'My Little Elf' last year. My eldest (then 6) was distraught on Christmas Eve that 'Alfie' would have to go back to Father Christmas. She ended up writing a begging later to Santa asking to keep the elf. Santa duly obliged and Alfie is her favourite soft toy. Alfie came on a cruise with us earlier this year and was accidentally left behind so I had to email My Little Elf requesting a replacement! They were great, sent one out ASAP and she didn't notice the difference.

I've ordered the girl elf this year and matching onesies for her and Alfie!

Oh God I knew in my heart I had made a rod for my own back by ordering an elf.

You have indeed. You flop into bed eyes half shut.....suddenly bolt upright....The Bloody Elf....

Then your both running round what can the elf do tonight....

Take a tip, make rod short and do it for a week or so.

ZeVite, that ^^ is why I'm writing a plan and doing anything more complicated on a weekend!

I love our elves!
We've managed to have our dd wake up in the bath
Our elf has eaten all the chocolates in an advent calendar. It took some time for dd to spot the Elf's name on the calendar - I had bought an extra one!!
Lots of lovely ideas on here too. I can't wait to do it again this year.

Notso, where's the Christmas toilet cover from? I could get dp to do that one when he's on early shift one day