Every year around this time my children excitedly await the arrival of our Elf on the Shelf, Tinker.
Tinker arrived to our house several years ago and is now a family member.
Our Elf is what we call a “thoughtful elf.” She takes our kids likes, wants, and feelings into consideration when she plans her days before the holidays.
For example, one year our daughter was really into the Captain Underpants series. So Tinker, (a.k.a. mom), wrote a letter to our kids how at the North Pole all the elves decorate their trees with the things they love. So she was going to decorate our tree with the things our kids loved. Tinker went ahead and decorated our tree with our kids’ underwear.
Thoughtful as she is, she sometimes takes it too far.
Over the years we have molded our elf so we can be more interactive with her. And most of the time we have everything at home to make our Elf on the Shelf come to life.
Here are some fun and simple ideas for this coming Elf on the Shelf Season:
Wherever You Are Jar
We have what we call the “wherever you are jar.” Each child gets a day with our Elf in the wherever you are jar where they can take her on adventures, like to the grocery store or to grandma’s house. It’s the one day where they can “touch” the elf without really touching her.
Elfed
You can take a red and black dry erase marker and draw elf hats on framed family photos in the house with you hold holding a sign and the markers that says, “You’ve been elfed!” If you have those silly googly eyes used for crafting, you could even stick those on there to add to the humor.
Elf Spaghetti Night
On spaghetti night my kids make “elf spaghetti” for her so she can enjoy a meal with our family. This was fun and super easy to do with stuff we already had in the house, like noodles, maple syrup, cereal, and Christmas sprinkles!
Baby It’s Cold…Inside
There are some days when a simple note and dish rag can did the trick.
Elfies
Our Elf has been sneaky and taken “elfies” in the middle of the night as well.
Elf on Strike
On those days before the holidays when attitudes got the best of our kids, Tinker went on strike. She refused to come back from the North Pole until they said they were sorry and started to listen. 
These are just some examples of what our Elf does. I think that one of the best parts about being a parent is how we create the magic for our kids.
What are some great ideas you’ve done with your elf? Let us know in the comments below!
And looking for more holiday fun? Check out our Ultimate Guide to the Holidays in Fargo!
