Simple Elf on The Shelf Ideas That Are Straight To The Point

Don’t let the stress of having an Elf on the Shelf get to you. I have 31 Simple Elf on the Shelf ideas that are straight to the point!

Simple Elf On The Shelf Ideas That Are Straight To The Point

It’s that time of year again, time for Elf on the Shelf. Every year we bring you new and fresh Elf on the Shelf ideas, plus some of the best Elf on the Shelf ideas of all time!

It’s easy to get caught up in going all out on Elf on the Shelf ideas.

However, keep in mind this is supposed to be fun and simple. And while there are a TON of out-there, super creative, outlandish ideas, this is not meant to stress you out.

I mean, the holidays in itself with all the things you have to buy, holiday dinners, trying to get that one toy your kid wants, in-laws, and trying to get everyone to smile for a Christmas photo is STRESS enough!

So, why should your Elf stress you out? Nope, ain’t nobody got time for that!

And while we’re at it, parents, do not spend a lot of money putting together ideas for your Elf on the Shelf (or on anything during the holiday for that matter).

It’s important when you’re putting together your lists for everything you need to do during the holiday season; your main priority is to stay on budget.

Just as it’s easy to go overboard with Elf on the Shelf ideas, it’s also easy to spend way more money than you budgeted for during this time of year.There are several ways you can save money and task on a budget this season, so be sure to head over to Protective’s Learning Center to get five really good tips on holiday savings.

I put together some super EASY and simple ideas for your Elf on the Shelf this year that are straight to the point. You will not spend more than a few minutes on setting your Elf up each night for the kids.

The only thing you should worry about is making sure you move the Elf each night and be ready for comeback answers when you did not move the Elf on the Shelf.

When it comes to putting together simple ideas for your Elf, use what you have. Use your Christmas decor for Elf entertainment. For a simple idea, let your Elf hang in the Christmas tree.

One of my favorite and easy ideas is to have our elf hanging out with one of our Christmas reindeer.

Photo Credit 

If your Elf arrives before Thanksgiving, let them help with the Black Friday shopping. Set the Elf up with the circular ads, circling a few of your child’s favorite items. And while getting ready for Black Friday shopping, be sure you make a list, have a budget, and stick to it!

“Now that Black Friday bleeds into the Thanksgiving holiday, it can be challenging to stay on top of all those “doorbuster” deals.

If you’re trying to maximize your holiday budget by taking advantage of sale prices during the Black Friday/Cyber Monday weekend, you’ll need a game plan.” Get more Black Friday Tips here.

Dress your Elf up as a Super Hero. If you’re into making costumes, make a little hero outfit for your Elf. Or, if you’re like me, you can just order this superhero outfit online.

The kids love it when we dress our elves in clothes. This idea takes but a few seconds to do.

And while we’re talking about playing dress-up, let your Elf hang out with Thor and his “friends from work!”

We have a ton of Thor toys right now after going to the Thor Ragnarok premiere and working with Disney and Marvel. No worries if you don’t have a Thor- use whatever superheroes your kids have in the toybox.

While we’re talking about Thor, if your kids have the hammer, stage your Elf trying to pick it up!

It would be cool to have your Elf and The Hulk battle it out, just like The Hulk and Thor did in Thor Ragnarok.

Have leftover spaghetti from dinner?  Don’t toss it out! Recreate what Buddy the Elf ate for dinner every night on the North Pole-

“We elves try to stick to the four main food groups: candy, candy canes, candy corns, and syrup!” The boys got a kick out of this one! Use leftover spaghetti, leftover candy from Halloween, and grab some syrup to put this easy idea together.

Sometimes doing all of the flying back and forth from Santa can be a lot of work!  Elfie takes time out for a quick snack!

Let your Elf have a movie night and invite some friends! The more, the merrier!

Create a simple hot chocolate bar for your kids and Elf. Sprinkle some hot cocoa on a plate and let Elf “leave a message” for the kids!

Elves love hot chocolate, and I bet your kids do too! This is an easy way and budget-friendly Elf on the Shelf idea!

{photo credit}

Teach your kids way to save money by leaving out a few pennies or dollars as tips from the Elf. This would be a great way to teach your kids how to save money.

Elfie browses the internet on our iPad. 

I caught Elfie playing in the sugar! He can be soo naughty sometimes!

Our little Elfie likes to get into mischief and make a mess from time to time!

If you’re missing your bands… I can give you one good guess about where you can find them 😉

Elfie wants to play a game of Jenga with you!

• Use some small biscuit treats for the Jenga Board game.

It’s time to go gardening with Elfie!  This could be a fun lesson with the kids while teaching them about gardening. If you need some tips, here are 7 ways to teach kids about gardening.

Here’s a fun Elf on the Shelf Idea! Grab some goldfish, string, and a stick and you’re good to go!

Here are a few more simple Elf on the Shelf ideas you can do this year:

1. Let your Elf hide in the fridge! When the kids go to get the milk in the morning, they will love that surprise!
2. Let your Elf have a snowball fight. 
3. Make cookies, and wrap them up in a Christmas ribbon. Set your Elf next to it, so the kids know that he or she made it! {yeah right! lol}
4. Find one of the kids’ Christmas books that they haven’t read in a while. Wrap it up, and let the Elf give it to the kids the next morning.
5. Grab some fun FREE printables to use with your Elf.
6. Check out these super easy poses for your Elf on the Shelf!
7. Elf reminds the children of the house to BE GOOD by spelling it out with M&Ms.
8. Elf gets caught fishing for goldfish in the kids’ bathroom.
9.  Elf gets tied up by the other toys in the house for talking too much.
10. Elf gets caught leaving a nice note for the family. He’s trying to be nice!
11. Elf stayed up late having a tea party with the “ladies” of the house.
12.  Elf leaves a message on the bathroom mirror.
13. Make a road out of tape in your house and allow your Elf to take a little spin.
14. Elf on the Shelf gets caught toilet papering the house.
15. Spell your child’s name out with any food and put the Elf beside the crime scene.
16. Have your Elf take a marshmallow bath.
17. Your elf stays up late talking on the family phone.
18. Elf gets caught writing a love letter to his “girl elf friend.”
19. Other toys take your Elf hostage!
20. Let him overdose on candy and leave him be for the kids to find him.
21. Find a tiny cup and allow your Elf to have a cup of joe in the morning.
22. Put the Elf in your kid’s lunchbox with a special note.

Don’t let the Elf on the Shelf craze get the best of ya. These ideas are meant to make welcoming the Elf in your home fun and light-hearted.

Keep your Elf ideas simple, as well as keep your budget and other things to do this holiday season easy and stress-free. Be like our Elfie; he likes to explore Protective’s Learning Center to get budget-friendly tips during the holiday season.

As you know, he has to travel back to Santa each night, help buy and wrap presents, and has a list of things he must do each holiday season.

Going over his budget is not one of them, and the Learning Center helps him stay the course!

Join in on the Elf Fun with so many ideas posted below- Follow our Elfie on his journey and find other Elf on the Shelf ideas in our Elf on the Shelf section on my blog!

Find more great Elf on the Shelf ideas, including:

• 50 Easy Elf on the Shelf Ideas (For Busy Moms) & Printable
• Elf On The Shelf Ideas Boys Will LOVE {Ideas for Boys}
• Fun, Creative & Appropriate Elf On The Shelf Ideas
• 27 Creative & Best Elf On The Shelf Ideas **most popular one*
• Interesting & Slightly Inappropriate Elf On the Shelf Ideas
• How To Clean Your Elf On The Shelf Doll
• Printable Elf On The Shelf Goodbye Letter
• 7 Alternatives To Elf On The Shelf

Do you know what to say to your kids when you forgot to move the Elf? I’ve got you covered with 15 clever things to say when you forgot to move the Elf!

Did you forget to move your Elf on the Shelf? Here are 10 Quick Last Minute ideas to try!

Thanks to Protective Life for sponsoring our Elf on the Shelf round-up of easy ideas!