Elf on the Shelf #elf #shelf #return #magic #excitement #jingle #freeprintable #printable #food #ideas #poop #bathroom

It’s that time of year again… Elf on the Shelf is about to make their big return. Whether you love it or hate it, you can’t deny the magic of the Elf! I may stand alone in this statement, but I LOVE our time with the Elf. Yes, it can be a bit of extra work each night, but I truly love seeing the excitement and joy on my kids’ faces each morning when they find our Elf in a new location or situation! My kids are getting older, and I know this magic is only going to last so long, so I’m trying to hang on as long as I can.

Now, don’t get me wrong… this mama does NOT have something spectacular planned each night. Sometimes our Elf just moves from the dining room to the bathroom, BUT I do try to plan a few fun surprises for my kids throughout Jingle’s (that’s our Elf’s name) visit. It all really starts the same each year though. Jingle’s arrival comes December 1st, and you can bet that my kids launch out of bed that morning and head straight to our kitchen where he looks down from our kitchen light onto the table where he’s brought them yummy breakfast treats, holiday pajamas that they’ll wear throughout the month, and a special note. Oh- he also leaves footprints (just take your finger and dip it in flour to create snowy Elf footprints) across the floor and table!

Today, I’m sharing the FREE PRINTABLE welcome note for you to use with your own family! Once you print it, you’ll sign it with your Elf’s name. You’ll also get free printable tags that you can attach to treats in your child’s backpack, lunchbox, after school snack, etc. My kids came home from school so excited after finding these in their lunches.

Now, onto the really fun part… Elf on the Shelf ideas. If there’s one thing I want you to remember, it’s that you do not have to spend a dime or hours creating fun Elf situations. I try to use what we have at home and really think about what my kids would think is funny. Over the years, I’ve really played into what they’re currently interested in- toys they played with, shows they’ve watched-and I tried to use the Elf to play off of those ideas.

For example, my kids were really into Home Alone last year, so when they saw the Elf made a zipline across our kitchen, they about died! They also loved the show “The Floor is Lava” so when the Elf was in that fiery situation, they loved it! I’m telling you, you don’t have to stress over the Elf… make it fun for both you and the kids! Here are some of the situations our Elf has found himself in over the years.