28 fun Elf on the Shelf ideas to try at home

Editor’s Note: This story may contain spoilers for curious little eyes!

Want to get some more laughs from your kids this holiday season? Look no further than your trusty elf partner!

Santa’s helper can cause a little mischief and a lot of giggles in the house with these funny Elf on the Shelf ideas.

Time-poor parents can reimagine some simple Elf on the Shelf ideas, while others can get more detailed in their setups, like covering the toilet with holiday wrapping paper or having the elf lead a choir of soda cans.

These 28 ideas are sure to excite your kids as they search the house for their Elf on the Shelf friend during the magical holidays.

1. Foodie fun.

What’s funnier than faces on food? Grab some eggs (or bananas) and draw some funny faces with a felt-tip pen. A toothpick works as your elf’s conductive wand, or place the open pin nearby to indicate it’s a crafty elf.

2. Special Delivery!

This express delivery is sure to get kids excited to start the holidays.

Find a cardboard box and cut some holes for the arms, legs and head to fit through and add some postage from the North Pole to seal the deal. You can even stick a letter on the side with information about the elf’s coming doom!

3. Take a reindeer ride!

Looks like your elf just found his faithful steed!

If you have reindeer decorations in your home, this is an easy way to get a laugh while keeping the idea simple. Simply use a reindeer decoration – large or small – and match your elf with his new companion.

For some bonus points, you can find chocolate or cereal that can look like reindeer feces…a fun treat for kids!

More about this crazy elf

4. Elf-Tac-Toe!

Who would have thought elves were so competitive!

Pair your elf with a worthy opponent, such as another elf or doll, along with some strips of decorative paper and mini bows for the Xs and Os to test your elf in a game of wits!

5. Shave a clogged head.

Some of the funniest Elf on the Shelf ideas are when they get a little mischievous. Coat a stuffed animal with shaving cream and wrap your elves’ hands around the can. Make sure a razor is out of reach of little hands!

6. Cirque du Elf-e.

Get ready some stuffed animals, a DIY tent, a mini concession stand, and a homemade trapeze to bring this Cirque du Soleil-inspired scene to life.

7. An impostor among us!

Make breakfast fun with some elf trickster oats. You’ll need strawberries, an apple, blueberries, coconut, a little creativity and some patience to get these across the finish line and recreate the creative idea.

8. Wrap it up!

It’s time to break out the wrapping paper and turn the smallest room in your house, aka the bathroom, into a giant gift. There is definitely a huge ‘wow factor’ for kids. The fact that it’s the toilet is sure to get a chuckle.

9. What’s popping?

This is a mess worth making! Break up two or three bags of popcorn and use double-sided tape to secure them to a long piece of wax paper. Sprinkle the rest on the floor just in time before you wake up and place the elves in the microwave!

This example does not include the official Elf on the Shelf, but it would be a fun idea to try it with your own North Pole emissary.

10. Ugly sweater party.

It’s time for your fantasy team to bring out their ugliest Christmas outfits. Doll clothes work well, or if you’re really inspired, knitting homemade sweaters for the whole party is an option.

11. A special breakfast selection.

Grab some cooked pasta, syrup, and a collection of sweet candies to bring this Elf on the Shelf scene together! All you need to add is a homemade plate to recreate this play on Buddy the Elf’s favorite dinner from the Christmas favorite ‘Elf’.

12. Pucker, elf!

A kissing booth? For elves? We’d love to see it! Prepare a kissing booth cut out of cardboard (or other sturdy paper) and sprinkle chocolate Hershey’s Kisses candies once your elf is in it.

13. Splash, it’s time for a bath

Grab some marshmallows or blow up some small white balloons and create the ultimate bubble bath for your North Pole visitors. If your elves are wearing clothes, make sure you put them aside before jumping in!

14. M-elf-e Kalikimaka!

Take your elves straight to Hawaii with an enviable beach setup, complete with sand, little chairs, umbrellas and every little sand toy you can find. Perhaps the biggest obstacle is that you also want to be in Hawaii this season!

15. Go fishing!

It’s time to go ice fishing… in the toilet. Cover your toilet with plastic wrap, grab some goldfish crackers and add some sugar to create the appearance of cracked ice. Your elf needs a fishing rod too!

16. Not your average church choir…

Dig into the trash and create a tin choir for the children this year. Bend each can halfway to create the look of a torso and legs, add some googly eyes and gather an audience of elves. Do you want to take it to the next level? Play some Christmas carols in the background!

17. Under… where?

If you have clean laundry, you have everything you need to prepare this silly scene. The children will laugh out loud when they see their underwear draped over the tree.

18. When life imitates art.

Print out the funniest human (or animal) body you can find and make a little peek-a-boo elf cutout. If you try a human body one day, maybe try an animal later in the month. We love a multifunctional idea!

19. Where is the lie?

Your pets can participate in this year’s elf games with some tape and a homemade board. It helps if your pets want to pose for a photo alongside their own jokes!

20. This elf makes us think out loud.

A little pun never hurt anyone! Egg Sheeran needs some yarn hair, a mini guitar and of course a face. If adhesive eyes are too much, a marker works fine too. The plate is the finishing touch for this refrigerator masterpiece.

21. Cuddle buddies.

Maybe the pet thinks your elf is a toy – we’ll never tell. Place them next to each other when you hear the kids coming and your daily elf work is done!

22. Pause for an elf.

Elves just want to have fun and take selfies. Let the family elf take some fun selfies on your phone to share with the kids, or hold your phone up as they walk down the hall in the morning as if the elf has been caught in action.

23. A cheerful group of elves.

The family elf (or elves) has picked up a brand new talent! Find some mini candles and host a dramatic candlelit elf concert. If you can’t find mini instruments, don’t worry! Let the elf or elves form a holiday choir instead!

24. A little mess never hurt anyone.

Nutella, peanut butter, jelly or jam will be your BFF for this fun arrangement. Just take them out and let your elves ‘dive’ into this slightly messy – but simple – scene.

25. Chips, anyone?

You don’t have to rack your brains to get this right – just raid the pantry. One potato, a grater and a handful of chips is all it takes to make this chip-per-scene come to life. Extra points for parents who can make the most worried potato face with a marker.

26. Everything packed.

If there are two elves in your house, this one is pretty easy! Grab some leftover wrapping paper, scissors and some tape. Let one elf wrap another for a Christmas present! The kids might think they’re getting another elf for Christmas on the big day, and that’s sure to provide some laughs.27. Reindeer really fly!

It seems that the elves are testing whether all reindeer can fly. If you have deer or reindeer figurines, or any animal model for that matter, let the elf/elves get up to a little elf mischief when they find the next Rudolph.

28. Elven Revolution.

It seems like the other toys in the house have had enough of running around the house causing trouble! Gather some children’s toys and tie up the family elf. The kids will laugh that their toys are fed up with fairy mischief!

This article was originally published on TODAY.com