Creative and inspirational ways for Elf on the Shelf to play with children's toys. These fun ways for the Elf to visit are so easy to set up and prepare.
What kid wouldn't find it wonderfully fun that their Elf on the Shelf got bored and decided to play with the toys surrounding him?
The best part about using the toys your child already owns for the Elf on the Shelf is that it customizes this tradition to YOUR family.
Kids love to imagine that their own toys have been up and moving like Toy Story in the night and it opens a whole new world of adventure for your elf.
1. Elf Riding a Dinosaur
My son has always had a fascination with dinosaurs and we have quite a collection of dinosaur figures.
Our favorite is actually the Papo brand. We have a particular fondness for the lesser known Spinosaurus, and of course the T-rex. The kids love how the jaws move.
This year the dinosaurs decided to have a parade along our stairwell and take our Elf for a ride.
If you don't already own dinosaurs, this set may be a good starting place.
One or two dinos per stair step!
2. Elf Rides Lightning McQueen
Jolly first did a Disney Cars scene in a previous year. I wrote about not being afraid to REPEAT past successful and well loved antics. Here was that Cars scene, take 2!
If your kids are into Planes instead of Cars, you could totally do this idea as a Runway!
You can find my supply list for a regular road race here.
3. Elf Meets Rainbow Loom
Like probably 99% of all other elementary aged children last Christmas season, my kids were very into the Rainbow Loom.
I confess, I actually really enjoy making things with the Loom myself.
But poor, poor Jolly. He wanted to make the kids special bracelets. He wanted to so very badly. But unfortunately, he got himself in quite a pickle.
Positively stuck. He wove himself right into the Rainbow Loom bracelet he attempted to make! You never know... perhaps some of the toys could use this idea to hold your Elf hostage!
If you don't have the Rainbow Loom, perhaps you have one of those Potholder Weaving Looms.
The same concept would work for those, too!
4. Grand Stuffed Animal Gathering
My daughter never had toy obsession phases like her brother had (airplanes, ocean creatures, dinosaurs)... until she discovered her fondness for stuffed animals.
I remember finding it somewhat ridiculous when we'd receive stuffed animals as baby gifts, wondering who actually plays with them. My son sure didn't.
Well, now I know.
Some kids do, very much, and my daughter is one of them.
When she received her first Ty Beanie Boo, there was no turning back. She has always, always preferred smaller stuffed animals over larger ones.
She now prefers them to have large, sparkly eyes too. Go figure. Jolly simply had to round all of them up and count them!
Whatever it is that your child is into right now, round it all up in one spot! They'll go crazy seeing their stuff arranged that way!
Oh, and if you're little girls love dollhouses, don't miss the adorable Calico Critters dollhouse elf idea here!
5. Sugar Cube Snowball Fight with Buzz
One of the first ideas I ever remember pinning back in the day for my Elf on the Shelf was a marshmallow snow ball fight with another toy.
Love that creative idea! It had to be Buzz Lightyear, among the toys we owned, since he's the only "person" or character we have!
But I thought it would be so much cooler looking if I used sugar cubes to stack the best fake snowball forts.
Here's what I learned:
- Probably best NOT to stage this idea on the dresser of your kids' room. It takes a while to set up -- much longer than I anticipated -- and you don't want to risk waking the kids up!
- I bought two boxes of sugar cubes just in case, and boy, I'm glad I did. It will take more than one, certainly depending on the size of your toy figure.
- We set out a few mini marshmallows for variety as well.
- My patience ran out and fatigue had set in, so I decided to make Jolly's a more hasty sugar cube fort. That, or Buzz won this round. If you want it to be perfect, set aside some time. Don't be in a hurry.
More Ideas for Your Elf
Carey Pace believes that beauty waits to be uncovered in the ordinary moments of everyday life. She chases creative motherhood, honesty in her writing, and images that tell stories. Her faith in Jesus inspires her to explore and share the trials and triumphs of raising children while designing magical moments along the way. She is a seeker of Light, a starter of projects, a reader of books, a lover of food and flavor, and an encourager to others. She and her husband Shawn reside in Massachusetts with her son and daughter.
You can find Carey's writing and photography on Facebook, her blog, Instagram, and Pinterest.
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