Funny and Creative Ideas for Hiding Your Elf on the Shelf

So chances are - if you have young children - you have already purchased or at least heard of the wonderful and magical Elf on the Shelf. We bought our Elf on the Shelf two years ago and it has quickly become our family's favorite Christmas tradition. My kids love the funny ideas and creative ways our Elf on the Shelf makes his appearance each morning.

The first year of hiding our Elf on the Shelf was easy. He quickly made his appearance on all of the usual places - on top of the entertainment center, hanging from the ceiling fan, over the boys' bed, chilling on the curtain rod, on top of the Christmas tree - but after awhile you have to be extremely creative to think of new adventures for the Elf on the Shelf. Typically the elf arrives sometime around Thanksgiving, so parents have to hide their Elf on the Shelf at least 25 - 30 times during the holiday season.

If you are running out of fresh ideas and need some funny and creative ways to hide your Elf on the Shelf, check out some of the ideas I have gathered up for you. Some of these ideas we have already used and some of them I am planning to use this year - so sit back, relax, and prepare for a good laugh!

Yes, the Elf on the Shelf gets hungry and needs a snack every once in awhile. Your kids with giggle with delight when they find their elf with a big mess of cookie crumbs everywhere. Here we find our elf sitting on a chair made of blocks, eating some chocolate chip cookies, and having a glass of milk. Make it even more special by adding a few drops of green food coloring and giving it a good stir. Add a green straw to top off the perfect elf beverage!

It is always a good idea to promote good hygiene to your kids. So when your little ones find the Elf on the Shelf taking a bubble bath, maybe they will get the hint and jump in the bath too. In this picture, I filled up the bathroom sink with dish detergent to make lots of bubbles. Then I found a fruit bowl dish from our play kitchen set and put our Elf on the Shelf in his pretend bathtub. Just for fun - I added a toothbrush to act as the elf's back scrubber. I can't wait to use this one!

Every kid loves a good movie with some popcorn - well so does the Elf on the Shelf. Pop a bag of popcorn and hide the elf inside the popcorn container. Set the container with the elf beside the television along with their favorite movie. As you can see we love to watch Toy Story, but feel free to substitute your kid's favorite movie or even a Christmas movie for the whole family to enjoy!

Working 24 hours a day, sometimes an Elf on the Shelf needs to just get away from it all and take a ride on a motorcycle. You know that your kids can be stressful at times so let your elf feel the wind in his hair by hitching a ride with Handy Manny. This idea also works well with cars, trucks, planes, trains, and any other form of transportation you have at home. I heard he really likes to ride with Barbie in her convertible but unfortunately no little girls live at our house!

This Elf on the Shelf idea was inspired from my youngest's son love of animals - especially dinosaurs. If you have a large plant, hide the elf somewhere in the plant. Place dinosaurs crawling along in the dirt below. This idea will also work well with any other kind of animals. I may have to do this one again only with a safari theme and his favorite jungle animals in place of the dinosaurs!

Here is the scenario for this picture - the Elf on the Shelf feels a little home sick. He misses the cold weather and everything about the North Pole. His solution is to grab a sled and hop into the freezer and have some fun sledding down the ice cubes. If you don't have a sled, set him up with some winter accessories such as mittens, scarf, or earmuffs to keep him warm. This idea will surely get a smile out of your little ones!

This Elf on the Shelf idea is a sweet way to let your children know that all of their good behavior is really paying off. Set your elf beside your computer to make it appear as if he is typing a letter or sending an email to Santa Claus. I typed up a good report email from the Elf on the Shelf to Santa Claus and left it up on the computer screen. Once your kids have discovered the elf, read the email aloud to your kids and watch their eyes light up!

I hope these ideas will keep you inspired and were helpful in finding a few more funny and creative ways to hide your Elf on the Shelf. Let me know in the comment section if you liked them or if you have other unique ways you hid your Elf on the Shelf!

If you are looking for even more ideas on how and where to hide your Elf on the Shelf, be sure to check out Part II of this hub - Funny and Mischievous Ideas for Hiding Your Elf on the Shelf. These ideas are a little more naughty than nice but still are good, clean fun for your little ones!

To be continued...