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I’m always looking for ways to create childhood magic for my children. I like to keep the fun, laughter, and silliness of being young alive for as long as possible, and inviting a Christmas Elf into our home for some pre-Christmas fun and games seemed the perfect way to do this.
I saw how many other homes had embraced the Elf on the Shelf idea but wanted something a little more unique and different for our family. I liked the basic idea of elves visiting and watching the children but I did not want it to be about him being Santa’s spy. I didn’t like the idea of using him as a bargaining tool to elicit the desired behaviour.
As part of our traditions, we all dress up in Christmas jumpers and head off to the local tree lot to choose and find the perfect tree. It’s a fun family experience and we enjoy negotiating which tree is best for us. I have always told the children that the tree we agree on was grown especially for us and that it is meant to be ours. I thought that linking the special tree idea to the elf would be a great way to introduce our elf to the children.
As you can see in the pictures, he is not the usual looking elf that is popular in many homes. That’s because he is a tree elf. He’s green to help him hide amongst the trees. His job is to grown and tend the Christmas Trees all year long and then it’s his magic that ensures we pick the right tree at the lot.
And so our tradition was born. The morning after we visit the tree lot and choose and decorate our perfect tree, we know he will appear amongst its branches.
My children had an elf visit for the first time last year and thoroughly enjoyed every minute of his stay. He arrived the day we put the tree up and stayed ’til Christmas eve. He was really sweet and very funny.
Each day he would remind us of virtues or traits he wanted us to remember and he would set us a task relating to others.
I have recorded some of the cute and funny things he did while he stayed with us and added a handful more for good measure. I hope you enjoy sharing in our fun!
Quick Elftastic ideas for your Christmas Elf
- Reading a Book to “Friends!”
- Elf Riding Reindeer/Guiding Sleigh
- Elf Leaves Message using scrabble tiles
- Rocking Baby Jesus toy from nativity scene
- Elf Swing, swinging in the tree
- Wrapping the Toilet in toilet paper
- Hungry Elf w/ Green or Pink Milk
- Elf has a Sick Day
- Magic Elf Seeds
- Hang in a Chandelier
- Hang in Stocking or Boot
- Candy Cane Gardening Kit
- Sliding down the banister
- Having a movie night with popcorn and sweets
- Having a snowball fight with other toys (cotton balls)
- Roasting Marshmallows over a tea light
- Brings ingredients for reindeer food
- Brings ingredients for Christmas cookies with cutters
- Writing in jelly beans
- Post-it notes on the wall with the message
- ingredients for pancakes
- Toilet papering the Christmas tree!
- Elf Replaces Christmas Stockings with Undies
- Elf draw funny faces on a picture using a Dry Erase Marker!
- Soaking in the Jacuzzi with Friends (in the bathroom basin with some other action figures)
- Sipping on Syrup through a straw
- Toilet Paper Countdown sit on top of the cupboard, roll paper down with writing on
- Hoola with glow bracelets
- Repelling down a piece of furniture on a string
- Napping in the Tissue Box or old empty shoebox
Here are some pictures of Jingle Glitterbottom’s adventures in our home last Christmas.
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- Who is in the tree. The children finding Jingle for the first time
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- This is how we found Jingle, he was sitting in the tree clutching a letter from Santa
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- We woke to find him sitting in the kitchen with a bag of seeds, sugar and a note explaining that we had to plant the seeds in a bowl of sugar, and wait to see what grows.
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- When we got home from school, candy canes had grown in the sugar
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- Today we woke to find Jingle reading to some of our toys infront of the tree
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- Jingle was riding in our sleigh ornament
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- He left us a message spelled out in green jelly beans!
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- Silly elf wrote his name on the lounge wall using post it notes
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- This morning we found Jingle sitting on the hearth roasting marshmallows over a tealight!
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- He was colouring in a Christmas colouring pad which he said we could share and colour the pictures
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- hee hee, Jingle was hanging from the chandelier in the diningroom
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- Today he set the breakfast table and was eating a bowl of oats
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- He left us the supplies to make angels
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- Our completed angels. Jingle noticed that we had
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- Jingle noticed that we had no star on our tree, so he brought us one
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- He decided we needed to ingredients to make reindeer food, so he brought them and the recipe so we could make some
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- the Silly elf turned out milk pink!
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- MMM, today we found him eating mini pancakes and he had put out all the ingredients for us to make pancakes, ours turned out pink becasue he had turned the milk pink.
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- Jingle had a movie night, we found him in a Santa hat on the couch with sweets and the remote control
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- Today is Jingles last day, He was at mom’s computer with a baby Jesus toy to go in our nativity scene and there was a letter from him on the computer screen
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- On his last day, the letter on the computer said that for one day only, we could play with him and carry him around…we took turns playing with him until it was bedtime on Christmas eve. he even came along to our family Christmas eve concert
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- Finally allowed to touch Jingle as it is his last day with us before he leaves with Santa tonight
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- Finally allowed to touch Jingle as it is his last day with us before he leaves with Santa tonight
Do you have a Christmas elf that visits your home during December? We’d love to hear about the cute and silly things your elf gets up to.. comment below to share with us!
I am a preschool and primary school teacher and mum to 3 children. I have been involved in education since 1997 and have trained in a variety of educational specialist areas. It is with this expertise that I write articles to help parents and educators provide quality learning experiences for the children in their care.
