04 Dec He’s Back – The Return of the Elf on a Shelf & Bonus: Scavenger Hunt
It’s hard to believe but another holiday season is upon us.
Thanksgiving is officially over – though we’ve barely digested that gluttonous meal – and we’re now in the full swing of Christmastime. That can only mean one thing – the Elf on a Shelf is back!
Love him or hate him (and yes, I know they are hers too), the Elf on a Shelf has gained in popularity in the last decade. I have to admit, I live for my friend Stacey’s daily posts in December, sharing the shenanigans that Chippy has gotten into overnight. I think I even get more excited than her kids! I love how clever she gets each day, drawing inspiration from Pinterest and her own imagination. I find such fun and joy in it, but I know there are others who loath the elf, and what he represents.
I really appreciated one of Stacey’s first posts of the season, where Chippy brought a laundry basket and a note, asking the children to fill it with donations to bring back to Santa’s workshop that night.
If you’re not familiar with the Elf on a Shelf, he is a magical little elf who comes to life at night while no one is watching and flies back to the North Pole to report to Santa if the kids have been naughty or nice. He then comes back and the kids find him in a new place, often involved in an activity with some of their other toys and figurines. No one can touch him during the day, or he loses his magic.
I thought the donation post was brilliant and I knew I had to write a blog post highlighting it! You know a lot of items will be coming into the house all month long, so why not take the time now to encourage the kids to downsize and make room for all those new things. You can find clever templates online for letters from Santa that will get the kids excited to downsize. Tis the season of giving, after all.
Another post I was particularly fascinated by was when Chippy went on strike! Would Christmas be cancelled? Would he ever go back to playing reindeer games? I had to stay tuned to find out.
I did love how Stacey used Chippy to let the children know that their behavior was less than stellar, and that he noticed. Chippy said he’d remain on strike until the boys listened to their parents which ended up lasting a few days. Finally, much to my own relief, Chippy resumed his usual mischief.
The strike got me thinking about another friend of mine, Michelle, who has two bonus kids who are obsessed with scavenger hunts.
With permission, I’m able to share with you some ideas for a great Christmas scavenger hunt, involving your Elf on a Shelf.
Michelle prefers to do one scavenger hunt for each kid (meaning you have to have clues for each child). This is more involved but usually works out better when you have an older brother and a younger sister duo. The boy usually finds the clues first leaving the sister feeling left out. Another idea is to alternate who gets the clues (odds for one; evens for the other; or you could color code them: red for one, green for the other), so that they can work together.
You also have the option to make this a “12-days of Christmas” event, or you can do it in the 24-hours before Christmas day (again, one will be more effort than the other). This is a fun gift in itself!
Please note these are just options and ideas and that you should customize the scavenger hunt to fit your family’s beliefs and unique needs.
Here’s how it works:
Your Elf on a Shelf has just stolen Christmas!
The family wakes up on Christmas Eve (or December 13th for the longer hunt) to a ransom letter/email/voicemail (or use fake caller app to get a call) from the Elf on a Shelf. If a letter/email, you can include a photograph of all of their presents, which s/he has hidden. If you do the voicemail or fake call option, you can still have a photograph of the ransomed presents.
Option to remove decorations from the tree leaving it bare (again more work; better for the longer scavenger hunt). This really convinces kids that Christmas has been stolen!
The children must bring back Christmas cheer to get their presents (and tree decorations) back.
Click hyperlink below for a PDF to download.
What parents need to do in preparation for 12-Days of Christmas Scavenger Hunt (intermediate-expert level):
Hide all presents, possibly in a trunk with a big padlock/chain or just hide them away in a locked room or closet; it all depends on how carried away with this you want to get. Hide all, except one small box for each kid under the tree that contains a key and a clue.
Or bury boxes outside (works in some climates) and leave a clue to find them under the bare Christmas tree. Use invisible ink to hide part of the treasure hunt map with clues. Perhaps one of the clues is a blank piece of paper. Or get a blank puzzle, write clues on it, and have them collect the pieces and then put them together. There are plenty of options.
Have the kids complete certain tasks to restore Christmas cheer (the clues lead you to the tasks). There are 12 tasks – one for each day.
Tasks for 12 Days:
- Write and mail a Christmas card to a family member
- Donate to the needy (go through old toys and clothes for donation box)
- Make an ornament for the tree while listening to Christmas songs
- Make hot cocoa and watch a Christmas movie as a family
- Put together a gift basket of toiletries for a local homeless shelter and deliver
- Make a gift for someone special
- Offer a meal to a needy family or serve at a soup kitchen
- Hug a family member or FaceTime with one
- Drive around to see the pretty decorations in your neighborhood – or one nearby
- Make and decorate cookies for Santa
- Go caroling and drink hot apple cider (or mulled wine for the adults)
- Put out carrots for reindeer before reading Twas the Night Before Christmas and heading to bed
Once the tasks are all completed, Christmas cheer – and the presents – will be restored.
On Christmas morning, the cookies/milk and carrots are gone/eaten, and all the presents magically appear back under the tree.
Or, if you went with the trunk or closet option, have that near the tree. They get the final puzzle piece on Christmas morning, on the plate of cookies, left by Santa (maybe something to the effect of them having good Christmas cheer which put them back on the nice list).
Kids can unlock the trunk/closet with a key OR a final code from all of the clues (numerical on a lock or a final word if you have one of the word combo locks).
The final clue (number/code) will be with the parents on Christmas morning – they have to wake up the adults before opening their box (so you don’t miss out on the fun).
What an exciting and active way to experience Christmas with young ones!
Click hyperlink below for a PDF to download.
If that one was too complicated, try this simpler version —
What parents need to do in preparation for the Christmas Eve Scavenger Hunt (12-Hours) (beginner level):
Hide presents in the trunk of the car or another safe place, except one small box for each kid under the tree that contains a key and a clue.
Or bury boxes outside (works in some climates) and leave a clue to find them under the bare Christmas tree. Use invisible ink to hide part of the treasure hunt map with clues. Perhaps one of the clues is a blank piece of paper. Or get a blank puzzle, write clues on it, and have them collect the pieces and then put them together. There are plenty of options.
Have the kids complete certain tasks to restore Christmas cheer (clues lead you to the tasks). There are 12 tasks – one for approximately each hour to be completed all day on Christmas Eve.
Tasks for 12-hours:
- Write a Christmas email and send to a family member or friend
- Fill a small box of donations (per kid) of toys they no longer want/use/need
- Make an ornament for the tree (each kid)
- Listen/Dance to Christmas songs as a family
- Make hot cocoa and watch a Christmas movie together
- Make a gift for someone special
- Hug a family member or FaceTime with one
- Read Twas the Night Before Christmas
- Make and decorate cookies for Santa
- Put out carrots for reindeer
- Make dinner as a family or go eat with family
- Go to Mass/Church. Or drive around to see the pretty decorations in your neighborhood or visit nearby family member
Following one of the last few tasks, take the kids out of the house and have a neighbor of family member put all of the presents back under the tree for a Christmas miracle!
Impress upon the kids that part of Christmas is spending quality time with friends and family doing great things for other people, and that’s how they restored Christmas cheer and got back on the nice list. After all, isn’t that the true meaning of Christmas?
I hope you enjoy this scavenger hunt idea and if you end up doing it please share how it went, what you changed/added, and what the kids thought!
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