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UPDATE: Fred the Elf has had many, many more adventures at our house since this post was first written. Be sure to check out his homemade snowman, and also keep an eye out for new ideas posted here! And don’t miss the FREE PRINTABLE ELF PACK at the end of this post!
If you’ve been a longtime reader, or follower of my Facebook page, then you are likely familiar with our elf, Fred.
Fred showed up at our home in Las Vegas when J was two years old. He was a funny little guy right from the start, and certainly seemed to share our love of Christmas movies and activities! As time has gone by and we added H to the mix, Fred the elf seems to just have more and more fun each year – even SIMPLE kinds of fun. (Whew, amirite??)
![Elf on the Shelf Ideas - Plenty of fun ideas for your Elf this season! Links to printables as well!](https://cmongetcrafty.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/CGC-Elf-Ideas-PIN.png)
Fred has returned each year since, and I fully expect him to show up again this Friday. (He’s rather punctual.)
In case your Elf is running out of fun ideas on how to surprise the children, I’ve chronicled a few of Fred’s antics here for you!
*This post contains affiliate links. Read my full disclosure here.*
40 Elf on the Shelf Ideas
Welcome Letter
![Elf on the Shelf Ideas - Plenty of fun ideas for your Elf this season! Links to printables as well!](https://cmongetcrafty.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/CGC-Elf-27.png)
Our elf Fred brought this sweet letter for the boys, which I like that they will have as a keepsake!
![Elf on the Shelf Ideas - Plenty of fun ideas for your Elf this season! Links to printables as well!](https://cmongetcrafty.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/CGC-Elf-28.png)
He also decided to try some circus tricks and hang from the light fixtures, where’d he strung a pretty fun little banner. (Psst! You can snag this free printable banner below!)
![Elf on the Shelf Ideas - Plenty of fun ideas for your Elf this season! Links to printables as well!](https://cmongetcrafty.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/CGC-Elf-10.png)
The previous year, Fred raided the boys art supplies to create this “musically-inspired” display. Guess he enjoys some Eminem!
Places to Hang Out
![Elf on the Shelf Ideas - Plenty of fun ideas for your Elf this season! Links to printables as well!](https://cmongetcrafty.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/CGC-Elf-40.png)
Obviously, Fred is a busy little elf, flitting back and forth to the North Pole to fill Santa in on the boys’ behavior. Sometimes I think he just likes to find a quiet spot to chill and watch over them.
![Elf on the Shelf Ideas - Plenty of fun ideas for your Elf this season! Links to printables as well!](https://cmongetcrafty.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/CGC-Elf-23.png)
High places work well. The top of the tree was probably a little prickly on his elf tush, but great vantage point!
![Elf on the Shelf Ideas - Plenty of fun ideas for your Elf this season! Links to printables as well!](https://cmongetcrafty.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/CGC-Elf-15.png)
Hanging out with the main man, Santa.
![Elf on the Shelf Ideas - Plenty of fun ideas for your Elf this season! Links to printables as well!](https://cmongetcrafty.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/CGC-Elf-01.png)
Loops in your garland make fun elf swings, I’m told.
![Elf on the Shelf Ideas - Plenty of fun ideas for your Elf this season! Links to printables as well!](https://cmongetcrafty.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/CGC-Elf-06.png)
He really does have a thing for heights!
![Elf on the Shelf Ideas - Plenty of fun ideas for your Elf this season! Links to printables as well!](https://cmongetcrafty.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/CGC-Elf-21.png)
![Elf on the Shelf Ideas - Plenty of fun ideas for your Elf this season! Links to printables as well!](https://cmongetcrafty.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/CGC-Elf-33.png)
Guess he needed to chill out a little bit. Found him in the freezer!
![Elf on the Shelf Ideas - Plenty of fun ideas for your Elf this season! Links to printables as well!](https://cmongetcrafty.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/CGC-Elf-07.png)
Poor Fred needed some rest, it seems.
![Elf on the Shelf Ideas - Plenty of fun ideas for your Elf this season! Links to printables as well!](https://cmongetcrafty.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/CGC-Elf-03.png)
Emailing Santa some new updates.
![Elf on the Shelf Ideas - Plenty of fun ideas for your Elf this season! Links to printables as well!](https://cmongetcrafty.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/CGC-Elf-18.png)
Making Friends and Mischief
![Elf on the Shelf Ideas - Plenty of fun ideas for your Elf this season! Links to printables as well!](https://cmongetcrafty.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/CGC-Elf-39.png)
The Christmas following J’s Nemo Birthday Party, Fred decided to do a little fishing in the leftover decorations.
![Elf on the Shelf Ideas - Plenty of fun ideas for your Elf this season! Links to printables as well!](https://cmongetcrafty.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/CGC-Elf-37.png)
Nothing like a good game between friends!
![Elf on the Shelf Ideas - Plenty of fun ideas for your Elf this season! Links to printables as well!](https://cmongetcrafty.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/CGC-Elf-13.png)
. . . or a fun ride!
![Elf on the Shelf Ideas - Plenty of fun ideas for your Elf this season! Links to printables as well!](https://cmongetcrafty.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/CGC-Elf-22.png)
Looks like he’s trying to get a little Christmas cheer brewing!
![Elf on the Shelf Ideas - Plenty of fun ideas for your Elf this season! Links to printables as well!](https://cmongetcrafty.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/CGC-Elf-26.png)
A little game of solitaire?
![Elf on the Shelf Ideas - Plenty of fun ideas for your Elf this season! Links to printables as well!](https://cmongetcrafty.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/CGC-Elf-35.png)
Looks like Fred’s taco might be too warm – it is melting the snowman!
![Elf on the Shelf Ideas - Plenty of fun ideas for your Elf this season! Links to printables as well!](https://cmongetcrafty.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/CGC-Elf-34.png)
Then there was that time he pulled out our wedding china to host a dinner party with the Avengers, Spider-man, and Wolverine. Like you do.
![Elf on the Shelf Ideas - Plenty of fun ideas for your Elf this season! Links to printables as well!](https://cmongetcrafty.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/CGC-Elf-202.png)
They must have had fun, since later on they were all putting a puzzle together!
![Elf on the Shelf Ideas - Plenty of fun ideas for your Elf this season! Links to printables as well!](https://cmongetcrafty.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/CGC-Elf-17.png)
Playing trains with Elmo.
![Elf on the Shelf Ideas - Plenty of fun ideas for your Elf this season! Links to printables as well!](https://cmongetcrafty.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/CGC-Elf-36.png)
Is it narcissistic of the snowmen to want a book read to them about snowmen?
![Elf on the Shelf Ideas - Plenty of fun ideas for your Elf this season! Links to printables as well!](https://cmongetcrafty.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/CGC-Elf-02.png)
I wonder if Fred thinks he’s a cowboy?
![Elf on the Shelf Ideas - Plenty of fun ideas for your Elf this season! Links to printables as well!](https://cmongetcrafty.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/CGC-Elf-14.png)
Looks like somebody has seen Elf too many times. I didn’t count if he got all 11 cookies crammed in the VCR…
![Elf on the Shelf Ideas - Plenty of fun ideas for your Elf this season! Links to printables as well!](https://cmongetcrafty.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/CGC-Elf-08.png)
Poor Fred. (He’s lucky he cleaned up his mess!)
![Elf on the Shelf Ideas - Plenty of fun ideas for your Elf this season! Links to printables as well!](https://cmongetcrafty.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/CGC-Elf-11.png)
You can take the elf out of the workshop, but you can’t take the workshop out of the elf!
![Elf on the Shelf Ideas - Plenty of fun ideas for your Elf this season! Links to printables as well!](https://cmongetcrafty.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/CGC-Elf-04.png)
Practicing his spelling.
![Elf on the Shelf Ideas - Plenty of fun ideas for your Elf this season! Links to printables as well!](https://cmongetcrafty.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/CGC-Elf-32.png)
Darn it, Fred, now I’ll never get that song out of my head!
How thoughtful, Fred!
![Elf on the Shelf Ideas - Plenty of fun ideas for your Elf this season! Links to printables as well!](https://cmongetcrafty.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/CGC-Elf-30.png)
Fred put together a great little basket of Christmas movies/books and an Advent Calendar for us last year.
![Elf on the Shelf Ideas - Plenty of fun ideas for your Elf this season! Links to printables as well!](https://cmongetcrafty.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/CGC-Elf-31.png)
He supplied J with a printable Letter to Santa to fill out.
![Elf on the Shelf Ideas - Plenty of fun ideas for your Elf this season! Links to printables as well!](https://cmongetcrafty.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/CGC-Elf-29.png)
He thoughtfully gifted us with two new personalized ornaments for our tree – one for H’s first Christmas, and one of the whole family.
![Elf on the Shelf Ideas - Plenty of fun ideas for your Elf this season! Links to printables as well!](https://cmongetcrafty.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/CGC-Elf-24.png)
Fred pulled protector duty and made sure the Monster Spray kept the baddies away!
![Elf on the Shelf Ideas - Plenty of fun ideas for your Elf this season! Links to printables as well!](https://cmongetcrafty.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/CGC-Elf-25.png)
What a busy little elf!
![Elf on the Shelf Ideas - Plenty of fun ideas for your Elf this season! Links to printables as well!](https://cmongetcrafty.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/CGC-Elf-19.png)
It was sweet of him to color a picture for the boys!
These #ElfontheShelf free printables helps make moving the little guy easier this #Christmas!Click To Tweet![Elf on the Shelf Ideas - Plenty of fun ideas for your Elf this season! Links to printables as well!](https://cmongetcrafty.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/CGC-Elf-05.png)
Again? Well, we never really tire of it either!
![Elf on the Shelf Ideas - Plenty of fun ideas for your Elf this season! Links to printables as well!](https://cmongetcrafty.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/CGC-Elf-12.png)
Fred helped create a fun Christmas card hanger for us.
![Elf on the Shelf Ideas - Plenty of fun ideas for your Elf this season! Links to printables as well!](https://cmongetcrafty.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/CGC-Elf-16.png)
Um, that’s not quite making breakfast for the family, Fred.
Saying Goodbye
![Elf on the Shelf Ideas - Plenty of fun ideas for your Elf this season! Links to printables as well!](https://cmongetcrafty.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/CGC-Elf-09.png)
After his first Christmas with us, Fred left us this lovely vignette and a goodbye card for J to say farewell on Christmas Eve.
![Elf on the Shelf Ideas - Plenty of fun ideas for your Elf this season! Links to printables as well!](https://cmongetcrafty.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/CGC-Elf-38.png)
Last year, Fred left J a note – and the best gift of all was that he let J hug him! As Fred explained, he’d be hitching a ride with Santa that night, and therefore didn’t need his magic! The joy in J’s face (and H’s the next year as this new tradition continued) was overwhelming. My boys just love getting to carry Fred around with them all day!
**Note**We don’t let them take him out in public so no other kids panic at the sight of the elf being held.
I can’t wait to see what Fred does this year!
If you think your elf might enjoy having little notes and printable letters to leave out, check out my Printable Elf Pack, available as an instant download!
![Elf on the Shelf Ideas - Plenty of fun ideas for your Elf this season! Links to printables as well!](https://cmongetcrafty.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/Elf-Printable-Pack-Labeled.jpg)
![Elf on the Shelf Ideas - Plenty of fun ideas for your Elf this season! Links to printables as well!](https://cmongetcrafty.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/Elf-Printable-Pack.jpg)
INCLUDES:
45 Printable Elf Notes ~
includes notes for naughty behavior, blank notes to customize, games, good behavior notes, and even notes to help if your Elf forgets to move or gets touched on accident!
Welcome Letter from the Elf | Farewell Letter from the Elf | Blank Santa stationary for customized letters from the big guy | Blank Elf Stationary | Christmas Tags for Holiday Breakfasts or Events | North Pole Breakfast Banner | Blank Notecard | Blank Tags
What are some of your favorite Elf on the Shelf ideas?
![signature](https://cmongetcrafty.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/Signature-700x210.png)
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