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24 Funny Elf on the Shelf Ideas That Will Have the Whole Family Laughing

Funny Elf on the Shelf ideas with marshmallow hot tubs, bungee jumping, flour snow angels and elf jail, plus easy steps and a five minute setup guide.

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24 Funny Elf on the Shelf Ideas That Will Have the Whole Family Laughing
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Funny Elf on the Shelf ideas are the fastest way to turn a quiet December morning into a family story. You do not need a big budget or a craft closet. A few marshmallows, a roll of toilet paper and a marker are enough to make your kids laugh.

Below are 24 funny Elf on the Shelf ideas, from a marshmallow hot tub and bungee jumping to flour snow angels and elf jail. Each one says what to set up and how to pull it off, so you can copy it the night before and still get to bed on time.

If you are still planning the first night, start with our elf arrival ideas. For the rest of the season, our Christmas cookies recipe and Christmas door decorating ideas pair well with a morning of elf fun.

1. A marshmallow hot tub

An elf on the shelf relaxing in a small red slow cooker filled with mini marshmallows like a hot tubSave

Credit: The Frugal Girls

Your elf deserves a spa day. A small slow cooker filled with mini marshmallows makes a fluffy hot tub, and the elf just leans back and relaxes.

Keep the slow cooker unplugged and cool, and use a clean liner or a bowl insert if you can. Tuck the elf in up to the arms and set one marshmallow on its head for a laugh.

2. Elf bungee jumping

An elf on the shelf hanging upside down by a string from a door frame like a bungee jumperSave

Credit: The Frugal Girls

This one gets a laugh before breakfast. The elf dangles upside down from a string with its arms flung out, ready to jump.

Loop a piece of string loosely around the elf’s ankles and tape the other end high on a door frame or a light fixture. Add a small sign that says bungee jumping and let the kids check the height.

3. A tic tac toe game

An elf on the shelf beside a tic tac toe grid drawn on red paper with mints as the game piecesSave

Credit: The Frugal Girls

Leave a game ready for the kids to finish. The elf stands beside a paper grid with a pack of mints and plays the first move.

Draw a grid on red paper and tape it to a cabinet or door. Use mints as the pieces and leave a few extra in a pile so the kids can take their turn.

4. Sneaking Christmas treats

An elf on the shelf leaning over a plate of white chocolate cranberry treatsSave

Credit: The Frugal Girls

Elves love sweets as much as kids do. Set the elf beside a plate of cookies or bark with a few crumbs on its hands.

Use any treat you already made. Put crumbs on the table and lean the elf over the plate so it looks caught in the act. Then let the kids enjoy a cookie with breakfast.

5. A new book from the elf

An elf on the shelf sitting beside an open pop up animal book about a leopardSave

Credit: The Frugal Girls

Some elves are not troublemakers at all. This one brings a new picture book and sits down to read it.

Wrap a small book or pick one from the shelf and stand it up beside the elf. A holiday story or an animal book works well, and it makes a nice bedtime tradition.

6. Elf playing foosball

An elf on the shelf perched on a foosball table next to small player figures and a ballSave

Credit: The Frugal Girls

Turn a game table into the elf’s playground. The elf perches on the rail like a goalie, with a small ball waiting in the middle.

Prop the elf on the side bars and add a ping pong ball or a small pom pom. If you do not own a foosball table, a card table with a few action figures works the same way.

7. Hiding in the Christmas tree

An elf on the shelf wearing a small dark jacket tucked into the branches of a lit Christmas treeSave

Credit: The Frugal Girls

A tree is the best place for an elf to disappear. Dress your elf in a tiny jacket and tuck it into the branches near the lights.

The kids will have to look twice to find it. Use a doll jacket or a piece of felt for the coat, and place the elf near a bright ornament so the eye catches it.

8. Elf making coffee

An elf on the shelf perched on a coffee machine with one leg in a red mug and a coffee pod in handSave

Credit: The Frugal Girls

Mornings can be rough, and the elf already looks like a morning person. Set the elf beside the coffee machine with a leg dangling into a mug.

Use a clean, empty mug and an unused pod. Make the setup before you use the machine, then move the elf out of the way when you brew.

9. An elf selling balloons

An elf on the shelf sitting beside a small chalkboard sign that says balloons 50 cents with a bunch of balloonsSave

Credit: Paper Heart Family

Here is a cute way to say the elf has a new job. A small chalkboard sign advertises balloons for 50 cents, and the elf sits beside the bunch.

Tie a few balloons to a skewer or a pencil and stand a mini chalkboard next to them. Add a few coins in a cup if you want the kids to buy one.

10. Blowing bubble gum

An elf on the shelf sitting on a wooden shelf with a white bubble over its mouth like bubble gumSave

Credit: Paper Heart Family

Even a tiny elf can try the biggest bubble. A small pale ball on the mouth looks like a bubble about to pop.

Use a cotton ball, a pom pom or a bit of putty for the bubble and keep it light so it stays put. Take a quick photo before it falls off.

11. A playdate with a doll

An elf on the shelf sitting on a table next to a blonde doll in a yellow dressSave

Credit: Paper Heart Family

Sometimes the elf is just looking for a friend. Sit your elf beside a doll as if they are in the middle of a long chat.

Use any doll or small toy your kids already love. Tilt the elf’s head toward it and add a note that says new friends make the season brighter.

12. Teaching toys the elf rules

An elf on the shelf next to a whiteboard that lists honorary elf rules with stuffed animals sitting in frontSave

Credit: Paper Heart Family

The elf becomes the teacher for a day. A whiteboard lists the honorary elf rules while the stuffed animals sit in class.

Write four short rules like be kind, be jolly, love candy and learn to fly. Line up a few plush toys in front of the board and put the elf beside them.

13. A piggy bank raid

An elf on the shelf sitting on a rug surrounded by coins spilled from a pink piggy bankSave

Credit: Paper Heart Family

The elf found the loose change. Spill a few coins from a piggy bank and set the elf in the middle of the pile.

Use a small handful of coins and keep a tidy count so none go missing. The kids get a laugh, and you can turn it into a quick counting lesson.

14. Elf makeup time

An elf on the shelf sitting on a bathroom counter holding a makeup brush next to an eyeshadow paletteSave

Credit: Paper Heart Family

The elf borrowed a makeup palette for a fresh look. A brush tucked in its hand finishes the joke.

Leave an old palette or a small brush on the bathroom counter and rest the elf against the mirror. Use items that are clean and safe, and keep the real makeup out of reach.

15. Elf sunbathing

An elf on the shelf lying on a purple towel wearing star shaped sunglasses beside a tube of sunscreenSave

Credit: Paper Heart Family

This elf is on a holiday of its own. Lay it on a towel with a pair of sunglasses and a tube of sunscreen beside it.

Use a small hand towel and any funny glasses you have. Put the scene on the living room floor or the kitchen counter so the kids see it first thing.

16. A marshmallow beard Santa

An elf on the shelf on a wooden shelf wearing a fluffy white beard like SantaSave

Credit: Paper Heart Family

Your elf can try on Santa’s look. A fluffy white beard turns it into a tiny Father Christmas.

Use a puff of cotton or a few mini marshmallows and attach them with a small piece of tape. Place the elf on a shelf by a window so the kids spot it right away.

17. Toilet paper snowmen

Two elves on the shelf standing beside toilet paper roll snowmen with black marker faces and orange nosesSave

Credit: Hiking Photographer

Toilet paper rolls make perfect snowmen. Draw a face and a few buttons with a black marker and add an orange triangle for the nose.

Stack two rolls for each snowman and set the elves beside them like proud builders. Keep a marker nearby and let your kids add a face to a new one the next day.

18. Snow angels in the flour

An elf on the shelf lying in a patch of flour on a dark surface as if making a snow angelSave

Credit: Hiking Photographer

Flour makes a quick snowy mess. The elf lies in the middle and makes a snow angel with its arms and legs.

Spread a thin layer of flour on a dark counter or tray and press the elf in, then lift it gently to leave the shape. Use a tray so cleanup is easy, and wipe it up the same morning.

19. Funny faces on oranges

Two elves on the shelf sitting on a counter with oranges that have silly faces drawn on themSave

Credit: Hiking Photographer

Fruit makes the best canvas. Draw silly faces on a few oranges with a marker and set the elves among them.

Use a washable marker and give each fruit a different expression. The kids can pick their favorite to peel and eat later.

20. Egg and banana artists

Two elves on the shelf with an egg carton of eggs and bananas that have small faces drawn on themSave

Credit: Hiking Photographer

These elves are tiny artists. Faces drawn on eggs and bananas make a funny gallery, and the elves hold the markers.

Use hard boiled eggs if you plan to eat them, and a washable marker for the faces. Line the eggs up in a carton so they look like an audience.

21. A cardboard sledding hill

Two elves on the shelf with a cardboard ramp and a toilet paper tube sled on a living room floorSave

Credit: Hiking Photographer

Winter fun can happen indoors. A cardboard ramp and a toilet paper tube turn into a sled run for the elf.

Fold a flat piece of cardboard into a slide and tape it to a stack of books. Put the elf on a paper tube sled at the top and place another elf at the bottom.

22. Helpful foil shoes

Two elves on the shelf standing on shoes wrapped in foil with a handwritten speech bubble noteSave

Credit: Hiking Photographer

Some elves have odd ideas of help. This pair wrapped a set of shoes in foil and left a note.

Wrap shoes in a sheet of foil and set the elves on top. Add a small note and let the kids unwrap them before school.

23. Elf jail

An elf on the shelf locked in a cardboard box with candy cane bars and a sign that says elf jailSave

Credit: Hiking Photographer

This elf got into a bit of trouble. A small box with candy cane bars and a sign that says elf jail makes a funny scene.

Cut slits in a box and slide the candy canes in for bars. Write the sign on cardboard and put the elf inside with a sad look on its face.

24. A cotton ball snow bank

An elf on the shelf sitting in a pile of white cotton balls on a striped sofaSave

Credit: Hiking Photographer

Snow is hard to find indoors, so make your own. Pile cotton balls on the sofa and plop the elf in the middle.

Use a whole bag of cotton balls and spread them across the cushions. The elf can lounge in the snow, and the kids can make snowballs after breakfast.

How to Set Up a Funny Elf Scene in 5 Minutes

  1. Pick one idea the night before. Choose a scene that uses things you already have in the kitchen or the craft drawer.
  2. Gather the props first. Set out the elf, the props and a marker so you do not hunt for them when you are tired.
  3. Add a small sign or note. A short line in the elf’s voice makes the scene land and gives the kids something to read.
  4. Keep the mess small. Use a tray, a towel or a thin layer of flour so cleanup takes a minute.
  5. Take a quick photo. Your kids will want to look at it later, and you will have a keepsake of each morning.

Elf on the Shelf Ideas for Busy Nights

  • Reuse the same prop for two days, like moving the toilet paper snowmen to a new spot.
  • Keep a small bin with markers, cotton balls, mini marshmallows, candy canes and sticky notes.
  • Use washable markers on fruit and eggs so you can wash or eat them afterward.
  • Pick a night to repeat a favorite idea when you are short on time.

Funny Elf on the Shelf Ideas FAQ

What are some funny Elf on the Shelf ideas? A marshmallow hot tub, bungee jumping, flour snow angels, toilet paper snowmen and elf jail are all easy and funny.

How do I keep Elf on the Shelf ideas easy? Use items you already own, like markers, cotton balls, mints and a cardboard box. One prop and one small sign are enough.

Is it okay to leave food out for the elf? Yes, but use fresh food in a clean spot and put it away when the scene is over. Keep real makeup, flour and craft items away from small children.

When should I start Elf on the Shelf? Many families start the day after Thanksgiving or on December 1 and end on Christmas Eve.

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