You can have so much fun with Elf on the Shelf in Christmas season and this is a great way to have fun with the children as well. They will wake up every morning waiting to see what mischief the elf has got into. You can include educational ideas so that the children can learn from this exercise as well.
You can have the elf introduce simple counting activities.
There can be a scenario where the elf is surrounded by a collection of candy canes, small toys or ornaments. There can be a note from the elf asking the children to count how many items are there. You can also create math problems based on the objects. For example, you can have an elf farm created in the middle of the living room and you can have the children count how many farm animals are there so that the elf can get food for everyone. Or you can have a note from the elf explaining there are 20 sheep on the farm and have them count. There can be one or two missing which can lead to an adventure of trying to find the missing sheep. They can be found in certain places of the house.
You can also have the elf encouraging reading.
They can be placed next to a selection of Christmas related stories. There can be a note from the elf inviting the children to read a book. The children can also come up with their own holiday stories. This can help them expand their imagination and they can write this story to the elf so that he can take these stories to other elves in the North Pole. You can have the story decorated and bound so that it actually looks like a book. There are so many science experiments that you can do to combine Elf on the Shelf. There can be a science experiment set up by the elf and the children can join in. There can be a baking soda and vinegar volcano that the elf has set up. And the children can take the final step in trying to see what happens. There can also be a snow experiment by the elf where the elf uses baking soda and water.
The elf can also teach your children about holiday traditions around the world.
Every day, there can be a different holiday custom. For example, there can be a different traditional food or snack to enjoy at breakfast every day. The children can expand their taste palate and this will be a wonderful way to introduce them to world cultures. The elf can have a holiday passport with a map showing where he is taking them every day. Art and creativity can easily be incorporated into elf antics. There can be a craft station set up by the elf so that the children can have a themed art project. The children can create holiday cards, Christmas baubles, décor etc. Technology concepts can be introduced to older children by having a simple coding activity or a puzzle. The elf can leave clues to guide them through the process.