A long time ago – before there was the Elf on the Shelf – my sister and I had Magical Kindness ‘Elves’ that visited us every day during the month of December. We loved waking up to the inspirational notes and little gifts that our Elves left. This is one of my favorite childhood Christmas memories.
Last Christmas, I decided to continue the tradition with my children. They were delighted when we introduced 3 Elves into the family!
We moved the Elves around the house each day, leaving happy messages, a few pieces of candy and some activities for them to do. My boys loved it!
My goal with the Elves is to teach kindness, working together as a family, all the while exposing my children to special experiences throughout the month.
After last Christmas, I vowed to make the elf experience even more organized and exciting.
Here is a sneak peak into the life with the little Elves that live with us during the month of December!
So where does one purchase Magical Kindness Elves?
There are lots of places to purchase elves! I have seen some adorable little guys at Target, JoAnn Fabrics, Lowes, or any place that sells Christmas ornaments. Elf on the Shelf or the Kindness Elves do not have to be fancy or expensive! Find what works well for your family.
Elves on a schedule!
To make sure the Elves’ schedule meshed well with our schedule, I printed out a calendar page: each day’s actives are written down, and any supplies needed are listed. Being organized makes moving the Elves each night less stressful, and keeps the creatives juices flowing all month long.
The Elves deliver a note each day, so during the planning process I printed out 30 Christmas themed cards. Each Sunday night, I package up the weeks’ worth of crafts and needed supplies, make sure the cards are ready to go, and let my husband know of any big outings or activities associated with the Elves’ schedule.
Pinterest is an Elf paradise!
In need of inspiration? Pinterest has enough ideas for the next 20 holiday seasons. My boys love crafts, so our Elves leave Christmas themed things to create.
Here are a few that we will be doing this year:
Gingerbread play dough
I-spy bottle
Pre-packaged craft kits from our local craft supplies store
Hot glue gun snowman ornaments
Reindeer food
Gingerbread house
Sometimes our Elves do leave the boys silly gifts, like………
candy wrapped a thousand times in plastic!
And what Christmas season isn’t complete without a miniature candy cane hunt around the house?
Incorporating special actives into the month is also something the Elves surprise the children with. You can tailor these activities to your specific family interests. Our list includes:
The Cranbrook Institute of Science
Holiday Nights in Greenfield Village
Another great activity centers around the Dr Seuss book, How the Grinch Stole Christmas. We will be reading the original book, making green Grinch popcorn, and finishing the night with watching the new Grinch movie release.
The Financial Side
My grand Elf schedule, activities and planning initially scared my husband financially. I made sure to look for cost effective actives such as merging decorating the Christmas tree into an elf adventure, or reading all of our winter themed books. We’ve made an Elf house out of our Mega Blocks, or had a bubble bath party – after all, what child doesn’t love a new container of bubble bath soap?!
For our family, having elves visit during the month of December is about creating special memories, making holiday crafts and bonding.
