Elf on the shelf ideas: 60 easy, funny and last-minute ideas, plus a free 24-night plan

The short answer: the best elf on the shelf ideas are the ones you can set up in two minutes after the kids are asleep. Here are 60, sorted the way parents need them.

• Easy ideas for school nights
• Last-minute, funny and kindness ideas
• Plan before December 1, make an elf box and set a small budget
• Safety: keep button batteries away from kids
• Next step: Get the free 24-night elf plan (we email it to you); want more? The Christmas Budget & Gift Planner is $4.99.

The best elf on the shelf ideas are the ones you can set up in two minutes after the kids are asleep. This page has 60 ideas sorted the way real parents need them: easy ideas for school nights, last-minute ideas for when you remember at 11 PM, funny scenes for weekends and kindness ideas, plus a free printable 24-night elf plan so you never stare at the elf wondering what to do.

Want the plan first? Go to the free download, print it, and hide it where the kids won't look.

Easy elf on the shelf ideas (2 minutes or less)

1. Hiding in a shoe by the door.
2. Riding a toy car or truck across the counter.
3. Hugging a favorite stuffed animal.
4. Peeking out of a Christmas stocking.
5. Sitting in the fridge with a "brrr" sticky note.
6. Holding a note that says "Be kind today."
7. Reading a picture book to a row of toys.
8. Wrapped up in a tissue or washcloth "blanket."
9. Wearing a bottle cap as a tiny hat.
10. Sitting in the fruit bowl with the bananas.
11. Hanging from a ceiling fan blade (fan off).
12. Sleeping in a sock.
13. Peeking out of a coffee mug.
14. Riding the family pet's toy.
15. Sitting on top of the TV remote: "I picked tonight's movie."

Last minute elf on the shelf ideas

It's late, you forgot, and you need something now. These use whatever is within arm's reach.

1. Move the elf somewhere high: the curtain rod, a door frame or the top of the fridge.
2. Elf in the cereal box with only its head poking out.
3. Sticky note on the bathroom mirror with a joke.
4. Elf sitting in a bowl of cotton balls "snow."
5. Elf holding a pencil next to a child's homework.
6. Elf tangled in the Christmas lights (unplugged).
7. Elf "stuck" in a cup in the dish rack.
8. Elf tucked into the tissue box.
9. Elf wearing a paper napkin cape.
10. Elf sitting on the toilet paper roll.

Keep a few of these on your phone, or tape the busy-night list from the free plan inside a cupboard door.

Funny elf on the shelf ideas for weekends

1. Toilet paper snowman built on the bathroom counter.
2. Zip-lining across the living room on string.
3. Fishing in the sink with a stick, string and gummy fish.
4. A marshmallow bath in a bowl.
5. Flour "snow angel" on the counter (put down parchment first).
6. Snowball fight with mini marshmallows and toy soldiers.
7. Camping in a tissue-box tent with a battery tea light.
8. Block or LEGO fort with a "Keep out: elves only" sign.
9. Movie night with tiny popcorn cups and stuffed animal guests.
10. Board game showdown with dolls or action figures.
11. Elf "wrapped" the bathroom door in wrapping paper.
12. Sledding down the stair rail on a baking sheet.
13. Paper snowflake party taped to the window.
14. Elf in a tiny hammock made from a dish towel.
15. Writing a washable-marker message on the mirror.

Kind elf on the shelf ideas

These turn the elf into a nudge to help others, and they work well alongside silly nights.

1. Note asking kids to choose one toy to donate.
2. Card-making supplies and "Who could use a card today?"
3. A "help with dinner" challenge.
4. Thank-you note for the mail carrier or delivery driver.
5. A challenge to share a treat with a sibling.
6. Cookie cutters and a note about baking for the neighbors.
7. A jar to collect coins for a local food pantry.
8. "Tell three people something you like about them."
9. Letter to a grandparent or older neighbor.
10. A kindness checklist for the week.

Elf arrival and goodbye ideas

Elf on the shelf safety tips

Elf scenes are fun, but they happen at night while the kids sleep, so set them up safely. Keep small parts, magnets and button batteries out of reach of babies and toddlers, and skip glass ornaments in scenes little hands can grab. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission's holiday safety center covers toy, decoration and light safety. Use battery tea lights instead of real candles: the NFPA's winter holiday safety tips point out that candles and decorations are a common cause of home fires in December. Unplug lights before draping the elf in them, and never hang the elf from a fan that might be switched on.

How to plan 24 nights without the stress

• Plan before December 1. Write an idea on each date of the free 24-night plan. Easy ideas go on school nights; big scenes go on Fridays and Saturdays.
• Make an elf box. String, tape, sticky notes, washable markers, mini marshmallows, paper and a few small toys in one box saves late-night searching.
• Set a small budget. Most ideas are free. If you buy props or treats, add them to your Christmas budget planner so they don't sneak up on you.
• Reuse every year. Kids rarely remember last year's scenes, and the props are already in the box.
• Pair it with other traditions. Elf nights work well alongside advent calendar ideas, cheap family Christmas traditions and our list of Christmas activities for the whole family.

The Elf on the Shelf is a trademark of its owner. Home Base Paper Co. isn't affiliated with it; these are simply ideas parents can use with any elf or holiday toy.

Plan the rest of December

The Christmas Budget & Gift Planner ($4.99) keeps your gift list, spending limits, holiday calendar and to-dos in one printable, so the elf isn't the only thing that's planned. For the whole season, the Holiday Season Bundle ($15.99) adds a sinking funds tracker so next December is covered, a meal planner for hosting, the 100 envelope savings challenge and a bill tracker.