Looking for naughty Elf on the Shelf ideas? Then you are going to love these easy naughty elf on the shelf ideas and the kids will love them too! Don’t worry, these elf on the shelf ideas of when the elf is not on their best behavior, are easy to set up and the kids will love them!
If you are new to Elf on the Shelf be sure to check out our Ultimate Guide of Everything you need to know about Elf on the Shelf.
Naughty Elf on the Shelf Ideas
Who doesn’t love a naughty elf at Christmas? The elf on the shelf is one of those things that you either love or hate. Some parents simply move their Elf around the home, whereas others get a little more elaborate with their setups.
However, a naughty elf is always going to get a great reaction from your kids. After all, it is all part of the magic you want to create a Christmas time. So if you are looking for naughty antics and mischief for the elf to do here are the ideas my kids loved the most when I did them.
What is Elf on the Shelf?
Elf on the Shelf is a fun holiday tradition in which scout elves are sent from the North Pole by Santa to add magic to the holiday season. The elf comes in December and stays until Christmas Eve having fun and sometimes causing mischief in the house of the family they visit.
Each night the elf goes back to the North Pole, some parents say to report back to Santa the children’s behavior and others say it is so the scout elves can meet up and come up with ideas to share with the children. The next day the kids look for their elf to see what fun the elf has in store that day.
The elf magically moves to a new spot every night, and children find their elf friends when they wake up each morning. The fun part for the kids is seeing what the elf (or elves if they have multiple) have done for the day. Sometimes the elf brings a gift, other times the elf does something silly, and sometimes something mischievous.
In our house, our Elf adds to the magic of the Christmas Season and is used to have extra fun and enjoyment. You can choose to have the elf be a watcher of good behavior if you want to, that is a personal parenting choice.
Elf on the Shelf Ideas
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Naughty Elf Ideas
These fun elf ideas make Moms a little bit twitchy, but the kids love them! Having the elf bring a little bit of elf magic in the form of being naughty adds even more fun to the elf visits.
I Pead
Elves can pea anywhere, all you need is some fresh or frozen peas and a place for them to sit, and this naughty elf idea is done quickly. Naughty elves tend to pea on the counter in our house.
Zip Tied Shoes
Secure family members’ shoes together with zip ties, making it a bit tricky to put them on.
Saran Wrap Prank
Wrap various items on the counter or tree branches with saran wrap, courtesy of the mischievous elf.
Bringing home a snowman
While the elf may have had good intentions this setup can also be seen as naughty. Get a bowl and fill it with water. Then add some chocolate drops for the buttons and the eyes. A piece of carrot for the nose, and then maybe a piece of fabric that looks like a small scarf. Then scatter them in the water to look like a melted snowman. Leave a note to say that the elf has brought home a snowman.
Snowball fight
This is a great one to set up and your kids will love it. You simply need flour, large and small marshmallows, your elf, and perhaps one or two other toys that your child loves. Then you simply set the scene. Scatter some flour, set up a larger wall for each toy with marshmallows, and then scatter some of the smaller ones around. There are some great ideas to set this up on websites like Pinterest.
Selling “Lemonade”
Most kids love a bit of toilet humor, so this could be a great one to consider. Simply dilute some lemon juice in a few plastic shot glasses and set them up with a stand that says selling lemonade. The funny bit would be to stand your elf as if they are peeing into the cup. This is where the naughtiness and funny element comes into play.
Cracker Crumbs Everywhere
Leave a trail of cracker crumbs leading to the elf, who is munching on a large cracker or cookie.
A fight with the toys
If your kids love the setups, then why not create a fight amongst the toys. Set up two sides, one team being your elf’s side, and then perhaps another dominant toy like your child’s favorite teddy, for example on the other side. Then set up the toys around it as if they are fighting. This is a great opportunity to use any army figures that your child might have.
“Poop” with chocolate Chips
Another great toilet humor option would be to leave some chocolate drops and sit your elf as if they are pooping. There are a few ways to do this theme. You can even create or buy little props like a small roll of toilet tissue or have the elf holding a newspaper. Your kids will find this one really funny.
- In a cereal bowl. Add your child’s cereal to the bowl, a few chocolate drops, and then sit your elf on the edge.
- In a cup. Have the elf sit on a clear glass and have a few mini chocolate chips or a large chocolate kiss in the bottom of the glass.
Elf Butt Brush
Place the elf on the bathroom counter holding a family member’s toothbrush, and write a note that says “Thanks for the butt brush”.
Elf Graffiti
Have the elf “draw” on family photos that have glass in photo frames with washable markers, or a dry erase marker adding elf hats or funny mustaches to the faces.
Drinking Maple Syrup
Getting into trouble is always a hit when it comes to the elf, and when an elf wants to be naughty a trip to the pantry for a bottle of maple syrup and a straw makes for the perfect drink! No one other than the elf could drink a bottle of maple syrup and not be hyper on sugar!
Spilled Paint Cans
Set up tiny paint cans with the elf appearing to have knocked them over, splattering paint on the floor or surface.
Elf on the Shelf Poop Museum
Use tiny cups or miniature muffin cups to hold the “poop”. Use different types of candy for each “poop”. Here are some ideas to include in your Elf on the Shelf Poop Museum:
- Snowman Poop. Miniature Marshmallows
- Barbie Poop. Pink Poprocks
- Gingerbread Poop. Mini chocolate chips.
- Mermaid Poop. Purple candy taffy.
- Unicorn Poop. Rainbow marshmallows or rainbow sprinkles.
- Grinch Poop. Green M&Ms
- Leprechaun Poop. Green Peanut M&Ms.
- Cupid Poop. Red M&Ms.
- Elf Poop. Green, red, and white sprinkles.
Elf Makes a mess
This one is super easy and can be done anywhere in the house. Just pick a spot and have the elf make some sort of mess. Remember to keep the messes easy to clean up and avoid any materials that could cause damage or be difficult to tidy. The goal is to create a fun and entertaining scene without causing too much trouble!
Elf Mess Ideas:
- Spilled Cereal. Leave a trail of spilled cereal leading to the elf, who is perched on the cereal box looking guilty.
- Glitter. Leave a trail of glitter leading to the elf, who is surrounded by glitter and holding a glittery sign.
- Pasta Mess. Have the elf trying to cook but making a mess with spilled pasta all over the kitchen counter.
- Jelly Bean Spill. Scatter jelly beans around the elf, making it look like they accidentally knocked over a jar.
- Chocolate Syrup Spill. Put the elf next to an overturned bottle of chocolate syrup with a note saying, “Oops, things got a little sticky!”
- Toothpaste Mess. Squeeze out toothpaste onto a small surface, with the elf holding a toothbrush like they’ve been caught making a mess.
Watching TV till late
A quick and easy setup for your elf would be to place them with the TV remote and have the TV on a channel. Place wrappers around them or empty cans of pop and it will look as if the elf has been up all night watching TV. You could play along with this by saying you heard the TV on and it kept you up.
Silly String Shenanigans
Have the elf with a can of silly string, surrounded by colorful strings sprayed in different directions.
Dish Soap Suds
Create a scene where the elf has added too much dish soap to a sink or bowl, causing an overflow of suds.
Eating all the candy
A naughty thing that your elf could do would be to eat all of the Christmas candy. This is a quick setup where you could simply empty the bowl in which there would be candy and place the elf inside it with empty wrappers.
Ribbon and Tape Tangle
Wrap the elf in a mess of ribbons and tape as if they were trying to wrap themselves up as a gift.
Wrapping up the toilet
Why not get creative in the bathroom? Have the elf wrap the toilet up with wrapping paper. You can also wrap up the toilet paper, the toothbrushes and the toothpaste for even more fun.
Tping the Christmas Tree
Grab a roll of toilet paper and have the elf toss it around the tree decorating it with toilet paper.
Underwear Tree decorations
Have the elf decorate the Christmas tree with family member’s underwear.
Hopefully, this has given you plenty of ideas for naughty antics that your elf on the shelf can get up to.
Elf on the Shelf Printables
- Elf on the Shelf Tic Tac Toe
- Elf on the Shelf Names Printable
- Elf on the Shelf BINGO Game
- Elf Kissing Booth Printable Prop
- Elf Pizza Shop Printable
- Elf Cookie Shop Prop Printable
- Elf Reindeer Friend Adoption Certificate Printable
- Elf Donut Shop Printable Prop
- Elf on the Shelf Health Certificate
- Elf on the Shelf Adoption Certificate
- Elf on the Shelf Printables Pack
- Elf on the Shelf Welcome Letter
- Elf on the Shelf Ideas calendar
- Elf on the Shelf Rules Printable
- Elf on the Shelf I’m Back Letters
- Elf on the Shelf We are Back Letters
More Christmas Fun for Kids
You can Facetime Santa for a fun Santa Phone Call!
There are so many tasty Christmas treats that the kids will love and they are all perfect for any kids Christmas parties that you might have. Some of our favorite Christmas treats are Santa Hat Cupcakes and Whoville Cookies !
But you can check out the full list of Kid Friendly Christmas Treats and pick out your favorites to make with the kids!
If you are looking for cookie recipes we have you covered there too! Check out our Beautiful Christmas Sugar Cookies, and Christmas Tree Desserts Recipes!
If you want to have even more fun you can get Personalized Text Messages each day from Santa!
If you are looking for a totally fun activity to do with the kids, reindeer poop slime is always a BIG hit!
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