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Elf on the Shelf is a fun Christmas tradition to be enjoyed by little kids and parents alike! To help make it a fun experience for parents, and not a chore, I created a free printable schedule of Elf on the Shelf Ideas for a 3 year old! Simply download this free printable and follow along of the ideas shared for fun hiding places and activities to do with your little one!
Last year I put together our Elf on The Shelf schedule ahead of time for our then 2 year old, had the printable out on the counter and Derek and I were able to reference it each night. Yes, we used it as a guide and no, we didn’t follow it exactly to plan. And that’s ok! We did most of the fun activities I planned but the hiding places often changed, especially with dad taking a turn to be creative.
Make your busy holiday season a fun one and download this Elf on the Shelf ideas for a 3 year old printable schedule!
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- FIND THE ELF! Elf on the Shelf:A Christmas Tradition
arrives with the book. (Hopefully in reading the book this year, Brielle understands how to name the elf.)
- ACTIVITY! Handprint or Footprint craft. UPDATE: It started with a bubble wrap and paper tube printmaking exercise to which we later added a white footprint and it became a snowman in a winter snowstorm! She loved this hands on activity which was super easy to put together from recycled materials!
- FIND THE ELF! Hanging from the ceiling fan.
- FIND THE ELF! In someone’s shoe.
- FIND THE ELF! Baking up a special treat. UPDATE: Here’s what the elf made, which was a HUGE hit!
- FIND THE ELF! Making a Christmas tree with streamers on the chandelier.
- FIND THE ELF! Cruising in a paper airplane. (I’m giving this task to Dad to create and set up!)
- ACTIVITY! Bubble Wrap Painting craft.
- FIND THE ELF! Caught up in a Slinky.
- ACTIVITY! Gingerbread people craft project.
- ACTIVITY! Making ornaments for the tree and for gifts! (check out these salt dough handprint ones!)
- FIND THE ELF! Writing a message on the bathroom mirror.
- ACTIVITY! Wrapping paper craft.
- FIND THE ELF! Encourage a Christmas sing along.
- ACTIVITY! Coffee filter craft. UPDATE: She LOVED this! Check out what we did!
- FIND THE ELF! Stuck in a tall glass in the glassware cabinet.
- ACTIVITY! Felt Christmas Trees.
- FIND THE ELF! Wearing someone else’s clothes.
- FIND THE ELF! Setting up a photoshoot! (Stationed with Brielle’s VTech Kidizoom Camera
asking to have her picture taken.)
- ACTIVITY! Making cookies with mom. (These are delicious and highly recommended with a toddler!)
- FIND THE ELF! Drawing faces or putting hats on our family photos. UPDATE: This gave everyone in the house a giggle!
- FIND THE ELF! In the fridge
- ACTIVITY! Christmas themed contact paper play! (Check out ones we’ve done before with other themes.)
- FIND THE ELF! Once again the Elf will arrive with new pajamas for the girls.
If you’re shopping for a 3 year old this holiday season, consider checking out my post of my 3 year old’s favorite products.
Find more Elf on the Shelf ideas below, and remember they all include hiding places and activities that can be adapted to different ages!
Elf on the Shelf for a 4 Year Old
Elf on the Shelf for a 2 Year Old
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