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!
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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.
Please tag me or use the hashtag #SOTDElfOnTheShelf if you do any of the activities shared here!
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 Ideas for a 2 year old
- Elf on the Shelf Ideas for a 4 year old
- Elf on the Shelf Ideas for a 5 year old
- Elf on the Shelf Ideas for a 6 year old
- Elf on the shelf ideas for a 7 year old
More Elf on the shelf printables:
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