Elves have become a beloved part of the Christmas lore and traditions. (Unless you are the type of parent who dreads the return of Elf on the Shelf). Today’s book is a fun story about the life of an elf, giving us a chance to have even more elf inspired fun!

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Memoirs of an Elf by Devin Scillian follows three elves – Spark, Bobbin and Nutshell – as they help Santa prepare for Christmas Eve and deliver presents all over the world. However, when a stowaway in Santa’s bag makes his way back to the North Pole, they must find a way to save Christmas for one family.

It is a very modern story including smart phones and GPS systems, so it will hold the attention of older readers as well as young ones. The illustrations are bright and colorful and kids will love the little tidbits of information about Santa Claus! There are many ways to make this story come alive for kids while practicing important skills and exploring elf life.

My daughter’s elf hat

Take an Elfie – The elves take an “elfie” in the story as they prepare to help Santa on Christmas Eve. Have your kids make elf hats out of construction paper wrapped in a cone shape and topped with cotton balls. If you let your kids take selfies on your phone, let them take a few “elfies” in their hats. We previously made elf hats for The Little Christmas Elf. Check that post out here.) If you don’t want them using your phone, you can draw out a smart phone shape and have them draw their “elfies”. Be creative! They can be at the North Pole, on Santa’s sleigh, with the reindeer, etc. The blog Homebound But Hopeful created an adorable printable for this book of a blank elf face on a smart phone. Check it out here!

Related Post Elf Fun with the Little Christmas Elf

Candy Cane Hunt – Spark has to give Santa a candy cane when he loses a bet. Having a candy cane hunt gives kids a chance to get moving while hunting for hidden candy canes. If you live in a warmer area, or are lucky enough to have good weather, hang candy canes around your yard and let kids search for them. When the weather is bad, this is an easy activity to adapt for indoor fun. You can keep the candy cane hunt to a single room or spread it throughout the house!

Elf Memoirs – Have kids write their own elf memoirs. Have them go through the whole night explaining things that they have to do, where they go and what they see. If they are younger, you can have them dictate their story to you while you write it down for them. You can then let them illustrate the story to create a Christmas book of their own!

Practice packing gifts like Santa’s elves!

Present Sort – Gather a bunch of your child’s toys and break them up into 2-4 groups. Create a list of the items in each group. If you have younger children, you will want to have pictures of the items printed or drawn out (they don’t have to be perfect). Set up four bags and put a list on each bag. Have your kids collect the right gifts and place them into the correct bags. You can make this a bigger challenge by leaving the gifts around the house so they have to find them. This game helps kids with reading or identifying, matching, and counting skills while giving them an opportunity to use their imaginations as they pretend to be elves!

Movie Night – Another yearly Christmas movie tradition in our home is watching the Prep & Landing movies from Disney. It is an adorable cartoon short that follows Wayne, a member of the elite “Prep & Landing” team who prep houses for Santa’s arrival. The movie adorably explains how the elves help Santa to get to all of the houses in one night by prepping the houses before he gets there. Since this book shows the elves utilizing technology to help Santa on his mission, it is the perfect book to pair with one of our favorite movies!

Whip up gingersnaps for Spark and his elf friends!

Bake Cookies – Make cookies for Santa and the elves! Spark asks readers to leave ginger snaps for Santa because he likes to give those to the elves. The website Allrecipes has a popular recipe for gingersnaps. If you are not a fan of gingersnap cookies, make a batch of your favorite Christmas cookies together. There are so many important skills kids can learn and practice in the kitchen, while building precious memories with you!

Related Post: Gingerbread Stories and Delicious Cookies to Pair With Them!

What do your kids think of elf life? Do they think they would make good elves?

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