There is a lot of work that goes into all the fun and festive activities during the holiday season. Get kids in on the action with these fun elf activities and an adorable read aloud that teaches an important message all year round!

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The Little Christmas Elf by Nikki Shannon Smith tells the story of Nina, the smallest elf in Santa’s workshop. It’s Nina’s first chance to make toys, so she spends all day trying to finish her teddy bear. She isn’t able to finish the bear in time, but Santa urges her not to give up. In a sweet ending to the story, her hard work pays off. Besides being a fun story, this book gives parents the opportunity to talk to their kids about perseverance and the idea that everyone, big or small can make a difference! Elves are so much fun to read about, and they can give kids a chance to have fun and learn as well!

Elf Hats – Make easy elf hats out of green or red construction paper. Make a cone shape out of construction paper and glue the seams together. Glue a bunch of cotton balls to the top of the cone. Kids can decorate with whatever craft supplies you have available: markers, stickers, glitter (if you’re one of the brave ones!), etc.

Dramatic Play – You can set up a workshop for Santa’s elves in your home. Fill an area with makeshift workbenches, elf hats, toys, play tools, etc. Let kids pretend that they are Santa’s elves and they are preparing the toys for Christmas Eve. You can also put Legos or various craft supplies in the workshop so kids can build and create their own toys. For older kids, you can build a toy out of Legos or craft supplies and see if they can replicate your toy.

Related Post: Learn about Elf Life with Memoirs of an Elf!

Fine Motor Practice – Elves use a variety of tools to build the toys for Christmas. Set up opportunities for kids to practice using tools to develop their fine motor skills. A foam block with golf tees poked into it lets kids practice using a toy hammer. Kids could also use toy pliers to pry the golf tees back out.

Get Christmas wrapped up!

Wrapping Shop – The presents from Santa have to be wrapped too! Give kids the opportunity to practice wrapping gifts, or let them wrap their gifts to family members. For younger kids, you can pre-cut pieces of wrapping paper, newspaper, or craft paper, or if they are ready for kid scissors, draw lines on the paper for them to practice cutting. This gives kids an opportunity to work on their fine motor skills, help with holiday jobs and feel proud that they were given a role in the process.

Wrapping paper and kid artwork from Mamaguru.com

Speaking of pride, you can also use this opportunity to let kids create their own wrapping paper. Mamaguru has a great post about using children’s artwork to wrap gifts in order to save money and recycle. Let kids create their own paper or use their artwork to wrap their gifts!

Could you cut it as an elf?

Language – Being an elf is hard work! Nina has to work all day to make her special bear. Do your kids think they have what it takes to be an elf? What characteristics does an elf need to be successful? For older kids, you can have them write why they think that they would be a good elf for Santa.

Related Post: Get Moving with the Elf in the House!

Elf Snacks – After doing all of that work for Santa, elves are bound to be hungry! There are lots of cute elf snacks that are easy to make with your kids. Bugle snacks dipped in melted red or green chocolate wafers can be topped with a marshmallow or an M&M at the top.

For a healthier version, slice a banana and cut the tops off of a strawberry. Turn the cut side of the strawberry down and place it on top of the banana. Attach a small marshmallow or bit of whipped cream to the point of the strawberry.

For a little bit of extra work you can make adorable elf donuts out of Cheerios cereal. Dip individual Cheerio’s into chocolate and top them with tiny sprinkles. You can also dip them into powdered sugar to make powdered donuts.

There are so many ways to use this book for dramatic play and holiday fun! What did your kids think about elf life? Do they think they would make good elves?

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