Elf Ball Pit -

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Oh, the ball pit. One of those childhood delights that will always live on in my heart.

One of my favorites as a kid was located at our local fast food restaurant. After I dutifully ate all of my chicken nuggets, I got to race down the slide and land in the ball pit. Then, it became a game of pegging my besties (as they did back) with the plastic ammunition.

The joys of being a kid.

Unfortunately, ball pits aren’t a huge part of my kids childhood. Come to think about it, there aren’t any real classic ball pits around. They’ve been replaced by trampoline parks and bounce houses.

But one winter, when they were little, I made them their very own ball pit in the basement. I took the mini swimming pool and filled it with plastic balls (affiliate). Who knew you could actually buy these for at home use?

They had so much fun “swimming” in the balls. It would make a great activity at a birthday party too. But I digress.

This post isn’t about the kids’ ball pit. It’s about creating an elf ball pit for your Christmas elf to enjoy.

It turns out even elves enjoy a day playing in the ball pit too.

The only difference is that the “balls” aren’t plastic, but soft pom poms. Much better if you have an elf that likes to take aim.

Just so the kids knew what it was, I created a Free Printable Elf Ball Pit Sign. It’s the perfect way to announce this elf sized attraction.

How to Make an Elf Ball Pit

You Will Need:

Small Colorful Pom Poms – lots of them (affiliate)

Paper Bowl (or you could use a small bowl from your kitchen)

Free Printable Elf Ball Pit Sign

Red or Green Striped Paper Straw (affiliate)

Glue Gun (affiliate)

1. Place your elf in a paper bowl. Fill the paper bowl with colorful pom poms. It should look like your elf is swimming in the pom poms.

2. Download the Free Printable Elf Ball Pit Sign. Print on medium to heavy white cardstock (affiliate). Trim using a paper cutter. (affiliate)

3. Cut a paper straw in half. Using hot glue, attach the straw to the bottom of the sign. Let dry.

4. Stick the Elf Ball Pit sign into the ball pit.

What are Some Other Fun Things that I can Plan for my Elf to Do?

Having a Christmas elf has really enlivened our holiday season. I love coming up with creative elf antics. And watching the kids’ excitement discovering where he is each day.

There are lots of things that you can plan for your Christmas elf to do. Fritz, our elf, has enjoyed playing ring toss, sent the kids on a scavenger hunt for candy canes and had a “snowball” fight with marshmallows.

Another thing that I like to do with our Christmas elf is have him announce fun holiday activities that we are doing that day using this “Today Let’s” Elf Sign. He has told them that we are making ornaments, going to watch the trains and decorating cookies.

I used to plan these events using our advent calendar. But by having the elf announce them, I can be a lot more flexible. This let’s me change plans on a dime based on my mood and the weather.

As you brainstorm ideas for your elf, be sure to write them down on your Free Printable Elf Planning Calendar. This will guarantee that your elf doesn’t go to the same place or do the same thing twice.

You can find lots of other ideas for your Christmas elf on our Pinterest Board – Christmas Elf Fun.

Ready to set up your own elf ball pit? Be sure to download this Free Printable Elf Ball Pit Sign.

Love this Elf Ball Pit idea and want to save it for later? Be sure to pin it below.

And if you’re looking for some other Christmas ideas, we have lots of fun holiday activities on our blog. Here are some of our favorites.

Do you have other elf antics that your Christmas elf loves to do? Be sure to leave them in the comments below. We’re always looking for more fun ideas for our Christmas elf.

Happy Celebrating,
Natalie