Elf on the Shelf is quite popular in families with young children. Each day I go into an “elf” home for speech therapy, the kids cannot wait to tell me where the elf was or what it was doing. We talk about their names and how many elves are in the house…yes several houses have more than 1 elf! After many trials of correcting the articlulation, I thought “why not use the Elf on the Shelf as a tool for speech and language fun?”
Here we go! I searched Pinterest for some of the popular elf sheningans to dissect the speech and language targets that are easy for parents to use! This particular post is just for the elf’s arrival and how you can use it as a speech and langauge opportunity.
Elf Arrivals
Elf Arrival #1
This is an easy one! Stick the elf in the blinds with the head, arms and legs sticking out of the blinds. Attach a sign that reads “Help! I got stuck in the blinds coming back to see you!” Now here’s how you can use it for speech and language. Here are some questions to ask: Where is your elf? What happened to the elf? How can the elf get out? Some great speech therapy words for the child working on “k” sounds are “stuck,” “coming,” and “back” as well as the s blend word “stuck.”
Elf Arrival #2
Here’s another easy one. You just need a gift box and maybe some tissue paper to fill it in. You could also use a small gift bag. The elf’s upper body just needs to be seen. Add a little note like “Surprise! I’m back! Ready for fun?!’ I like this idea for language. Ask questions like: “where is the elf?” “what kind of fun do you think the elf will bring?” “Your elf is here to keep an eye on you. What are some good choices you could make?” Obviously with really little ones (preschool age), these last two questions will be a little tough for them to answer. But it’s still good to model some examples of answers.
Elf Arrival #3
This idea takes a little of time so it’s better used on a morning that is not a busy one. Position the elf on the kitchen counter awaiting the kids with a box of pancake mix or muffin mix. Add a little note that reads, “The ride from the North Pole was long! I’m starving! Let’s make breakfast.” Cooking even from a premade mix is a great language activity. Have the kids (along with your elf) assist with make breakfast that morning. You can find doll size baking props at Walmart or Target. (I got mine from Walmart in their “American Doll” type aisle.) If that’s not an option, just grab your real life props like a mixing bowl and whisk. Talk about the steps to make pancakes (or muffins), the ingredients needed, safety in the kitchen, and measuring. This would also be a fun activity for kids working on ‘s’ blends with words like “scoop,” “spoon,” “stir,” “breakfast,” “spatula,” and “spray.”
Note: This is an idea you could use at anytime of the month. Just change your note to read “Want to make breakfast?” Make the note to just say “breakfast” so you can reuse for a different morning!
Idea #4
I’m bringing you another easy one…that could be recycled throughout the holiday season. Sometimes, after a long day of travel, we just want a nice hot bath right? So does the elf. Plop that elf in a mug! Cover it with cotton balls or marshmellows with a note that reads “After the long journey, I needed a nice hot bubble bath!” Questions to ask: “where is the elf?” “what did the elf need to take a bubble bath?” “what do you like to have in the tub?” Speech sounds to target: “bath” and “bathtub” are great for those working on “th.”
You’re already spending time to move the elf each day until Christmas. Have some fun with it while growing your child’s speech and language skills! They will be having so much fun, they won’t even realize they are also learning.
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