17 Fun Elf Movie Night Ideas to Spread Christmas Cheer

A family Elf movie night is the perfect way to bring the holiday spirit home, especially if a trip to a New York City department store or a snowball fight in Central Park isn’t on your agenda this year.

While you may not get to stroll through the levels of the candy cane forest or sip the world’s best cup of coffee at McGregor Square, you can still embrace the magic of the season right from your living room.

It’s not often that a classic Christmas movie comes along. For all the new ones that crop up each year, most of them tend to fade out after a few more years. But Elf started strong and has undeniably achieved classic status at this point.

A collage of elf-themed movie night ideas includes a sign listing elf food groups, a bowl of colorful candy, a person dressed as an elf, and a chart for creating whimsical elf names. Text overlay reads "15 Fun Elf Movie Night Ideas." Perfect for an unforgettable elf movie night!

So celebrate with a festive evening filled with holiday cheer, inspired by one of our favorite Christmas movies starring the hilarious Will Ferrell. (Years ago, when I was in college I actually met him, before he was famous – but I digress).

In this post, you’ll find 15 Elf movie night ideas to make your family’s night unforgettable, from a candy cane hot chocolate bar to trivia questions that test your Elf culture knowledge.

And don’t miss my mom-approved Christmas family movie list to keep the holiday movie nights rolling.

Crafts to Bring the North Pole to Life

Get crafty with projects that capture the magic of the season! These activities are a great way to kick off your Elf family movie night.

Make Paper Snowflakes by Press Print Party!

A white paper snowflake, crafted from templates, and an origami piece rest atop red Christmas-themed wrapping paper adorned with festive designs, including penguins and ornaments.

Simple and fun instructions for creating paper snowflakes inspired by the movie Elf, plus free printable snowflake patterns to make crafting even easier. These snowflakes aren’t just a craft—they double as festive holiday decorations!

Buddy Elf Toilet Paper Roll Craft by Finding Myself Young

A whimsical elf figure made from a cardboard roll and paper. The elf has a smiling face with curly hair, wearing a green and yellow outfit with a pointed hat adorned with a red feather.

This printable toilet paper roll craft gives your kids their very own Buddy the Elf to play with. They can recreate Buddy’s adventures or make up new ones.

Jovie The Elf Photo Craft by Simple Everyday Mom

Two paper elf crafts on a marble surface, featuring cut-out photos of children's faces. The left elf wears green and yellow with a pointy hat, and the right elf wears pink and red with a similar hat. Wrapped gifts are partially visible.

This printable makes a unique Elf movie night craft that kids will love. Turn your little ones into Jovie and Buddy by adding their picture into this craft project.

Christmas Hat Craft by Two Kids and a Coupon

A green cone-shaped Christmas tree made from paper, decorated with a red glitter spiral and white cotton at the base, sits on a blue background. Colorful paper trees hang in the background, with red and green pom-poms nearby.

Nothing says Elf like Buddy’s iconic elf hat. Kids can make a hat with this elf craft project. Feel free to make it just like the movie or take some wild unique liberties and go for an interesting result.

Deck Your Space with Elf Movie Night Decorations

Transform your home into the North Pole—or at least your version of it—with whimsical decorations. String popcorn, hang snowflakes, and add pops of green and red to set the scene.

Printable “Elf” Movie Themed Holiday Tags by For the Love of Food

A festive basket containing a cup with an elf design, a small bottle of alcohol, and a holiday tag. The tag reads, "The best way to spread Christmas cheer is singing loud for all to hear.

Decorated with custom art and decorative text, these movie quote tags are the perfect little item to add a bit of Elf to your decor. Print the printable template out on to cardstock to add a little more durability.

You may also like my own version of Elf quote tags in the shop.

20 elf movie quotes christmas gift tags. Press Print Party!

There's room for everyone on the nice list.

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20 Elf Movie Quotes Christmas Gift Tags

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Nice List Elf Quote Sign by Artsy Fartsy Mama

Festive sign with the text "There's room for everyone on the nice list" in bold black, red, and green letters. Decorative elements include small ornaments and colorful candy on a red background.

With so many quotable quotes in this movie, an argument over the best Elf quote might take as long as the actual movie itself! But, this sign shares the one that best sums up the theme of the movie. There’s room for everyone on the nice list.

Elf Christmas Labels by Stephanie Rachelle

A display of holiday-themed cards held by small candy canes on a slate surface. Each card features humorous quotes. In the background, trays filled with confections are visible, adding a festive touch to the scene.

Featuring iconic quotes and vibrant designs inspired by the movie Elf, these printable labels are perfect as fun additions to your Elf movie night.

Elf Movie Night Printable Pack by Just Add Confetti

A festive holiday setup featuring a bottle of North Pole maple syrup next to a sign listing elf food groups: candy, candy canes, candy corn, and syrup. Bright colors and sweets create a cheerful atmosphere.

Packed with colorful designs and clever details inspired by the movie, this set includes everything you need to transform your family movie night into a magical celebration. From an invitation to signs, these printables are the perfect way to add extra cheer to your favorite Christmas movie night!

Snacks Worthy of Buddy the Elf

Movie night food has never been this fun—or sugary! Include Buddy’s favorite main food groups: candy, candy canes, candy corn, and maple syrup. Pair sweet treats with savory snacks for balance, and don’t forget to set up a hot chocolate bar or coffee bar for a cozy way to warm up.

Elf Movie Cookies by Lovely Indeed

A marble surface with red and green round cookies featuring embossed text. Small decorative pink and green Christmas trees are scattered around the cookies.

Buddy loves all things sweet, so sugar cookies are a no-brainer. Check the recipe for baking and stamping tips to ensure these cookies look as great as possible.

Buddy The Elf Cupcakes by Simplistically Living

Festive cupcakes topped with creamy white frosting, colorful candies, and small marshmallows. A cutout of a grinning person's face is blurred in the background, adding a playful touch to the holiday-themed scene.

Everybody remembers Buddy’s infamous dinner scene. Fun fact: They didn’t have the budget to make prop food, so he had to actually eat it. Recreate the meal in a much tastier fashion with these cupcakes.

Holiday DIY Movie Night Snack Tray by Made in a Pinch

A festive tray with popcorn, gingerbread cookies, peppermint candies, chocolate cookies, and candy canes. Small bowls hold red and green candies. Christmas theme with a small tree and berries in the background.

Prepare a snack tray to offer a little bit of what everyone likes. Feel free to substitute items to suit the movie. Just no spaghetti noodles.

Peppermint Hot Chocolate by Sweet Fix Baker

A cup of hot chocolate topped with whipped cream and red sprinkles sits on a scalloped saucer. A candy cane is hooked on the cup's handle. In the background, blurred candy canes and marshmallows are visible.

Although Buddy talks a fair amount about coffee, we all know that, at heart, Buddy is a sucker for hot cocoa. This recipe for homemade cocoa is second to none, with just a hint of peppermint.

White Chocolate Chex Snack Mix by Little Black Skillet

A tray filled with a festive snack mix, including cereal pieces, pretzels, peanuts, and red and green candies, coated in a white, sugary glaze. Two small bowls with the same snack mix are next to the tray on a red-checkered cloth.

This recipe didn’t appear anywhere in the movie. But if Buddy ever wrote a cookbook, you can bet this Chex mix would be in it. It even has Bugles, which are shaped exactly like his elf hat.

100 fun and easy Christmas appetizer ideas for a Christmas party. christmas appetizer ideas, impress your guests - bread, charcuterie, dips, salads, pastries, cheese balls, cookies, desserts - Press Print Party!

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Christmas Appetizers

Activities to Keep the Holiday Spirit High

Make your Elf movie night unforgettable with party games, Elf trivia questions, and even an indoor snowball fight! These activities are sure to bring holiday cheer and keep everyone entertained all night long.

What’s Your Elf Name? by Mommy Made That

A festive chart titled "What's Your Elf Name?" features lists to match your name's initial and birth month with a fun elf name. Decorative elements include a cartoon elf and candy canes. Also includes contact info for "mommymadethat.com" at the bottom.

Discover the unique elf names of each family member with this free printable. Prepare for a laughter-filled night as you lovingly address one another with your newfound elf identities.

Elf Coloring Pages by The Best Ideas for Kids

Four black and white Christmas scenes: 1) an elf with gifts, 2) an elf holding a candy cane, 3) Santa giving a gift to a child, 4) elves carrying presents. Cute holiday illustrations for coloring.

One thing about movie nights is that younger kids are liable to lose interest, no matter how good the movie is. Print out these Elf coloring pages beforehand so you can break them out any time the littles get restless.

Indoor Snowball Fight

A child wearing a pink knitted hat holds a white snowball in one hand. The background is a bright blue, and the child is smiling, wearing a cozy white sweater. Only half of the child's face is visible in the image.

Bring the magic of a winter wonderland indoors with an epic snowball fight—no frostbite required! Use crinkled paper balls for a DIY option, or grab a bag of soft snowballs for a safer, mess-free alternative.

Set up pillow forts for added fun and dive into a flurry of laughter and friendly competition.

Elf Trivia Game – by Flanders Family Home Life

A colorful Christmas trivia quiz sheet features the theme "Elf." It includes various questions related to the movie, such as Santa's shocking words to Buddy and Papa Elf's warnings. The sheet is placed on a background of colorful gumballs.

Test your Elf knowledge with this free printable Elf Christmas Trivia page! Perfect for holiday movie nights, this trivia sheet is packed with fun questions to challenge the most dedicated fans.