Elf on the Shelf is a popular Christmas tradition that has been enjoyed by families all over the world. One aspect of this tradition that has gained attention is the concept of "magic beans." These beans are believed to have a special power that allows the Elf on the Shelf to travel back and forth from the North Pole to the homes of children. The idea of magic beans in relation to the Elf on the Shelf tradition adds an element of excitement and wonder to the experience. Children love the idea that their Elf can have a direct line of communication with Santa Claus and can report back to him on their behavior. The magic beans serve as a symbol of this connection, representing the magic and mystery of Christmas.

Fun Elf Idea: Magic Candy Cane Christmas Garden + FREE Printable Poem

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Magic Candy Cane Christmas Garden

Several years ago (as you’ll see from the pictures by how young Lily was!) our Elf on the Shelf, Oboe, left Lily all of the makings for a Magic Candy Cane Christmas Garden. I was first inspired by the many Easter “jelly bean” gardens that I saw cropping up on Pinterest where the kids plant jelly beans the night before Easter and overnight lollipops or some other treat magically “grows” from those jelly beans. This blog post first appeared on my now-defunct side blog, so I’m dusting it off and putting it over here where people will actually see it!

I pulled this one off mostly on a whim. I made the poem (that’s a stretch) up myself and just incorporated material that we had around the house (star confetti, heart confetti, glitter, etc.).

Lily had a blast putting everything together and she talked ALL DAY about what might grow in the garden. The next morning she shrieked with delight when she saw that the round Starlight mints that she planted in the “dirt” (oatmeal) had grown into some candy canes!

Here’s what she found waiting for her that morning:

She wasn’t excited or anything. ;)

She got right to work on her magic candy cane garden! First she poured out some oatmeal on the bottom of the planter. Next it was time to “plant” the peppermints. She laid them in two nice and neat rows before covering them up with more oatmeal.

Don’t forget to sprinkle some glitter or confetti or jimmies on top!

Oboe was only too happy to keep watch over the magic candy cane garden for the rest of that day and overnight. And then, the next morning… well what do you know? A beautiful candy cane garden appeared!

This ended up being such a cute, relatively easy, elf adventure to pull off and she STILL talks about it today, years after the fact.

I put the poem in a cute little printable PDF for you – print right from the PDF or download to your computer and print later!

You can grab our printable tags right here. Simply enter your email address in the box and opt-in to receive our free newsletter. Check your inbox for this printable, which you will receive as a subscriber bonus.

Make sure you check out my huge collection of Elf on the Shelf Ideas for TONS of ideas for your elf!

Check out our Christmas Toy Challenge from Your Elf + FREE Printable Poem! Teach your kiddos to pay it forward while recycling… AND alleviate some clutter in the play room before Santa brings a new delivery!

DID SOMEONE TOUCH THE ELF?! You might need some MAGIC ELF DUST… made even easier with our FREE PRINTABLE!!

Make a DIY LEGO zipline for your elf!!

Other posts you might enjoy…

Magic Seeds Elf on the Shelf Idea

Our Elf on the Shelf delivered magic seeds from Santa and delicious fresh gingerbread cookies grew from the seeds after a few days! We love this funny idea for a Christmas elf along with a Free Printable Letter from Santa.

The magic beans serve as a symbol of this connection, representing the magic and mystery of Christmas. The origin of the magic beans concept is not explicitly stated in the official Elf on the Shelf materials. However, it is likely inspired by the story of Jack and the Beanstalk, where Jack plants magic beans that grow into a giant beanstalk, leading him to a fantastical adventure in the sky.

Fun Elf on the Shelf Idea for Magic Seeds That Grow Cookies

If you have an Elf on the Shelf, he’s probably a pretty fun little guy! Our elf, Peter, delivered a great present to us a few weeks ago and I wanted to share it with you!

Our elf has done a lot of cute things in the past, but this might be one of our favorite elf ideas yet!

Remember when I told you our elf brought me a file containing a copy of Santa’s stationery?

On the same trip to the North Pole, he also brought back some magic seeds! We were very excited to plant them.

How to Write a Letter from Your Elf on the Shelf

If you want a letter from your own elf, be sure to show your elf what Peter wrote to us. Tell your elf to copy the text below and insert it into this –> Free Printable Santa Stationery if he wants to do the same thing!

Copy and past this text below Into Santa’s Stationery:

YOUR ELF’s NAME HERE has told me you have been very good! He was so excited to get back to your house that he wanted to bring you a present. Because you have been behaving nicely, I told him he could take you some of his magic elf seeds.

These seeds are very special and you must be EXTRA good for them to grow!

Follow these instructions carefully:

Plant your seeds in a big bowl of sugar. Then sprinkle with salt, a little each day.

Please take note, if you sprinkle too much they will just fade away.

Be extra good and very patient for the magic to work on the seeds.

For if you misbehave, you might break the magic. I hope you will do good deeds.

If you follow these directions and behave just right.

You should get something special in two short nights.

If you keep being good, I will bring you both a special present on Christmas Eve.

We planted our Magic Elf seeds!

After my kids planted their magic seeds which looked a lot like mini chocolate chips, we waited two nights to see what would grow. Waiting was sure hard!

Look at what grew that afternoon. WOW! Magic cookies!

This HAD to be magic from the North Pole, because the kids knew there was no way I could make such beautiful gingerbread cookies!

Can you believe how cute this turned out?

More Easy Elf on the Shelf Ideas:

• Random Acts of Kindness Elf Returns Idea
• Elf Doctor’s Note
• Funny Quarantine Elf Ideas
• Elf Video Game with Fortnite and Minecraft
• 7 Best Elf on the Shelf Arrival Ideas

What has your elf been up to?

I’d love to hear in the comment section below. Maybe we can all give our elves a few new ideas!

Elf on the shelf magic beans

What is better than a bowl full of jelly beans -- an envelope filled with magic jelly beans (of course!). When it comes to celebrating holidays with children, a little magic goes a long way. In our house: at Halloween we plant magic pumpkin seeds, at Christmas our Elf on the Shelf brings us magic elf seeds , and at Easter the Easter Bunny leaves magic jelly beans in my boys' Easter baskets.

Fun, right? Here's what the envelope looks like, and it's filled with jelly beans.

I've seen a few seed packet templates on Pinterest, but I wanted our jelly beans to come from the Easter Bunny, so I came up with my own design. (To download my magic jelly bean envelope for free, click here .)

As per the Easter Bunny's instructions, you need to plant the jelly beans in sugar, and the next morning there will be a sweet surprise.

Our jelly beans grew into chocolate flowers, but any sort of sucker would work.

What could be more fun than jelly beans that grow into chocolate flowers or another Easter treat? Magic jelly beans are a fun and easy way to add a little magic to the holidays. I hope your little one finds one of these special envelopes in his/her basket on Easter morning.

7 comments:

I had to look at this idea. my boys don't like jelly beans, but love chocolate and the past few years I've left some magic chocolate beans out for them in the mailbox. It says to plant them the night before easter for a special surprise on easter morning and then I put out chocolate lollipops before the egg hunt. when they were 3 this was unbelievably amazing to watch their eyes at the wonder of magic beans. Reply Delete

That sounds like a lot of fun. My boys don't really love jelly beans either . but that is OK, as these ones are for planting, not for eating. :-) Delete

ooooooo. how fun!! I love sweet surprises :) I bet your kiddos just loved that!! Thanks for sharing this at Sharing Saturday. hope to see you again next time. Reply Delete

This was featured at Sharing Saturday this week as a most clicked entry :)

this is awesome - do you have a recipe for the chocolate flowers or are those store bought - thank you for your help - and we are looking forward to this "jellybean planting" Reply Delete

This story has become deeply ingrained in popular culture, and the concept of magic beans has been associated with extraordinary and miraculous events. In the context of the Elf on the Shelf tradition, parents often incorporate the magic bean element in creative ways. Some families leave out a small bag of beans for their Elf to find, while others may have the Elf deliver the beans as a reward for good behavior. The beans can be used as a prop to spark the imagination and encourage children to believe in the magic of Christmas. Overall, the concept of Elf on the Shelf magic beans enhances the enchantment and excitement of the holiday season. It allows children to fully immerse themselves in the magic of Christmas and adds an extra element of fun to the Elf on the Shelf tradition. Whether it's through a creative storyline or a simple prop, the magic beans serve as a tangible representation of the extraordinary connection between the Elf on the Shelf and Santa Claus..

Reviews for "Making Memories: How Elf on the Shelf Magic Beans Create Unforgettable Holiday Traditions"

1. Sarah - 2 out of 5 stars - I was really disappointed with the Elf on the Shelf magic beans. They were hyped up so much, but when I finally tried them, they didn't live up to expectations. The magic beans were supposed to make our Elf fly around the room, but instead, they just sat there like normal beans. It was such a letdown for my kids who were so excited to see the magic happen. I wouldn't recommend wasting your money on these beans.

2. Michael - 1 out of 5 stars - The Elf on the Shelf magic beans were a complete waste of money. Not only did they not do anything magical, but they were also extremely overpriced for what they were. I followed the instructions precisely, but the beans just remained ordinary beans. My kids were so disappointed, and I felt like I had been scammed. Save your money and skip these so-called "magic" beans.

3. Emily - 2 out of 5 stars - I bought the Elf on the Shelf magic beans expecting them to add some excitement to our Christmas tradition. However, they turned out to be a major letdown. The beans did sprout after a few days, but they were just regular green sprouts, not the magical flying beans we were promised. My kids were confused and didn't understand why the beans didn't do anything special. I wouldn't recommend these beans if you're expecting a magical experience.

Adding an Extra Dose of Magic: How Elf on the Shelf Magic Beans Enhance the Holiday Experience