‘Tis the season for that crazy elf to make its appearance in your house again! Here are 10 smart but simple ways to keep things interesting at home without driving yourself crazy.

1. Gone fishin’

Use what’s around you to come up with a fun tableau. The sink makes a great fishing hole, especially with goldfish:

(Note that you can use a coffee stirrer as his fishing pole.)

2. Minions

The kids will go absolutely bananas for this one, and all it really takes is a Sharpie to pull off:

3. Ninja

The best part of this one is that you can stick the elf in a totally unexpected place he’s never been before (like the mud room). Some black felt is all you need:

4. Asleep on a marshmallow dream

If your elf has been working hard lately (say, by ninja-ing around), it might be time for him to take a fluffy break:

5. Sack race

Want to get other toys into the action and keep things simple for yourself? Pick up some brown bags and start the race:

6. Yoga (aka downward-facing elf)

A great way of encouraging budding yogis in your household:

7. Spin the bottle

Especially if, in addition to little ones, you have a teenager or two in the house, they’ll get a kick out of this one:

8. Shaving

What little boy doesn’t want to shave like his dad? (Pick up a travel size of shaving cream for the best effect):

9. Date night

If the kids have ever experienced getting a babysitter in honor of date night, they’ll appreciate this one:

10. Making pancakes

Who says parents are the only ones to make a special breakfast on the weekends?