Dear you,
Tonight I’m going to…
Builds a book fort
Books stacked into walls on the floor with a dish towel roof, the elf inside reading the smallest one by the light of a flashlight.
Love, the elf ✨
- 5 min
- no mess
- quiet
- Books
Tonight’s note from the elf
The 24-night plan
An advent calendar of ideas, 1 December to Christmas Eve, from what you ticked: the elf arrives on the 1st, goes home on the 24th, and no idea comes twice. Open a door a night.
All 60 elf ideas, drawn
See the set-up before you build it. Pick one and it becomes tonight’s note.
The elf arrives with a letter
Sit the elf by the door with a little letter: “I’m back! I’ll be watching for kindness and reporting to Santa every night.” Sign it with a tiny footprint drawn in pen.
- 5 min
- no mess
- Paper and pens
For the night the elf arrives
Arrives in a wrapped parcel
Wrap a small box with the elf inside, head poking out, with a gift tag: “Special delivery from the North Pole for the children.”
- 5 min
- no mess
- Wrapping paper and ribbon
For the night the elf arrives
Goodbye until next year
On Christmas Eve the elf leaves a note by the stocking: “Santa needs me back at the North Pole tonight. You’ve been brilliant, the children. See you next year!” A sprinkle of powdered sugar or glitter for the magic.
- 5 min
- no mess
- Paper and pens
For Christmas Eve, the last night
A snow angel in flour
A thin layer of flour on a tray or the counter, the elf lying in it with arms out, and the angel shape beside where the elf rolled over.
- 5 min
- messy
- Flour
A marshmallow bubble bath
A cereal bowl of mini marshmallows, the elf sitting in it with a bit of paper towel as a towel and a toothbrush close by.
- 5 min
- a little mess
- Marshmallows
Wraps the Christmas tree in toilet paper
Wind a roll round and round the tree, the elf sitting on the branches holding the end, looking pleased.
- 5 min
- a little mess
- Toilet paper
Wrapped up like a mummy
Wind toilet paper round the elf from toes to chin, eyes peeping out, propped on the bathroom shelf.
- 5 min
- no mess
- Toilet paper
A zipline across the room
Tie string from the curtain pole to a chair back, hang the elf from it by a hair tie or a loop of tape, halfway across.
- 5 min
- no mess
- String or wool
Builds a tower overnight
The elf at the top of the tallest tower the bricks will make, with a tiny paper flag that says “the elf was here”.
- 10 min
- no mess
- Lego or building bricks
Locked in a Lego jail
The teddies have had enough: the elf sits inside four brick walls with a teddy on guard and a sign saying “No more mischief”.
- 5 min
- no mess
- Lego or building bricks
- Toys and teddies
A tea party with the toys
Teddies round a dish towel on the floor, a cup each (egg cups or bottle tops), the elf pouring from the tiniest jug you can find.
- 5 min
- no mess
- Toys and teddies
Caught in the fridge
Open the fridge in the morning to find the elf sitting in the cheese drawer with a bite taken out of something and a guilty look.
- 2 min
- no mess
- The fridge and cupboards
Draws faces on the eggs
A pen face on every egg in the box, each a little different, and the elf sitting in the empty cup holding the pen.
- 2 min
- no mess
- The fridge and cupboards
- Paper and pens
Writes on the bananas
Scratch a message into the banana skins with a toothpick (“Hi the children!”): by morning the letters have gone brown and show. The elf leans on the bunch.
- 2 min
- no mess
- The fridge and cupboards
Snowman faces on the cereal boxes
A snowman face, a carrot nose and a scarf drawn on each cereal box, the elf sitting on top with the pen.
- 2 min
- no mess
- Cereal
- Paper and pens
A snowball fight with cereal
Two teddies behind cushion walls, a scatter of cereal puffs between them, the elf mid-throw.
- 2 min
- a little mess
- Cereal
- Toys and teddies
Asleep in a sock
The elf tucked into a big fluffy sock on the pillow of the sofa, a cotton-ball ball for a pillow and a tissue for a blanket.
- 2 min
- no mess
- Socks
A sock puppet show
Two socks over your hands with pen faces, posed over the back of the sofa, the elf in the front row with a toy audience.
- 5 min
- no mess
- Socks
- Toys and teddies
Tangled in the fairy lights
A spare string of lights wound round the elf on the floor, switched on, with a note: “Help! I was only trying to decorate.”
- 5 min
- no mess
- Fairy lights
- Paper and pens
Spells a word in fairy lights
Lay the lights out on the floor to spell the children or HO HO HO, the elf holding the plug end.
- 10 min
- no mess
- Fairy lights
Floats away on a balloon
Tape a bit of string from the elf’s hands to a blown-up balloon and hang it from the ceiling or the light, the elf dangling.
- 5 min
- no mess
- Balloons
- Sticky tape
A message inside a balloon
Roll a note up small, push it into a balloon, blow it up and tie it. The elf holds a pin and a sign: “Pop me to read it.”
- 5 min
- no mess
- Balloons
- Paper and pens
Taped to the wall by the teddies
Strips of tape across the elf’s arms and legs holding the elf to the wall at child height, a teddy with the tape roll looking innocent.
- 5 min
- no mess
- Sticky tape
- Toys and teddies
Climbs a tape ladder
Short strips of tape up the wall or a cupboard door for rungs, the elf halfway up on the way to the cookie jar.
- 5 min
- no mess
- Sticky tape
Cuts out paper snowflakes
Fold and snip four or five snowflakes, tape them to the window and leave the elf at the table with the scissors and the scraps.
- 10 min
- a little mess
- Paper and pens
- Sticky tape
Leaves footprints in powdered sugar
Dust powdered sugar on a tray or a dark counter and press tiny footprints across it with two fingertips, the elf at the end of the trail.
- 5 min
- messy
- Powdered sugar
Flour handprints everywhere
Dip the elf’s hands in flour and press them along the kitchen counter, with a note: “It wasn’t me.”
- 5 min
- messy
- Flour
Sits inside a snow globe
The elf inside an upturned glass jar or vase on a saucer of flour, a few cotton-ball clouds, like a snow globe.
- 5 min
- a little mess
- Flour
- Cotton balls
A cotton-ball snowball fight
Cotton-ball balls scattered across the hall, a few teddies ducking behind the stairs, the elf with a ball in each hand.
- 5 min
- no mess
- Cotton balls
- Toys and teddies
Grows a Santa beard
A tuft of cotton balls taped under the elf’s chin, a red sock for a hat, practising “Ho ho ho” in the mirror.
- 2 min
- no mess
- Cotton balls
- Sticky tape
- Socks
Builds a marshmallow igloo
Marshmallows stacked in a ring on a plate with a dab of icing or honey to stick them, the elf peeping out of the doorway.
- 10 min
- a little mess
- Marshmallows
Swaps the faces in the family photos
Cut small paper circles, draw the elf’s face on each and tape one over every face in a photo frame. The elf sits beside it, pen in hand.
- 10 min
- no mess
- Paper and pens
- Sticky tape
Races toy cars down the stairs
A line of toy cars down the stairs or along the hall, a paper finish line taped across the end, the elf in the lead car.
- 5 min
- no mess
- Toys and teddies
- Paper and pens
Goes fishing in the sink
A pencil for a rod, string for a line and a candy on the end, the elf sitting on the tap above a sink of water with a few bath toys floating.
- 5 min
- a little mess
- String or wool
- Candy or chocolate coins
- A bath or sink
Sails a boat in the bath
A plastic tub or lunchbox as a boat in a shallow bath or sink, the elf aboard with a teddy crew and a paper sail.
- 5 min
- a little mess
- A bath or sink
- Paper and pens
Climbs to the top of the tree
Nothing to it: the elf sitting right at the top of the tree, next to the star, legs dangling.
- 2 min
- no mess
Hangs from the lampshade
The elf hanging upside down from the lampshade by the knees, arms out, as if mid-swing.
- 2 min
- no mess
Hides in the stocking
Just a hat and two eyes showing over the top of the children’s stocking. A quiet one for a busy night.
- 2 min
- no mess
A candy in every shoe
One candy or chocolate coin tucked into each shoe by the door, the elf sitting in the biggest boot.
- 2 min
- no mess
- Candy or chocolate coins
Gift-wraps the bedroom door
Wrapping paper taped across the children’s doorway (or the whole door) with a bow, the elf sitting on the handle. They burst through in the morning.
- 10 min
- a little mess
- Wrapping paper and ribbon
- Sticky tape
Wraps the toilet in ribbon
Ribbon round the toilet with a big bow on the lid and a tag: “Do not open until Christmas.” the elf on the cistern.
- 5 min
- no mess
- Wrapping paper and ribbon
Builds a book fort
Books stacked into walls on the floor with a dish towel roof, the elf inside reading the smallest one by the light of a flashlight.
- 5 min
- no mess
- Books
Reads the bedtime book
The elf propped against a cushion with the children’s favorite book open on the right page and a flashlight beside it. Ready for a story in the morning.
- 2 min
- no mess
- Books
A message on the bathroom mirror
Write “Good morning the children!” on the mirror in a whiteboard pen or a squiggle of toothpaste, the elf sitting by the tap with the pen.
- 2 min
- a little mess
Hide and seek, warm or cold
Hide the elf somewhere hard and leave a note on the table: “Find me! I’ll be the one saying ‘warmer… colder…’ in your head.”
- 5 min
- no mess
- Paper and pens
Leaves a joke
A Christmas joke on a slip of paper under the breakfast bowl: “What do you call an elf who sings? A wrapper.” the elf nearby with a pen.
- 2 min
- no mess
- Paper and pens
Swaps the bedroom door names
Paper name signs on each bedroom door, all mixed up, so the grown-ups are in the children’s room. The elf by the last one, pen in hand.
- 5 min
- no mess
- Paper and pens
- Sticky tape
A paper chain to count the sleeps
A loop for every sleep left until Christmas, taped into a chain with the elf holding the end. Tear one off each morning.
- 10 min
- no mess
- Paper and pens
- Sticky tape
Spins a web across the hall
String criss-crossed across the hallway at knee height, taped to the walls, the elf caught in the middle. A laser maze to get to breakfast.
- 10 min
- no mess
- String or wool
- Sticky tape
Announces a movie night
A paper ticket for tonight: “Admit the whole family. Christmas movie, pajamas, popcorn.” the elf sitting on the remote.
- 5 min
- no mess
- Paper and pens
Sets up hot chocolate for the morning
Mugs out with a spoonful of cocoa in each, marshmallows or a candy on top, the elf sitting in the biggest mug.
- 5 min
- no mess
- The fridge and cupboards
A note from Santa’s hotline
A tiny “phone” (a candy wrapper or a bit of card) and a note: “Called Santa tonight. Told him about the children being kind at dinner. He was very pleased.”
- 2 min
- no mess
- Paper and pens
A thank-you for something kind
The elf leaves a note naming the kind thing the children really did today (“you shared your snack”), signed “I saw that. Santa knows.”
- 2 min
- no mess
- Paper and pens
Sets a kindness mission
A folded note: “Today’s mission: say something kind to three people, and I’ll tell Santa tonight.” the elf on the breakfast table beside it.
- 2 min
- no mess
- Paper and pens
Picks a toy to give away
The elf sits on an empty bag with a note: “Could you pick a toy you’ve finished with for a child who hasn’t got one? I’ll make sure it gets there.” Then take it to a toy appeal together.
- 5 min
- no mess
- Toys and teddies
- Paper and pens
Makes cards for the neighbours
Folded paper, a few drawn baubles and a candy taped inside each; the elf at the table surrounded by the pens, with one card left for the children to finish.
- 10 min
- a little mess
- Paper and pens
- Candy or chocolate coins
Polishes the school shoes
The elf beside the school shoes, shined up, with a cloth in hand and a note: “Ready for the morning. Have a good day, the children.”
- 2 min
- no mess
Posts the letter to Santa
The elf sits by an envelope addressed to Santa, with a pen and a note: “Write your letter today and I’ll take it tonight.” Type and print one, with Santa’s reply, on the letter to Santa maker.
- 2 min
- no mess
- Paper and pens
Brings the children’s Christmas list
The elf arrives with a list to fill in (print the free one) and a note: “Santa’s asked what you’d love this year. Grown-ups: put it in a wish book the family can see, so nobody buys the same thing twice.”
- 5 min
- no mess
- Paper and pens
Leaves a drawing of last night
A quick pen drawing of the elf and the children doing something together (a snowball fight, a dance) with “Last night was fun!” the elf holding the pen.
- 5 min
- no mess
- Paper and pens
Let the elf bring the Christmas list
One night the elf arrives with a list to fill in. Put it in a free wish book: grandparents, aunties and friends see it on their phones and circle what they’re getting, so nobody doubles up and your child never sees who.
Or type the letter to Santa and print Santa’s reply.
Questions
- Is it free?
- Yes. Tick what’s in the house, read the elf’s note for tonight, print the 24-night plan. No sign-up, no email, nothing to download.
- What if I’ve only got five minutes and no energy?
- Pick “No mess” and “2 minutes”: there are plenty of nights where the elf just hides in the stocking, climbs the tree or leaves a note. The plan mixes quick nights in with the bigger ones.
- Is anything saved or sent?
- No. What you tick and your plan stay in this browser so a reload doesn’t lose them, and nothing is sent to us or to anyone else.
- Can I change a night I don’t fancy?
- Yes: open the door and press Swap for a different idea the plan hasn’t used, or “Make a new plan” to start over. The elf always arrives on 1 December and goes home on Christmas Eve.
- Does this work with any elf?
- Yes. The ideas are for any Christmas elf, whatever it’s called. Elf on the Shelf is a trademark of CCA and B, LLC; Wishorium isn’t connected to it.
- Why does the elf bring a Christmas list?
- Because it’s the easiest way to find out what your child would love. Put the list in a free wish book: grandparents and aunties see it on their phones and circle what they’re getting, so nobody doubles up and your child never sees who.
Elf on the Shelf® is a registered trademark of CCA and B, LLC. Wishorium isn’t connected to it: these are our own ideas for any Christmas elf.