24 easy elf ideas that take five minutes
These 24 easy elf ideas each take about five minutes and use things already in the house, one for every night from 1 to 24 December.
They work for an Elf on the Shelf or any other elf. Elf on the Shelf is a trade mark of its owner; Haevn is not connected with it.
Want all 24 nights in one go? The free elf planner sets them out night by night, and you can print the plan or add it to your calendar.
Which elf ideas take no setting up?
- Hide and seek. Put the elf somewhere new but in plain sight, such as on top of a door frame or behind a plant. The children hunt for it before breakfast.
- Bedtime story. Sit the elf on a shelf with a picture book open on its lap, as if it stayed up reading.
- Sock sleeping bag. Tuck the elf into a clean sock on the arm of the sofa, fast asleep.
- Teddy meeting. Sit the elf in a circle of soft toys, as if it called a meeting in the night.
- Window watcher. Stand the elf on the windowsill facing out, as if it is looking for the way back to the North Pole.
- Upside down. Hang the elf upside down by its feet from a curtain tie-back or a coat hook.
Which ones use the kitchen?
- Wooden spoon boat. Sit the elf in an empty mixing bowl with a wooden spoon for an oar.
- Tea towel hammock. Tie a tea towel between two cupboard handles and lay the elf in it.
- Mug bath. Put the elf in an empty mug with a flannel wrapped round it like a towel.
- Fridge joke. Stick a note to the fridge with a joke from the elf. Why did the elf sit by the fire? To keep its toes toasty.
- Saucepan drum. Leave the elf beside an upturned saucepan with a wooden spoon, as if it was playing music.
- Lookout in the jug. Stand the elf in an empty measuring jug on the worktop, peering over the top.
What can the elf do on a school night?
- Book bag buddy. Sit the elf on top of the book bag by the door with a note that says: have a good day.
- Shoe nap. Tuck the elf into a school shoe, as if it fell asleep waiting for the morning.
- Spelling helper. Leave the elf holding a note with one of this week's spellings on it.
- Coat hook. Hang the elf from the coat hook so it is the first thing anyone sees on the way out.
- Finish my drawing. Leave half a drawing on paper next to the elf, with a note asking the children to finish it after school.
- Two minutes. Sit the elf beside the toothbrushes with a note: two minutes, top and bottom.
What about the last week?
- Sleeps to go. The elf holds a note with the number of sleeps left until Christmas.
- Card sorter. Sit the elf in the pile of Christmas cards, holding one up as if reading it.
- Telescope. Give the elf an empty kitchen roll tube to look through, pointed at the sky.
- Thank you note. The elf leaves a short note saying thank you for something kind it saw that day.
- Stocking check. Hang the elf over the edge of an empty stocking, checking it is ready.
- Goodbye on Christmas Eve. The elf sits by the front door with a short goodbye note, ready to fly home.
How do I plan all 24 nights at once?
Open the free elf planner, choose Easy nights and it picks an idea for every night from 1 to 24 December. You can swap any night, move them around school nights, then print the plan or add it to your calendar.
For the first night, see the elf arrival ideas and free arrival letter.
Frequently asked questions
How early should the elf arrive?
Most families start on 1 December, so there are 24 nights to Christmas Eve. If that feels like a lot, start later. The free elf planner works from any date in December.
What if we forget a night?
Move the elf before the children wake and say it had a quiet night. Keep two of the ideas above in reserve for mornings like that.
Do I need to buy anything?
No. Every idea on this page uses things most homes already have, such as socks, mugs, paper, tea towels and soft toys.
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