Elf on the Shelf 24-Day Plan
One idea for every night from 1 to 24 December. Quick ideas fall on school nights, bigger ones near weekends, and the elf arrives and says goodbye in style. Print it and stick it inside a cupboard door.
| Day | Idea | Setup | Done |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | North Pole Arrival Breakfast Mini doughnuts or cereal · Hot chocolate · Mini marshmallows · Welcome note | 10 min | |
| 2 | Paper Chain Countdown Coloured paper · Tape or glue | 20 min | |
| 3 | Marshmallow Bubble Bath Mini marshmallows · Bowl or mug · Cotton bud · Tissue | 5 min | |
| 4 | Message on the Mirror Dry-wipe marker or a bar of soap | 3 min | |
| 5 | Toilet Paper Snowman 3 toilet rolls · Paper and marker · Tape · Scarf or sock | 10 min | |
| 6 | Kindness Challenge Card Card · Pen | 2 min | |
| 7 | Zip Line Across the Living Room String or ribbon · Candy cane or clothes peg | 10 min | |
| 8 | Candy Cane Hunt Candy canes · Note | 10 min | |
| 9 | Caught in the Cookie Jar Cookie jar · Biscuits | 3 min | |
| 10 | Santa Letter Helper Paper · Crayons · Envelope | 5 min | |
| 11 | Snowball Fight Mini marshmallows or cotton wool balls · Soft toys | 5 min | |
| 12 | Elf Movie Night Popcorn · Cupcake cases · TV remote · Paper tickets | 10 min | |
| 13 | Toy Hostage Ransom Note Soft toy · Tinsel or ribbon · Note | 5 min | |
| 14 | Toy Donation Box Empty box · Gift tag | 5 min | |
| 15 | Fishing for Goldfish Crackers Bowl · Pencil or candy cane · String · Fish crackers or gummy fish | 10 min | |
| 16 | Ice Skating on Foil Tinfoil · Paper clips | 5 min | |
| 17 | Elf Bake-Off Rolling pin · Cookie cutters · Flour · Wooden spoon | 10 min | |
| 18 | Sticky Note Graffiti Sticky notes | 15 min | |
| 19 | Hide and Seek Note | 2 min | |
| 20 | Building a Mini Gingerbread House Rectangular biscuits · Icing · Sweets | 20 min | |
| 21 | Making Reindeer Food Oats · Sprinkles · Bowl · Small bag | 5 min | |
| 22 | Packing for the North Pole Small box or pencil case · Paper tag | 10 min | |
| 23 | Sleigh Lookout 2 toilet-roll tubes · Tape | 3 min | |
| 24 | Goodbye Letter and Gift Goodbye letter · Small gift | 10 min |
How to use this plan
Check the next day’s props when you put the kids to bed, so you are never caught short at 11pm. If you miss a night, skip to the next day — the elf can always claim they were “too comfy to move”.
Want something different? Swap any day for one of our last-minute ideas or funny ideas.