Zip Line Across the Living Room
A classic for a reason: the elf zooms across the room on a string zip line.
10 min setup No mess 2 items
23 Funny Elf on the Shelf Ideas
These are the ones that get the biggest giggles at breakfast. Some are a little cheeky, none are mean, and the mess rating tells you what you are signing up for.
23 ideas
Marshmallow Bubble Bath
The elf relaxes in a bowl or sink of mini marshmallows like it is a bubble bath.
5 min setup No mess 4 items
Toilet Paper Snowman
The elf builds a snowman out of stacked toilet rolls with a drawn-on face.
10 min setup No mess 4 items
Flour Snow Angel
The elf makes a snow angel in a dusting of flour on the kitchen counter.
5 min setup Messy 2 items
Fishing for Goldfish Crackers
The elf sits by a bowl of water “fishing” for fish-shaped crackers or sweets.
10 min setup A little mess 4 items
Sticky Note Graffiti
The elf covers a mirror or door in sticky notes spelling a message or making a picture.
15 min setup No mess 1 item
Toy Hostage Ransom Note
The elf ties up a favourite toy with tinsel and leaves a cheeky “ransom” note asking for cookies.
5 min setup No mess 3 items
Toilet-Papered Christmas Tree
The elf drapes toilet paper all over the Christmas tree like garland.
5 min setup A little mess 1 item
Caught in the Cookie Jar
The elf is found head-first in the biscuit tin with crumbs everywhere.
3 min setup No mess 2 items
Bubble Wrap Floor
The elf covers the hallway floor in bubble wrap so the first steps of the morning go pop.
5 min setup No mess 3 items
Morning Elf Yoga
The elf strikes a yoga pose on a folded tea towel with a little water bottle beside them.
3 min setup No mess 2 items
Chilling in the Fridge
The elf is found “chilling out” inside the fridge, wearing sunglasses made of paper.
3 min setup No mess 2 items
Tangled in the Tree Lights
The elf has got themselves hopelessly tangled in a spare string of fairy lights.
3 min setup No mess 1 item
Snowball Fight
The elf is in the middle of a snowball fight with soft toys using mini marshmallows or cotton wool balls.
5 min setup No mess 2 items
Wrapped Bedroom Door
Your child’s bedroom door is wrapped like a present overnight — they burst through the paper.
15 min setup A little mess 3 items
Pool Party in a Sink
The elf throws a pool party with sweets as inflatables and a straw as a slide.
5 min setup A little mess 3 items
Sock Snowman Workshop
The elf has been raiding the sock drawer to make little sock snowmen.
15 min setup A little mess 3 items
North Pole Weather Report
The elf presents the North Pole weather with a hand-drawn map stuck on the fridge.
5 min setup No mess 3 items
Sprinkle Footprints
A trail of tiny footprints in icing sugar or sprinkles leads from the window to the elf.
5 min setup A little mess 1 item
Moustaches on Family Photos
The elf has “drawn” moustaches on the family photos — using sticky notes or a dry-wipe pen on the glass.
5 min setup No mess 3 items
Elf Camping Trip
The elf pitches a tent made from a napkin with a pretend campfire of orange paper.
10 min setup No mess 4 items
Stuck in Slime
The elf has fallen into a bowl of green jelly or slime and is waiting to be rescued.
5 min setup Messy 2 items
Diving Board
The elf dives off a ruler balanced on books into a mug of hot chocolate.
5 min setup No mess 3 items
Plan the whole month
One idea for every night from 1 to 24 December.