Elf Arrival Ideas and a First-Week Plan for Your Christmas Elf

Good elf arrival ideas give the kids something to find on the first morning: the elf in a spot they will notice, and a letter that says who it is and why it came. A balloon ride, a trail of sugar snow or a North Pole breakfast makes the moment bigger, but the letter does most of the work. Most of the ideas below take under fifteen minutes to set up the night before.

Each idea says who it suits and how long it takes. After the list come quick versions for tired parents, ideas for older kids, the arrival letter, a first-week plan and the Christmas Eve goodbye.

1A letter at the breakfast table

• Good forfirst-time elves, any age
• Time5 minutes

Sit the elf next to the cereal bowls with a folded letter in front of it. The letter introduces the elf, explains that it reports to Santa each night and lists a few house rules. Kids who can read will read it out to everyone; younger ones will ask you to.

Every other idea on this list can end with the same letter. Our elf arrival kit has an arrival letter for a new elf, an "I'm Back" letter for a returning one and an elf rules poster with seven rules.

2A hot air balloon ride

• Good forages 3 to 8
• Time10 minutes

Tie three or four helium balloons to a small basket or a paper cup, put the elf inside and anchor the strings to a chair to keep the basket at kid height. If you don't have helium, tape regular balloons to the wall above the elf so it looks like it just landed.

3Through the bedroom door

• Good forages 3 to 7
• Time15 minutes

Tape wrapping paper or butcher paper across the kids' doorway after they fall asleep, and set the elf on the floor just outside with a note. In the morning the kids break through the paper to find it. Warn any early risers in the house first, or you'll hear about it at 5 a.m.

4Footprints in sugar snow

• Good forages 3 to 8
• Time10 minutes

Sprinkle powdered sugar or flour across the kitchen counter and press a trail of small footprints through it with a fingertip, leading to the elf. A small sign saying "fresh from the North Pole" is enough. Put a baking sheet under the snow if you'd rather not scrub the counter.

5Arriving with the advent calendar

• Good forfamilies who start an advent calendar on December 1
• Time5 minutes, if the calendar is ready

Have the elf deliver the calendar. It sits on top of the envelopes or the jar with a note that says it came to help count down to Christmas, and the kids open day 1 together. Two December traditions then start on the same morning, and the elf has a reason to be there.

Our advent activity calendar has 48 activity cards to choose from, so the elf can "pick" the 24 days with you.

6A North Pole delivery box

• Good forages 4 to 9
• Time10 minutes

Put the elf in a shoebox wrapped in brown paper, with a label addressed to the children from the North Pole. Add tissue paper, a candy cane and the arrival letter. Leave it by the front door for the kids to find with the mail.

7A zip line across the room

• Good forages 4 to 10
• Time15 minutes

Run string or ribbon from a high shelf to a lower chair and hang the elf from it with a clothespin, as if it slid in overnight. It works best in a room the kids walk into first thing, like the kitchen.

8A naming ceremony

• Good fora new elf, siblings who'll argue about the name
• Time5 minutes, plus the argument

A new elf arrives without a name, and the kids choose one on the first morning. Write it on a certificate, have everyone sign it and hang it on the fridge. It gives the kids a real job on day one, and siblings who can't agree can each pick a middle name.

The elf arrival kit includes a naming certificate and an elf passport with travel stamps and a space to draw the elf.

9The elf is running late

• Good forthe night you forgot
• Time2 minutes

If the arrival day comes and you haven't set anything up, the elf can leave a note saying it got held up at the North Pole and will arrive tomorrow. That buys a day, and the next morning the elf turns up with a story about the trip. The kit has a "running late" note for exactly this.

10Breakfast from the North Pole

• Good forany age
• Time10 minutes

The elf "made breakfast": pancakes with sprinkles, green-tinted milk, or a donut stack with the elf sitting on top. Save it for the first morning; nobody expects pancakes from the elf every day.

Easy elf arrival ideas for tired parents

The quickest arrival is the elf sitting in the Christmas tree with its letter, which takes two minutes. Other ideas that take five minutes or less:

• The elf wrapped up in a scarf on the sofa, as if cold from the trip.
• The elf in a mug with a few mini marshmallows.
• The elf holding a sign that reads "I'm back!"
• The elf at the window, as if it just climbed in.

Keep the effort for the first morning and the last one. On the days in between, a new spot and a short note are plenty. The elf arrival kit has 24 numbered notes, one for each morning until Christmas Eve, so there's no writing at midnight.

Elf arrival ideas for older kids

Kids of 8 and up may have worked out how the elf gets around. Give them a puzzle or a job:

• A coded arrival letter they decode with a key that the elf "left" in a sock drawer.
• A short treasure hunt, with three or four clues leading from the bedroom to the elf.
• A kindness challenge in the letter, such as helping a sibling or writing a thank-you note.
• An elf who arrives in a fake cast or with a tiny suitcase and a complaint about the flight.

Some families make an older child the elf's helper, in charge of moving it for a younger sibling, which gives them their own reason to keep the tradition.

What to write in an elf arrival letter

An elf arrival letter works best when it is short and specific to your family. Aim for five parts:

1. The children's names at the top, and the elf's name in the signature.
2. Where the elf came from and why: to watch the house and report to Santa each night.
3. The rules: no touching the elf, the elf moves only at night, and the kids can tell it their wishes.
4. One detail only your house has, such as the dog, the new baby or the snowman from last year.
5. A P.S., which kids read first.

For a returning elf, add something it "remembers" from last year. If you'd rather type the letter than handwrite it, our editable elf letters let you fill in the names and up to five house rules online and print Arrival, I'm Back and Goodbye letters in one of three designs.

A first-week plan

Start simple in the first week so you have energy left for the rest of December. Here is one plan:

1. Day 1. The arrival, with the letter and the rules.
2. Day 2. The elf moves somewhere obvious, like the top of the fridge, so the kids learn it moves at night.
3. Day 3. A small kindness challenge, such as drawing a picture for a grandparent.
4. Day 4. Something silly: the elf in the fruit bowl or tangled in the tree lights.
5. Day 5. A note asking the kids what they want to tell Santa. They answer out loud or on paper.
6. Day 6. An easy hiding spot and no note.
7. Day 7. A note saying how the first week went, so the kids hear what the elf reported.

If someone touches the elf during the week, have it leave a note the next morning saying its magic is back. The arrival kit has special notes for that, for an elf that didn't move and for a day when the elf is away.

Elf goodbye ideas for Christmas Eve

The elf leaves on Christmas Eve, and a goodbye letter makes the ending gentle. Mention two or three things the family did together in December, say the elf will be back next year and thank the kids for their help. The editable Goodbye letter has room for up to five favorite moments.

Some families have the elf leave a Christmas Eve box or a letter from Santa on its last night. Our editable letter from Santa lets you write every word yourself and comes with a Nice List certificate, so the elf's last report ends with a result. For more December ideas, see the free Christmas bucket list printable, and for printing tips, how to print printables.