122 Elf on the Shelf Ideas
Every idea lists the prep time, the mess and what you need from home, so you can choose in a few seconds. Filter by time below, or let us pick one for you.
122 ideas
-
Bookshelf Book Club
-
Breakfast Peekaboo
-
Brushing Before Bed
-
Candy Cane Fencing Match
-
Candy Cane Heart
-
Caught in the Cookie Jar
-
Cereal Swimming Pool
-
Chilling in the Fridge
-
Cinnamon Magic Fix
-
Coat Pocket Hideout
-
Curtain Rod Hangout
-
Delayed by Fog: Late Arrival
-
Elf Grocery List
-
Elf in the Reading Corner
-
Elf on Dish Duty
-
Elf Sick Day
-
Elf Takes Attendance
-
Fruit Bowl Lounge
-
Hiding From the Dog
-
Houseplant Jungle Explorer
-
Kitchen Scale Weigh-In
-
Lampshade Lookout
-
Laundry Mountain Sledding
-
Lights Out in the Fridge
-
Magic Carpet Arrival
-
Midnight Snack Raid
-
Mirror Message
-
Morning Elf Yoga
-
Ornament in Disguise
-
Peekaboo Elf
-
Remote Control Takeover
-
Snow Day at the North Pole
-
Sock Sleeping Bag
-
Special Delivery Gift Bag
-
Teddy Bear Sleepover
-
Toilet Paper Holder Swing
-
Top of the Tree
-
Toy Car Road Trip
-
Two-Elf Arm Wrestling
-
Two-Elf Seesaw
-
Window Lookout
-
Your Elf Got Lost
-
Your Elf Overslept
-
Candy Cane Fishing
-
Candy Cane Garland
-
Candy Cane Hike
-
Candy Cane Hockey
-
Candy Cane Limbo Under the Tree
-
Cereal Box Sled Ride
-
Cereal Ring Toss Breakfast
-
Coffee Filter Parachute Landing
-
Dino Parade
-
Elf Pickleball Match
-
Elf Podcast Studio
-
Elf Spa Day
-
Elf Unboxing Video
-
Fridge Door Climb
-
Fridge Magnet Message
-
Gift Tag Inspector
-
Good Morning in Cereal
-
Googly Eye Eggs
-
Hot Cocoa Welcome
-
Ice Fishing in the Freezer
-
Marshmallow Bubble Bath
-
Marshmallow Message
-
Marshmallow Mountain Climb
-
Message in a Jar Goodbye
-
North Pole Weather Forecast
-
Packed for the North Pole
-
Pencil Parade
-
Ribbon Rope Climb
-
Santa's Cookie Quality Check
-
Sleigh Pickup Spot
-
Slipper Sleigh Arrival
-
Snow Globe Arrival
-
Story Time with Your Elf
-
Tiny Suitcase Arrival
-
Toilet Paper Bowling
-
Toilet Paper Fort
-
Toilet Paper Mummy Wrap
-
Toilet Paper Ski Slope
-
Toilet Paper Snowman
-
Topsy-Turvy Morning
-
Two-Elf Car Race
-
Two-Elf Cookie Bake-Off
-
Two-Elf Snowball Fight
-
Two-Elf Tea Party
-
Two-Elf Tug-of-War
-
Veggie Drawer Garden
-
Wrapped Like a Present
-
Zip Line Arrival
-
Candy Cane Treasure Hunt
-
Cereal Box Puzzle
-
Cereal Necklace Station
-
Cereal Taste Test
-
Classroom Kindness Mailbox
-
Elf Breakfast Diner
-
Elf Passport Arrival
-
Elf Puzzle Night
-
Elf Silent Disco
-
Elf World Record Attempt
-
Goodbye Coupon Book
-
Hidden Elf Hats
-
Jar of Leftover Magic
-
Kind Words on Every Desk
-
Marshmallow Catapult
-
Marshmallow Snowball Fight
-
Marshmallow Snowman Kit
-
Math Snowball Fight
-
Paper Cup Hot Air Balloon
-
Paper Mustache Mayhem
-
Reindeer Food Station
-
Secret Code Note
-
Snowflake Trail Goodbye
-
Snowy Footprint Entrance
-
Sock Party Garland
-
Sticky Note Takeover
-
Toilet Paper Tree Garland
-
Welcome Back Paper Chain
-
Elf Escape Room
-
Elf Scavenger Hunt
-
Marshmallow Igloo
How to choose tonight's idea
- Start with your time. Most nights, a 2- or 5-minute idea is plenty.
- Check the mess. If mornings are rushed, pick "No mess".
- Look at what you have. Every idea uses things from home.
Questions
What is the easiest elf idea?
Pick any 2-minute idea: a new spot, a sock sleeping bag or a snow day note. They need nothing but things you already have.
What if we forgot to move the elf?
It happens in most homes at least once. Leave the elf where it is with a short note, like the snow day note, and move it tonight.
Do I need to buy anything?
No. Every idea here works with things from home. Some pages list optional extras, clearly marked.