As December 1st approaches each year, there may be a little Elf making a daily appearance! And with the hustle and bustle of the holidays, it’s likely you’re quite tired. Enter: the Elf on the Shelf Cheat Sheet, a calendar of ideas for your Elf to keep themselves busy all month long. Your kids will be thrilled!
The Elf on the Shelf can be a such a wonderful family Christmas tradition, if you make it easy on your self. That’s why I’m here to help! Scroll to the end of this post for a downloadable cheat sheet.
What is the Elf on the Shelf?
The Elf on the Shelf is a little elf that visits a child’s house from the North Pole every night, starting on December 1st, to check in with your family, cause a little mischief and let Santa know any Christmas wishes he overhears. They like to have fun, and kids love to find what fun they’ve gotten into each morning when they wake up.
And the Elf is not to be touched, or they will lose their magic!
Elf on the Shelf is a really fun way to add some excitement to every day of December, and even more anticipation of Santa Claus himself coming, when you Elf will hitch a ride back to the North Pole on his sleigh until next year!
Tips for a smooth Elf on the Shelf Experience
- Of course, keep your Elf on the Shelf cheat sheet nearby, printed out or saved on your phone. Keep scrolling to learn how to print or save it!
- Set an alarm every night for after the kids are in bed to ensure the Elf has moved on to his next activity or hiding spot before everyone awakes in the morning!
- If you work a standard work week, keep things simple on the weekdays and let your Elf have a little more fun on the weekends.
- If you like to write notes for your Elf, I heard they like to write upside down so that their handwriting looks a bit different than yours! Wink wink.
- If your Elf falls asleep and forgets to move one night, perhaps you’ll find a letter hidden somewhere that he was too tired from all his fun that day to fly back to the North Pole that night.
- If your child touches your Elf, it’s been said that making them do a silly trick, like spinning around 3 times and hopping on one foot, will help ensure the Elf keeps his magic.
Easy Elf on the Shelf Ideas
Here are 24 ideas to take you through every day of December this year with your Elf visitor!
Day 1 – Elf leaves a welcome note about how they’re excited to be there and cause some trouble!
Day 2 – Elf is tangled up in toilet paper in the bathroom.
Day 3 – Elf is sitting in a mug under a bunch of marshmallows with a packet of hot chocolate and a mug for each kid next to him!
Day 4 – Elf leaves a holiday bucket list for the family to fill out. He fills in the first line with something silly.
Day 5 – Elf is swinging from the chandelier or any other light fixture in the house!
Day 6 – Elf gets frozen in the freezer! He somehow has gotten frozen in a plastic bag submerged in a tupperware and frozen. If there’s an Elsa doll in your house, perhaps she is responsible!
Day 7 – Elf is building with blocks. He can build LEGO Christmas presents or a castle out of Magnatiles.
Day 8 – Elf is buckled in the car ready to go to school, daycare or on errands with you!
Day 9 – Elf is playing with the Christmas decor, trying to fit inside the Christmas village or running through a forest of bottle brush trees, perhaps.
Day 10 – Elf is acting out of a scene from a favorite show or movie. Playing with toys from a Disney movie or recreating a scene from the kids go-to show!
Day 11 – Elf is playing cards or a game from the game closet!
Day 12 – Elf is hiding in the Christmas tree, or maybe he’s replacing the tree topper!
Day 13 – Elf is making a snow angel in flour on the counter, or maybe he wants a break from the snow and is sunning himself on a brown sugar beach!
Day 14 – Elf is reading a Christmas book on the bookshelf.
Day 15 – Elf is buried in the laundry hamper!
Day 16 – Elf is dyeing something green. Maybe he’s dying the milk in the cereal bowl, or the water in the toilet!
Day 17 – Elf is fishing for candy or cheerios off the counter, or for bath toys in the bath. He’s made a fishing bowl out of a stick and string!
Day 18 – Elf is coloring in a coloring book, a Christmas coloring page or even doing the kids homework. Uh oh!
Day 19 – Elf is hanging from a garland or strand of Christmas lights.
Day 20 – Elf is writing on the mirror, “5 days until Christmas”, with a dry erase marker or lipstick.
Day 21 – Elf is eating treats, like Christmas cookies upside down in the cookie jar or holiday candies with crumbs on his face!
Day 22 – Elf is brushing his teeth, and he’s seem to gotten some toothpaste suds on his face, too. Washing off the crumbs, perhaps?
Day 23 – Elf is peeking out of a stocking, making sure it’s ready to be filled!
Day 24 – Elf says goodbye with a goodbye note, he’s hopping a ride with Santa to the North Pole!
How To Save or Print Your Elf on the Shelf Cheat Sheet
There’s two ways to make sure this Elf on the Shelf Cheat Sheet is nearby: You can print it and keep it somewhere safe, or you can download it to your phone and keep it in your camera roll.
To download the Elf on the Shelf Cheat Sheet, press and hold your finger on the image above until an option to “save” it comes up. Save it to your photos!
To print the Elf on the Shelf Cheat Sheet, tap the button below:
Print on computer paper with your regular InkJet or Laser printer.
When does Elf on the Shelf leave?
Your Elf will hitch a ride with Santa Claus on Christmas Eve to head back to the North Pole until next December 1st!
Sometimes he leaves a note or small gift behind, but of course the big excitement is that Santa has come that Christmas morning after a month of Elf fun!
I hope this Elf on the Shelf cheat sheet makes your December Elf experience run smoothly and most importantly, makes for magical memories for your family!
Chelsie says
This is exactly what I needed today. Thank you!