Elf Planner

Nutella Spoon Snacker

Pin it
Kitchen Difficulty ●●●○○ Messiness ●●○○○ Ages 3–10

How it's done

Elf next to Nutella jar with spoon taped to hand, chocolate on face.

You'll need

affiliate Cart icons link to Amazon search.

Pets in the house?

Chocolate is toxic to dogs — keep out of pet reach.

Why this works

The kitchen is the first room most kids visit in the morning — for cereal, for milk, for the toaster. An elf scene staged here has the highest odds of being the first thing your child spots and shouts about. This mid-difficulty scene trades a little more setup time for a bigger 'wow' moment when your kids walk in.

Variations

  • Pet-safe version: Try Army Men Capture — same idea, but no chocolate, loose candy, or floor-level hazards. Swap the elements that worry you and keep the rest.
  • Bigger-kid twist: For an older crowd that sees through simple scenes, step up to Buddy Four Food Groups — same room, cleverer setup.

If it doesn't go to plan

If the elf ends up too well-hidden and the kids can't find it, nudge them with a vague hint ("Looks like our elf went somewhere cozy") — the discovery is the point.

Credit: This idea comes from The Foreign Mom . Visit the original post for more ideas and photos.

Need an idea for tomorrow?

Tell us about your house and kids — we'll pick 5 more ideas personalized for you.

Try the generator →

Also: See all Kitchen ideas · Browse the full guide

More Kitchen ideas

Kitchen ●●○○○

Angel Rice

Scatter rice on surface; elf making snow angels in rice pile.

Ages 3–10 Pet-safe 0
Kitchen ●●○○○

Apple Smartwatch Band

Place an actual apple on the elf's wrist as a humorous smartwatch.

Ages 3–10 Pet-safe 0
Kitchen ●●●○○

Baking Day Planner

Mixing bowls, spoons, ingredients around elf preparing to bake.

Ages 3–10 Pet-safe 0

More ideas using spoon

Bedroom ●●●●○

Cereal Shoe Breakfast

Fill child's shoes with cereal, add spoon, position elf with note claiming breakfast creation.

Ages 3–12 Pet-safe 0
Kitchen ●○○○○

Kinder Eggs for Breakfast

Pile Kinder eggs in a cereal bowl with milk beside them like breakfast. Pose the elf with a spoon ready.

Ages 3–10 Not pet-safe 0
Kitchen ●○○○○

Looking in a Box of Cereal

Stand the elf on the kitchen counter with his head peering over or into an open cereal box. Add a tiny spoon.

Ages 3–10 Pet-safe 0

See every spoon idea →

Other similar-effort ideas

Bedroom ●●○○○

Abacus Climbing Adventure

Elf positioned climbing on toy abacus beads as climbing structure.

Ages 3–10 Pet-safe 0
Bathroom ●●○○○

Acting Silly in Toilet Paper Rolls

Stick the elf's arms and legs through empty toilet paper tubes for a robot look. Pose him on the bathroom counter.

Ages 3–10 Pet-safe 3
Living Room ●●○○○

Adoption Certificate

Official elf adoption certificate displayed near elf on arrival.

Ages 3–10 Pet-safe 0