Elf Planner

60 Elf on the Shelf Ideas from Clara and Macy

60 Elf on the Shelf ideas originally shared by Clara and Macy. v2 crawl — 100 ideas Every idea below links back to the original post — visit their site for more parenting ideas, recipes, and crafts year-round.

60 ideas Use the generator instead →
Living Room ●●○○○

Block Tower Builder

Elf stacking or next to tower of building blocks.

Ages 3–10 Pet-safe 0
Home Office ●●○○○

Book Stack Climber

Arrange books in stack; elf climbing up side.

Ages 3–10 Pet-safe 0
Home Office ●●○○○

Bookshelf Leaner

Lean elf against books on shelf in casual resting position.

Ages 3–10 Pet-safe 0
Kitchen ●●○○○

Cereal Bowl Sitter

Elf sitting inside cereal bowl on breakfast table.

Ages 3–10 Pet-safe 0
Living Room ●●○○○

Child-Made Scarf

Wrap scarf made by child around elf for personal touch.

Ages 3–10 Pet-safe 0
Living Room ●●○○○

Cotton Wool Snowball

Elf with cotton wool shaping it into snowball.

Ages 3–10 Pet-safe 0
Living Room ●●○○○

Cozy Tealight Reader

Elf next to battery tealight holding book in cozy scene.

Ages 3–10 Pet-safe 0
Living Room ●●○○○

Crayon Drawing Setup

Crayons and paper as if elf has been drawing, with creations.

Ages 3–10 Pet-safe 0
Living Room ●●○○○

Crown Decorating Invite

Paper crown templates with supplies for children to decorate.

Ages 3–10 Pet-safe 0
Living Room ●●○○○

Daily Riddle

Elf with small note card containing riddle to solve.

Ages 3–10 Pet-safe 0
Living Room ●●○○○

Dance Class Director

Toy animals around elf in circle with elf as instructor.

Ages 3–10 Pet-safe 0
Bedroom ●●○○○

Dolls Sleepover

Dolls and elf resting together on blanket in sleeping arrangement.

Ages 3–10 Pet-safe 0
Living Room ●●○○○

Elf Reading Tiny Book

Elf with small book open in front as if absorbed in reading.

Ages 3–10 Pet-safe 0
Living Room ●●○○○

Family Activity Suggester

Note near elf recommending cozy family activity.

Ages 3–10 Pet-safe 0
Living Room ●●○○○

Festive Joke Teller

Note card with Christmas joke for children to read.

Ages 3–10 Pet-safe 0
Kitchen ●●○○○

Fridge Winter Coat

Elf in refrigerator wearing paper coat suggesting cold.

Ages 3–10 Pet-safe 0
Kitchen ●●○○○

Gingerbread Decorator

Elf next to gingerbread biscuits with decorating supplies.

Ages 3–10 Pet-safe 0
Bedroom ●●○○○

Heart Hug Token

Paper heart near elf as token of affection from North Pole.

Ages 3–10 Pet-safe 0
Bedroom ●●○○○

Hugging Soft Toy

Elf with arms wrapped around stuffed animal or plush toy.

Ages 3–10 Pet-safe 0
Living Room ●●○○○

Kindness Challenge

Note with elf describing today's kindness challenge.

Ages 3–10 Pet-safe 0
Living Room ●●○○○

Kindness Day Starter

Note with elf describing today as special day of kindness.

Ages 3–10 Pet-safe 0
Bedroom ●●○○○

Kindness Star Reward

Small paper star with elf as reward for day of kindness.

Ages 3–10 Pet-safe 0
Living Room ●●○○○

Lantern Light Guard

Elf next to tiny battery lantern as if standing guard.

Ages 3–10 Pet-safe 0
Living Room ●●○○○

Magic Countdown

Note counting down days until Christmas with magic references.

Ages 3–10 Pet-safe 0
Living Room ●●○○○

Memory Question

Note next to elf asking reflective question about family memories.

Ages 3–10 Pet-safe 0
Living Room ●●○○○

Mini Parcels Delivery

Small wrapped packages around elf making deliveries.

Ages 3–10 Pet-safe 0
Living Room ●●○○○

Mirror Ice Skater

Elf on small mirror with skating pose to simulate ice rink.

Ages 3–10 Pet-safe 0
Entryway ●●○○○

Mitten Warmer

Elf inside child's mitten or winter glove to warm up.

Ages 3–10 Pet-safe 0
Kitchen ●●○○○

Mixing-Bowl Boat

Elf inside large mixing bowl with spoon as oar.

Ages 3–10 Pet-safe 0
Kitchen ●●○○○

North Pole Bakery Boss

Small bakery setup with elf as proprietor using paper and crafts.

Ages 3–10 Pet-safe 0
Living Room ●●○○○

North Pole Postcard

Tiny postcard near elf suggesting it arrived from North Pole.

Ages 3–10 Pet-safe 0
Kitchen ●●○○○

Oats Angel Maker

Scatter oats on surface; elf making "snow angels" in them.

Ages 3–10 Pet-safe 0
Living Room ●●○○○

Paper Snowflake Holder

Elf clutching paper snowflake in hands for winter display.

Ages 3–10 Pet-safe 0
Living Room ●●○○○

Paper Tent Camper

Small tent from paper; elf resting nearby as if camping.

Ages 3–10 Pet-safe 0
Living Room ●●○○○

Peeking from Stocking

Tuck elf partially into stocking appearing to hide or emerge.

Ages 3–10 Pet-safe 0
Living Room ●●○○○

Pinecone Forest Explorer

Arrange pinecones around elf for winter forest environment.

Ages 3–10 Pet-safe 0
Living Room ●●○○○

Pom-Pom Juggler

Colorful pom-poms around elf as if juggling or tossing them.

Ages 3–10 Pet-safe 0
Kitchen ●●○○○

Reindeer Oats Jar

Tiny jar labeled "reindeer oats" next to elf.

Ages 3–10 Pet-safe 0
Living Room ●●○○○

Ribbon Bow Wrapped

Wrap ribbon around elf as if small gift with decorative bow.

Ages 3–10 Pet-safe 0
Living Room ●●○○○

Scavenger Hunt Starter

Elf with clues directing children to hidden items.

Ages 3–10 Pet-safe 0
Bedroom ●●○○○

Slipper Hideaway

Tuck elf inside child's slipper or house shoe for cozy hiding.

Ages 3–10 Pet-safe 0
Living Room ●●○○○

Song Suggestion

Note recommending Christmas song to sing as family.

Ages 3–10 Pet-safe 0
Living Room ●●○○○

Sticky Note Rock Climb

Wall of sticky notes with elf climbing up the stack.

Ages 3–10 Pet-safe 0
Living Room ●●○○○

Stocking Checker

Elf near hung stockings inspecting or preparing them.

Ages 3–10 Pet-safe 0
Living Room ●●○○○

Tangled in Ribbon

Wrap elf loosely in ribbon for playful tangled scene.

Ages 3–10 Pet-safe 0
Kitchen ●●○○○

Teacup Bath

Elf inside large teacup or mug filled with cotton balls.

Ages 3–10 Pet-safe 0
Bedroom ●●○○○

Teddy Bear Story Time

Elf with book surrounded by teddy bears telling a story.

Ages 3–10 Pet-safe 0
Bedroom ●●○○○

Thank-You Note

Elf with handwritten note thanking child for specific kind act.

Ages 3–10 Pet-safe 0
Living Room ●●○○○

Tiny Gift Holder

Elf clutching small wrapped gift to deliver to someone special.

Ages 3–10 Pet-safe 0
Bedroom ●●○○○

Tissue-Box Bed

Cozy bed with elf inside empty tissue box with small blanket.

Ages 3–10 Pet-safe 0
Living Room ●●○○○

Toy Tea Party Host

Toy dishes, cups, stuffed animals around elf as tea party.

Ages 3–10 Pet-safe 0
Living Room ●●○○○

Toy Train Rider

Elf on or in toy train set as if traveling to North Pole.

Ages 3–10 Pet-safe 0
Living Room ●●○○○

Tree Branch Balancer

Carefully position elf on branch of Christmas tree.

Ages 3–10 Pet-safe 0
Living Room ●●○○○

Tumbler Trapped

Elf under clear glass tumbler with "Help!" note beside it.

Ages 3–10 Pet-safe 0
Living Room ●●○○○

Watching for Snow

Elf on windowsill as if waiting for snowfall.

Ages 3–10 Pet-safe 0
Living Room ●●○○○

Windowsill Watcher

Elf on windowsill for simple change of location.

Ages 3–10 Pet-safe 0
Living Room ●●○○○

Wish Garland Starter

Elf with paper and string beginning garland of family wishes.

Ages 3–10 Pet-safe 0
Living Room ●●○○○

Wreath Sitter

Elf inside Christmas wreath as sitting within decorative portal.

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
Living Room ●●●○○

Drawing Request

Note asking children to draw picture for elf to take back.

Ages 3–10 Pet-safe 0

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Frequently asked questions

Who runs Clara and Macy?
Clara and Macy is a parenting blog. v2 crawl — 100 ideas
Are these ideas from a Clara and Macy blog post?
Yes — each idea on this page is credited back to a specific post on https://claraandmacy.com/blogs/news/100-easy-ideas-for-elf-on-the-shelf. Click any idea's detail page and look for the "original post" link in the image caption or the Credit section at the bottom.
Can I use these ideas with my own family?
Absolutely — ideas are free to use. If you'd like to share or republish any of these specific scene write-ups, please follow the original source's usage terms; visit the linked post for details.

Source: Clara and Macy. Each idea below links to the specific post on their site.