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.

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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.