Love the Elf, Hate the Setup? Easy Elf Ideas That Work

If you love the magic of a December elf but dread the nightly setup, this one's for you. Below are easy elf ideas that keep the fun and give you your evenings back. They work whether you already have an elf or are wondering whether to start. At the end, I'll show you the elf countdown I've just launched, which you set up once and then enjoy all month.

Love It or Hate It?

Ask any group of parents about the elf and you'll get two camps. Some love it. A surprising number quietly wish they'd never started.

I've lost count of the friends who brought an elf home one December and, by the middle of the month, were regretting it. The first few nights are fun. Then it's late, you're tired, and you realise the elf hasn't moved. Cue a scramble with flour, toilet roll or whatever is in the cupboard.

The Elf That Never Leaves

The tricky thing about the elf is that once it arrives, it's very hard to un-invite. The kids remember. Next year they're waiting for it on 1 December, and so is the nightly job.

December is busy enough already: work parties, school events, present shopping, wrapping and visitors. The magic matters. It just shouldn't cost you every evening of the month.

Easy Elf Ideas That Keep the Fun

A few things make the elf much easier, with or without a kit:

• Plan all 24 days in one sitting. Write the list in November, then just follow it.
• Let the elf leave notes, not scenes. A short message or riddle takes seconds, and kids love a note in tiny handwriting.
• Give the elf rest days. Apparently elves get tired too. "Back tomorrow" buys you a night off.
• Give it one job. For example, the elf only delivers something each morning rather than making a mess.
• Prepare everything once. Which is exactly how my elf countdown works.

A Christmas Countdown You Prepare Once

The Elf Christmas Countdown Mission has just launched. It's a printable puzzle advent calendar that turns the countdown to Christmas into a daily elf mission, with a gift at the end.

You print it at home and prepare it once. From 1 December, your child gets one puzzle a day from the elves: a riddle, a code, a crossword, mirror writing and more. There's no elf toy to buy or move. The elves live on the cards.

Each puzzle's answer is a place on an illustrated map of an elf house, and your child crosses it off. The puzzles can be done in any order. By 24 December, only one place is left on the map. After bedtime on Christmas Eve, you put the gift there. On Christmas morning, they go and find it.

So the only thing you hide all month is the gift, once.

Two Ways to Play

• Give daily: hand over one card each day.
• Give all 24 at once: prepare 24 numbered envelopes before December and hand them over on 1 December.

Want it to replace the chocolate advent calendar? Give a chocolate coin or small treat with each card, or pop one in each envelope. No kid I know has outgrown chocolate!

What you get: an elf comic to start the story, the illustrated house map with 25 places to cross off, 24 puzzle cards, and parent answers with a hint for every card. UK A4 and US Letter versions are both included.

What you provide: a printer, scissors, a pen or pencil, a mirror for one puzzle, and the gift. Envelopes and treats are optional.

It's designed for ages 7 to 9, and younger children can join in with help.

Still Love Your Elf? Keep It

If your family loves its elf, you don't have to choose. Your elf can deliver the day's card or envelope each morning. You keep the tradition, and the planning is done for you.

See The Elf Christmas Countdown Mission

FAQs

Do I need an elf toy?
No. The elves are on the cards, so there's nothing to buy or move each night.

Do I need to hide something every night?
No. The only thing you hide is the gift, on Christmas Eve after bedtime.

Can it replace a chocolate advent calendar?
Yes. Add a chocolate coin or small treat with each card or envelope.

What if we miss a day or start late?
No problem. The puzzles can be done in any order, so you can catch up whenever suits you.

What age is it for?
Ages 7 to 9. Younger children can join in with help.

What if they get stuck?
The parent answers include a hint for every card.

Can they find the gift early?
No. Nothing goes in the final place until Christmas Eve, so searching early finds nothing.

Written by Estelle, who's been making gift hunts for her own kids for years.

Related: What Is a Gift Hunt? · Shop Christmas