5 minutesNo mess
Fridge Note and Cocoa Bed
A visiting elf waits on the fridge with a handwritten hello and a cocoa mug made into a tiny overnight bed.
Arrival · Kitchen · Nice · Household items · Toddler-safe
Printable December plan
December 2026 visiting-elf calendar
One idea a night from December 1 to 24, generated from the library. Arrival and goodbye scenes sit underneath so the first morning and Christmas Eve are not last-minute either.
Help With My Elf
December 2026 · Full calendar
Dec 1
Cereal Box Hide-and-Peek5 minutes · No mess · Kitchen
Dec 2
Banana Doodle Sleigh Ride5 minutes · No mess · Kitchen
Dec 3
Toilet Paper Hallway Trail5 minutes · Low mess · Bathroom
Dec 4
Tissue Box Bunk Bed5 minutes · No mess · Bedroom
Dec 5
Cutting Board Flour Angel15 minutes · Messy · Kitchen
Dec 6
Remote Control TV Throne5 minutes · No mess · Living room
Dec 7
Pillow Fort Sleep-In15 minutes · No mess · Bedroom
Dec 8
Napkin Wrapped Spoon Gift5 minutes · No mess · Anywhere
Dec 9
Sticky-Note Sunrise on Mirror5 minutes · No mess · Bathroom
Dec 10
Rolling Pin Counter Ride5 minutes · No mess · Kitchen
Dec 11
Sock Puppet Laundry Friends5 minutes · No mess · Laundry
Dec 12
Cookbook Coffee Table Nook5 minutes · No mess · Living room
Dec 13
Paper Snowflake Living Workshop15 minutes · Low mess · Living room
Dec 14
Spaghetti Fishing in the Sink5 minutes · Low mess · Bathroom
Dec 15
Underwear Hats on the Dryer5 minutes · No mess · Laundry
Dec 16
Ornament Inspector on the Mantel5 minutes · No mess · Tree & mantel
Dec 17
Paper Chain Mantel Helper15 minutes · Low mess · Tree & mantel
Dec 18
Empty Mug Bubble Bath5 minutes · No mess · Bathroom
Dec 19
Mixed-Up Shoes by the Door5 minutes · No mess · Anywhere
Dec 20
Flashlight Campout Under a Chair5 minutes · No mess · Bedroom
Dec 21
Laundry Basket Bumper Car5 minutes · No mess · Laundry
Dec 22
Blanket Fort Movie Night5 minutes · No mess · Living room
Dec 23
Christmas Card Mantel Mail Room5 minutes · No mess · Tree & mantel
Dec 24
Towel Sleeping Bag Nap5 minutes · No mess · Laundry
Arrival extras
Use these the night before December 1, or whenever the elf first shows up.
5 minutesNo mess
Mixing Bowl Arrival Nest
The elf arrives tucked in a mixing-bowl nest with a dish-towel blanket and a wooden-spoon pillow.
Arrival · Kitchen · Nice · Household items · Toddler-safe
5 minutesNo mess
Hat Mountain by the Door
The elf sits on a pile of winter hats near the door as if it just hiked in from the cold.
Arrival · Anywhere · Nice · Household items · Toddler-safe
5 minutesNo mess
Boot Pair Landing Pad
A visiting elf sits in a pair of winter boots by the door as if it just stomped in from the snow.
Arrival · Entry · Nice · Household items · Toddler-safe
5 minutesNo mess
Coat-Hook Welcome Perch
The elf hangs from a coat hook in a spare mitten, ready for the first morning hello.
Arrival · Entry · Nice · Household items · Toddler-safe
5 minutesNo mess
Mail Basket Hello Nest
The elf arrives nestled in the incoming-mail basket with a folded dish towel and a tiny hello slip.
Arrival · Entry · Nice · Household items · Toddler-safe
5 minutesNo mess
Clipboard Door Hello
A visiting elf waits on the entry table with a clipboard note that says it checked in for the season.
Arrival · Entry · Nice · Household items · Toddler-safe
5 minutesNo mess
Welcome Mat Sit-Down
On the first morning, the elf sits on the welcome mat with a washcloth cushion and a one-line hello.
Arrival · Entry · Nice · Household items · Toddler-safe
5 minutesNo mess
Paper Name-Tag Hello
The elf wears a paper name tag and leaves a blank tag so the house can answer with a name.
Arrival · Anywhere · Nice · Household items · Toddler-safe
5 minutesNo mess
First Night Pillow Perch
The elf perches on one spare pillow with a note that the first night is only a hello.
Arrival · Bedroom · Nice · Household items · Toddler-safe
5 minutesNo mess
One Card of Kind Rules
The elf posts one index card: look, do not carry me off, notice helping, go home on Christmas Eve.
Arrival · Anywhere · Nice · Household items · Toddler-safe
5 minutesNo mess
Family Photo Hello
The elf sits beside one family photo with a note that the first job was learning the faces.
Arrival · Living room · Nice · Household items · Toddler-safe
5 minutesNo mess
Breakfast Chair Seat
The elf takes an empty breakfast chair with a napkin and a note that it saved you a seat.
Arrival · Kitchen · Nice · Household items · Toddler-safe
5 minutesNo mess
Day One Calendar Star
The elf stars today on the wall calendar and sits under it to start the visit.
Arrival · Anywhere · Nice · Household items · Toddler-safe
5 minutesNo mess
Door Hanger Paper Hello
A paper hanger on the bedroom door says a visitor is in, and the elf waits on the dresser.
Arrival · Bedroom · Nice · Household items · Toddler-safe
10 minutesNo mess
Shoebox Arrival Office
The elf opens a shoebox office lined with a towel and posts three short office hours.
Arrival · Kitchen · Nice · Household items · Toddler-safe
5 minutesNo mess
Tradition Card in the Mug
A folded card stands in an empty mug and explains the visit, while the elf sits beside the mug.
Arrival · Kitchen · Nice · Household items · Toddler-safe
Goodbye extras
Christmas Eve send-offs when the visiting elf heads north.
5 minutesNo mess
Packed Pouch Until Next Year
The elf sits beside a tiny packed pouch and a see-you-next-year note, ready to head north overnight.
Goodbye · Anywhere · Nice · Extra props · Toddler-safe
5 minutesNo mess
Paper Airplane Aimed North
The elf holds a paper airplane pointed toward a handwritten North sign on the living-room table.
Goodbye · Living room · Nice · Household items · Toddler-safe
5 minutesNo mess
Stocking Nap and Thank-You
The elf tucks into a stocking on the mantel with a short thank-you note peeking out for the morning.
Goodbye · Tree & mantel · Nice · Household items · Toddler-safe
5 minutesNo mess
Scarf-Roll Travel Bundle
The elf packs a rolled-scarf travel bundle by the door with a see-you-next-year sticky note.
Goodbye · Entry · Nice · Household items · Toddler-safe
5 minutesNo mess
Clipboard Last Thank-You
A visiting elf leaves a clipboard thank-you list on the table before heading north.
Goodbye · Anywhere · Nice · Household items · Toddler-safe
5 minutesNo mess
Cocoa Thermos Last Sip
The elf leaves a closed thermos and a last-night note on the counter, as if cocoa was the send-off.
Goodbye · Kitchen · Nice · Household items · Toddler-safe
5 minutesNo mess
Mitten Wave by the Stairs
The elf waves from inside a mitten on a stair post or chair back, with a one-line goodbye.
Goodbye · Entry · Nice · Household items · Toddler-safe
5 minutesNo mess
Book Compass Pointed North
The elf reads a paper compass on a closed book, with the north arrow aimed at a handwritten sign.
Goodbye · Living room · Nice · Household items · Toddler-safe
5 minutesNo mess
Cookie Sheet Runway
The elf waits at the end of a cookie-sheet runway with a paper boarding pass marked North.
Goodbye · Kitchen · Nice · Household items · Toddler-safe
5 minutesNo mess
Stocking Key Return
The elf returns a paper key in the stocking and sits on the mantel to say the visit is done.
Goodbye · Tree & mantel · Nice · Household items · Toddler-safe
5 minutesNo mess
Thank-You Placemats
The elf sets a kind sticky note at each place and sits at the empty end of the table.
Goodbye · Kitchen · Nice · Household items · Toddler-safe
5 minutesNo mess
Clock Hands Bedtime Note
The elf leaves a bedtime note by the clock and does not touch the time.
Goodbye · Anywhere · Nice · Household items · Toddler-safe
5 minutesNo mess
Scarf Cape Send-Off
The elf wears a scarf as a travel cape on a closed book by the door, next to a goodbye note.
Goodbye · Entry · Nice · Household items · Toddler-safe
5 minutesNo mess
Outgoing Mail Flag
The elf raises a paper north flag on the outgoing mail, as if the last letter is ready.
Goodbye · Entry · Nice · Household items · Toddler-safe
5 minutesNo mess
Mantel Photo Hug
The elf leans toward a family photo with a note that it is taking the year along in memory.
Goodbye · Tree & mantel · Nice · Household items · Toddler-safe
5 minutesNo mess
Cocoa Packet Farewell Fan
The elf fans three sealed cocoa packets like tickets and leaves a last-cup note.
Goodbye · Kitchen · Nice · Household items · Toddler-safe
5 minutesNo mess
Boots Pointed Out
Winter boots by the door are turned toes-out, and the elf sits on a heel for the exit.
Goodbye · Entry · Nice · Household items · Toddler-safe
5 minutesNo mess
Pillow Goodnight Letter
The elf leaves a folded goodnight letter on the nightstand and sits beside a closed book.
Goodbye · Bedroom · Nice · Household items · Toddler-safe
5 minutesNo mess
One Packs, One Waves
One elf packs a washcloth bundle by the door while the other sits up on a book and waves.
Goodbye · Entry · Nice · Household items · Toddler-safe
Flexible extras
Two spare everyday scenes for a sick day, a travel night, or a do-over.
15 minutesMessy
Cotton Snow on a Tray
The elf makes a contained snow scene with cotton batting on a tray and a spoon shovel.
Everyday · Anywhere · Naughty · Extra props
5 minutesNo mess
Picture Book Bedtime Nook
The elf reads an open picture book on the nightstand with a washcloth blanket and a bookmark.
Everyday · Bedroom · Nice · Household items · Toddler-safe
Unofficial. Not affiliated with The Elf on the Shelf® / CCA and B, LLC / The Lumistella Company.