Elf on the Shelf ideas
95 Easy Elf on the Shelf Ideas for an Aussie Summer (Free, No Sign-Up)
Most elf lists are written for a snowy living room. Ours is for a Christmas in summer: an elf melting in front of the fan, hiding in the freezer with the icy poles, wearing sunnies and a tiny hat. Pick the time you have, follow the 24-night plan and print the elf's letters: free, no sign-up.
Tonight's mischief
How much time have you got?
About 2 minutes · no mess · You'll need: A tea towel, a note
Melting in front of the fan
Prop the elf in front of the fan (switched on, out of little fingers' reach) with a tea towel on his head and a note: "I'm from the North Pole. This is NOT my weather."
The 24-night plan
The elf arrives on Tuesday 1 December and leaves on Thursday 24. Busy school nights get two-minute ideas; the bigger projects land on the weekends (5 and 6, 12 and 13, 19 and 20 December). School holidays start in the middle of the month, so once the kids are home you can swap in a daytime idea. Don't like one? Remake the plan, or print the notebook and tick them off as you go.
Tue 1 December · 10 min
Arrived by esky
The elf is waiting inside an esky or cooler bag left at the front door with the arrival letter on the lid. "I kept cool on the long flight."
Wed 2 December · 2 min
Cool in sunnies
The elf is wearing a pair of doll-sized sunglasses (or a pair cut from card) and sitting on the fruit bowl.
Thu 3 December · 2 min
A meeting of the soft toys
Sit the soft toys in a circle round the elf as if he is giving a speech. A note: "AGENDA: Be good until Christmas."
Fri 4 December · 2 min
Bedtime story
A picture book open on the sofa with the elf leaning on it and a tiny torch pointing at the page.
Sat 5 December · Weekend
The elf has been captured!
Toy soldiers or dinosaurs have tied the elf up. A ransom note asks for three hugs and a drawing to set him free.
Sun 6 December · Weekend
Picnic on the lounge floor
A rug on the lounge floor with the fan on, little sandwiches, fruit and juice, and the elf in the middle with a basket.
Mon 7 December · 2 min
Chilling in the esky
The elf sits in a small esky or cooler bag with the lid propped open and a cold drink in his lap. "Best seat in the house."
Tue 8 December · 2 min
Good morning on the mirror
Write "Good morning!" on the bathroom mirror with a dry-wipe marker or a bar of soap, the elf hanging off the tap.
Wed 9 December · 2 min
Waiting for the sprinkler
Place a garden sprinkler (not connected) in the hallway with the elf standing next to it in a towel. "Is it on yet?"
Thu 10 December · 2 min
Caught peeking in the advent calendar
The elf is peering out of an opened door of the advent calendar, or sitting with the door he has just opened.
Fri 11 December · 2 min
Phoning the North Pole
The elf holds a banana to his ear like a phone, with a note: "Report for Santa: all good here!"
Sat 12 December · Weekend
Cards for nan and pop
Blank cards, felt tips and envelopes on the table. The elf suggests writing to nan, pop and the neighbours.
Sun 13 December · Weekend
The elf party
A shoebox table, tiny cups, biscuits and every toy invited to a party round the elf.
Mon 14 December · 2 min
The thong queue
Line up every pair of thongs and sandals at the back door like a conga line, with the elf leading it.
Tue 15 December · 2 min
The elf is feeling the heat
Tuck him up on a damp (not dripping) face washer on the bench with a cotton wool ball on his forehead. "Too hot, too hot, too hot!"
Wed 16 December · 2 min
Guarding the school bag
The elf sits against the school bag with a note tucked in the strap: "Have a great day! I'm holding the fort."
Thu 17 December · 2 min
The compliment challenge
The elf holds a note: "Today, say something nice to everyone in the house before dinner."
Fri 18 December · 2 min
A secret kindness mission
A note from the elf: "Today's mission: do something kind for someone without being asked. I'll know!"
Sat 19 December · Weekend
Lounge-room campout
A tent or a blanket fort in the lounge, torches and the elf with a tiny sleeping bag. The coolest campsite in the neighbourhood.
Sun 20 December · Weekend
Decoration workshop
Pipe cleaners, paper, glue and glitter laid out on the table: "Today we make decorations for the tree!"
Mon 21 December · 2 min
Writing his report
The elf sits at a tiny desk with paper and pencil: "Writing my report for Santa. Want to add your letter?"
Tue 22 December · 2 min
In the washing basket
The elf is hiding in the laundry basket with a sock on his head. "I mixed up the whites and the colours."
Wed 23 December · 2 min
Riding a pool noodle
Sit the elf on a pool noodle laid across two chairs, like a horse, or draped round the Christmas tree.
Thu 24 December · 10 min
Off on the sleigh
The elf sits in a little paper sleigh or a box with a bag of lollies and his goodbye letter.
Printable elf letters
Arrival, goodbye, "I didn't move", "you touched me" and the "No elves allowed" poster. Add your child's name and the elf's name: free, no sign-up.
NORTH POLE · ELF POST
I'm here!
Hello! It's me, your elf! Santa has sent me all the way from the North Pole to spend December at your house. Phew, it's warm here! Every night, while everyone is asleep, I will get up to a bit of mischief, and every morning you will have to find out what I have done. I go back to the North Pole with Santa on the evening of the 24th. Until then, let's have fun (and please remember the sunscreen)!
Your elf
The 24-night notebook
The plan above on one A4 sheet, with the things you need. Stick it inside a cupboard door, out of little eyes' reach.
My elf's 24 nights
DECEMBER 2026 · TICK OFF EACH NIGHT
- Tue 1Arrived by esky
An esky or cooler bag, the arrival letter - Wed 2Cool in sunnies
Card, scissors - Thu 3A meeting of the soft toys
Soft toys, a sticky note - Fri 4Bedtime story
A book - Sat 5The elf has been captured!
Toys, string - Sun 6Picnic on the lounge floor
A rug, a picnic - Mon 7Chilling in the esky
An esky or cooler bag - Tue 8Good morning on the mirror
A dry-wipe marker or soap - Wed 9Waiting for the sprinkler
A garden sprinkler, a towel - Thu 10Caught peeking in the advent calendar
An advent calendar - Fri 11Phoning the North Pole
A banana - Sat 12Cards for nan and pop
Cards, felt tips, envelopes - Sun 13The elf party
Shoebox, toy cups - Mon 14The thong queue
Nothing - Tue 15The elf is feeling the heat
A face washer, cotton wool - Wed 16Guarding the school bag
A note - Thu 17The compliment challenge
Paper - Fri 18A secret kindness mission
Paper - Sat 19Lounge-room campout
Blankets, torches - Sun 20Decoration workshop
Craft supplies - Mon 21Writing his report
Paper, pencil - Tue 22In the washing basket
The laundry basket - Wed 23Riding a pool noodle
A pool noodle - Thu 24Off on the sleigh
A box, the goodbye letter
90 elf names
Tap a name to put it in the letters.
The elf didn't move: ready-made excuses
Everyone forgets, especially around the 15th. Here is what to say at breakfast, without fibbing your way into a corner: one line, then on with the day.
- You forgot to move him
- Elves only move when the whole house is asleep. Somebody stayed up very late last night!
- He hasn't moved for two nights
- Santa asked him to keep a close eye on something very important in this room.
- It's a scorcher
- It's too hot to fly! Elves aren't allowed to travel when it's this warm: that's Santa's rule. He'll do two reports tomorrow.
- A child is nervous of the elf
- Put a "No elves allowed" poster on their door. Elves always respect the sign (printable above).
- You fancy a quiet night
- Elf day off! He's cooling off in front of the fan and will be back with some mischief tomorrow.
- Yesterday's trick upset someone
- A sorry note from the elf and something gentle the same evening. Elves tease, but they never mean to upset.
- A child touched the elf
- He's lost a little magic. A night's rest, a word with Santa and it comes back. The "You touched me" note is printable above.
- You're away at the beach or at Nan's
- The elf travels with Santa's magic: he'll turn up wherever you're sleeping, or he's stayed home to guard the tree.
- A child asks why their friend's elf does more
- Every elf does it his own way. Some are tricksters, some are watchers. Yours takes his time.
- No time on a busy night
- He had a nap when he got in. Tomorrow there's a double dose: a quick one for tonight, a bigger one for the weekend.
Running the elf in an Australian summer
An Aussie Christmas looks nothing like the one on the elf's packaging. The house is warm, the windows are open and the evenings stay light. That is a gift, not a problem: an elf who is clearly struggling in the heat, wearing sunnies and sitting in front of the fan, is funnier than any snowman. Lean into it, and let the elf complain about how hot it is here.
Keep the elf and the props out of direct sun. A spot on a sunny windowsill or in a hot car will fade and warm a soft toy, and sticky treats, chocolate and anything with icing don't last long on a summer bench. Stick to the fridge, the freezer drawer, the fan and shady corners, and put chocolate or lollies in the fridge until the kids are up.
Water play is great fun in summer, but keep it with an adult: a paddling pool, sprinkler or bucket of sponges needs a grown-up beside small children, and trays of water are best emptied before bed. For anything with water or hot surfaces, you set it up and you supervise.
School holidays start in the middle of December, which changes the rhythm. Before then, keep the nightly ideas to two minutes. Once the kids are home all day, there is more room for daytime ideas: a backyard cricket match, a lounge-room campout, a movie arvo with the curtains drawn, or a beach-day-on-the-rug scene.
Heading to the coast, a grandparent's house or a holiday rental? Pack the elf in the car with you (in the shade, not on the back shelf in the sun) and tell the kids he has special permission to travel. Wherever you are, a beach towel, a sunhat and a tiny esky make a ready-made scene. On Christmas Eve, the goodbye letter works just as well in a holiday house as at home.
Elf on the Shelf questions
- What can I make my Elf on the Shelf do?
- The best ideas take two minutes: the elf in the freezer with the icy poles, melting in front of the fan, in the cereal box, or in sunnies on a beach towel. Save the bigger scenes for the weekend or the school holidays. The tool above sorts ideas by the time you have and the mess they make.
- What are the rules of the Elf on the Shelf?
- The usual rules: the elf arrives in early December, is in a new spot every morning, and flies back to the North Pole on the 24th. The big one is that kids look but don't touch, because the elf loses his magic. You can make your own rules, and the printable "you touched me" note is there for when someone slips.
- How do I do Elf on the Shelf in the Australian summer?
- Have fun with the heat: an elf who is too hot, hiding in the freezer, wearing sunnies and a tiny hat. Keep him out of direct sun, keep chocolate in the fridge and keep any water play with an adult. The section on running the elf in an Australian summer has more.
- What are some easy Elf on the Shelf ideas for beginners?
- Start with the no-supplies ideas: a hide and seek spot, a thong conga line, a banana phone, a family photo gatecrash. Nothing to buy and nothing to clean up. Do those on busy school nights and save the messier ideas for the weekend.
- What are some good names for an elf?
- Kids often like a sweet name (Nutmeg, Biscuit, Pavlova) or an Aussie one (Wattle, Gumnut, Sunny). The names section on this page has a list you can tap to put straight into the letters. Let your child choose: they will be more attached to their elf.
- What should the goodbye letter say?
- Keep it short and warm: thank the kids for a fun December, say the elf is flying back to the North Pole with Santa on the 24th, and ask them to stay kind until next year. The goodbye letter above is free to print, with your child's name and the elf's name added.
- Why are some parents against Elf on the Shelf?
- Some parents find the nightly job tiring, and some dislike the idea of an elf who watches the kids and reports on them. Both are fair. A gentler way is a kindness elf: no spying, just small surprises and a daily kind mission such as "say something nice to everyone before dinner". Do as much or as little as suits your family.
- What if I forget to move the elf?
- Everyone does. Say that elves only move when the whole house is asleep, or print the "I didn't move" note. The ready-made excuses are just above, including "too hot to fly".