Elf on the Shelf ideas
97 Easy Elf on the Shelf Ideas for a Kiwi Summer (Free, No Sign-Up)
Most elf lists are written for a snowy living room. Ours is for a Christmas in summer: an elf in the chilly bin, rowing a jandal across the lounge, guarding the pavlova. 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 chilly bin
The elf is waiting inside a chilly bin 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
A nap in the hammock
Stretch a tea towel between two mugs or two chair backs and lay the elf in it with a pair of sunglasses on.
Thu 3 December · 2 min
Head first in the cereal box
The elf is upside down in the cereal box with only his legs sticking out. Breakfast starts with a giggle.
Fri 4 December · 2 min
Borrowed Mum's sunnies
The elf has borrowed a pair of grown-up sunglasses and sits at the kitchen bench like he owns the place.
Sat 5 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.
Sun 6 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.
Mon 7 December · 2 min
Snow angel in flour
Dust a little flour on a dark tray, lay the elf in it with arms and legs spread, then lift him out. "The only snow we get!"
Tue 8 December · 2 min
Caught brushing his teeth
The elf is perched on the edge of the sink holding a toothbrush. No toothpaste needed unless you're feeling brave.
Wed 9 December · 2 min
Chilling in the chilly bin
The elf sits in a small chilly bin or cooler bag with the lid propped open and a cold drink in his lap. "Best seat in the house."
Thu 10 December · 2 min
Down the stairs on a tray
The elf sits on a tea tray at the top of the stairs, ready to slide down, arms in the air. (No stairs? A cushion slope works too.)
Fri 11 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 12 December · Weekend
Elf village on the coffee table
Boxes for houses, cotton wool for snow and a toy train: the elf's village, a little bit of the North Pole in summer.
Sun 13 December · Weekend
Water play day with an adult
A paddling pool, sprinkler or a bucket of sponges set up in the shade by an adult, with a note from the elf: "Splash day! Sunscreen first." Always stay with young children near water.
Mon 14 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.
Tue 15 December · 2 min
The elf is feeling the heat
Tuck him up on a damp (not dripping) face cloth on the bench with a cotton wool ball on his forehead. "Too hot, too hot, too hot!"
Wed 16 December · 2 min
Hanging from the light
Sit the elf on the light fitting or loop his scarf over the top of a door. "Whee! Don't open it yet." Keep him clear of anything hot.
Thu 17 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.
Fri 18 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."
Sat 19 December · Weekend
Christmas movie arvo
Curtains drawn against the heat, a bowl of popcorn, a chosen film and hand-made tickets from the elf for a cool-house cinema afternoon.
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
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."
Tue 22 December · 2 min
Stuck on the sliding door
Press the elf up against the glass of the sliding door, as if he is trying to get out to the deck. A note: "Shut the door, you'll let the sandflies in!"
Wed 23 December · 2 min
Backyard cricket
A small bat or a wooden spoon and a ball by the back door, with the elf standing at the crease. "Howzat? Game on after breakfast."
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!
Kia ora! 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 chilly bin
A chilly bin or cooler bag, the arrival letter - Wed 2A nap in the hammock
A tea towel - Thu 3Head first in the cereal box
A cereal box - Fri 4Borrowed Mum's sunnies
Sunglasses - Sat 5Picnic on the lounge floor
A rug, a picnic - Sun 6The elf has been captured!
Toys, string - Mon 7Snow angel in flour
Flour, a tray - Tue 8Caught brushing his teeth
A toothbrush - Wed 9Chilling in the chilly bin
A chilly bin or cooler bag - Thu 10Down the stairs on a tray
A tray - Fri 11A secret kindness mission
Paper - Sat 12Elf village on the coffee table
Boxes, cotton wool - Sun 13Water play day with an adult
Sponges or a sprinkler, sunscreen - Mon 14Cool in sunnies
Card, scissors - Tue 15The elf is feeling the heat
A face cloth, cotton wool - Wed 16Hanging from the light
A bit of string - Thu 17Good morning on the mirror
A dry-wipe marker or soap - Fri 18Guarding the school bag
A note - Sat 19Christmas movie arvo
Popcorn, paper tickets - Sun 20Decoration workshop
Craft supplies - Mon 21Melting in front of the fan
A tea towel, a note - Tue 22Stuck on the sliding door
Nothing - Wed 23Backyard cricket
A bat or spoon, a ball - 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 bach or at Nana'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 a Kiwi summer
A New Zealand Christmas looks nothing like the one on the elf's packaging. The days are long, the windows are open and the beach is calling. 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 warm it is here.
Keep the elf and the props out of direct sun. A sunny windowsill or a hot car will fade and warm a soft toy, and chocolate, icing and anything sticky don't last long on a summer bench. Stick to the fridge, the freezer drawer, the fan and shady corners, and keep chocolate 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 afternoon with the curtains drawn, or a beach-day-on-the-rug scene.
Heading to the bach, the beach or Nana's house? 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. A jandal, a sunhat and a tiny chilly bin make a ready-made scene wherever you are. Many families see the pōhutukawa flowering red at this time of year and call it the Kiwi Christmas tree: a red paper flower beside the elf is an easy, sweet nod to it. And on Christmas Eve, the goodbye letter works just as well at the bach as at home.
Elf on the Shelf questions
- How does Elf on the Shelf work?
- The elf arrives in early December, is in a new spot every morning, and flies back to the North Pole on the 24th to report to Santa. Kids look but don't touch, because the elf loses his magic. The tool above gives you an idea for every night and the letters to go with it.
- What can I make my Elf on the Shelf do?
- The best ideas take two minutes: the elf in the freezer with the ice blocks, 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 some easy Elf on the Shelf ideas for beginners?
- Start with the no-supplies ideas: a hide and seek spot, a jandal 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 good Elf on the Shelf names?
- Kids often like a sweet name (Nutmeg, Biscuit, Pavlova) or a Kiwi one (Tui, Fantail, Kiwi, Pukeko). 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.
- How do I do Elf on the Shelf in a New Zealand 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 a Kiwi summer has more.
- 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".