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The holiday season is upon us, and it’s a time for warmth, togetherness, and cherished family traditions. One such tradition that has captivated households worldwide is the mischievous antics of the Elf on the Shelf. However, as the years went by, I found myself growing tired of our elf, “Chicken Nugget.” The messes, the last-minute setup scrambles, and the constant need for cleanup left me feeling more stressed than spirited.
I looked for a holiday tradition that would not only keep the magic of the season alive but also make my life easier during this busy time. That’s when I decided to say good-bye to the mischievous elf and embrace a new approach—an approach centered around daily letters from the elf, each accompanied by an activity, treat, or craft. Things we would often do throughout the holiday season regardless of the elf to keep up the Christmas spirit.
With this new tradition, I printed all my letters in advance, neatly tucked them alongside the elf, and a daily treat. This allowed me to have everything ready for each morning, eliminating the frantic rush of trying to think up a new mischievous scenario. I could choose a letter based on my family’s mood or schedule for the day, making the holiday season enjoyable, stress-free, and memorable.
Here, I’ll share my ideas for 25 days of Elf on the Shelf letters that have transformed our holiday season. And for those looking to simplify their holiday traditions, I’ve even created customizable printable letters, available on Etsy.
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Day 1: Welcome Letter
The first day of this new holiday tradition begins with a warm and personalized welcome letter from the Elf or from Santa Claus. In the letter, the elf shares his excitement for the holiday season. He may mention the importance of spreading love and kindness during this time of year, setting a meaningful tone for the days to come. The letter also introduces the concept of daily activities, treats, or crafts that will be a part of the holiday tradition, promising an exciting and magical journey ahead. This heartfelt welcome sets the stage for a month filled with Christmas spirit and anticipation.
Day 2: Advent Calendar
Advent calendars hold a special place in the hearts of children during the holiday season. The thrill of opening a new surprise each day as Christmas draws near is simply magical. Thankfully, Amazon offers an extensive selection of Advent calendars to cater to various budgets and preferences, making it easy to add an extra dash of excitement to the holiday countdown.
In our holiday tradition, we’ve found that Day 2 is the perfect moment for our elf to make his debut with this delightful surprise.
From traditional chocolate-filled calendars to more unique options like toys, socks, or beauty products, the choices are virtually endless. This variety allows us to tailor our selection to our children’s interests and preferences, ensuring that every morning brings a new and exciting surprise. I do recommend buying these early as they tend to sell out.
Day 3: Movie Night
On the third day of our magical Christmas tradition, our elf brings a family activity to our home—a movie night dedicated to watching our favorite Christmas movies.
This family activity really brings excitement around the season of Christmas. We often try to do a “Polar Express” train ride later in the month and this is a great opportunity to create excitement for that activity.
Some other suggestions might be classics like “A Christmas Carol” to modern favorites like “Elf” and “Home Alone,”. It’s a time to share laughter, and be reminded of the true spirit of Christmas—love, kindness, and togetherness.
It’s a reminder that the holiday season is not just about the gifts under the tree but also about creating cherished moments with our loved ones.
Day 4: Gingerbread Houses
This activity is a fantastic way to engage the entire family in a collaborative and creative project. Gather around the table with bowls of gumdrops, peppermints, frosting, and an array of sugary delights. In our house, we make this a competition and form family teams. This is a great activity to do early in the month as you can continue to admire your houses for the remainder of the year and often we encorporate them into our Christmas decor.
Day 5: Hot Chocolate Night
On the fifth day…a Hot Chocolate Kit! The elf is set up with all the ingredients and fixings needed to create the coziest cups of hot chocolate.
The elf’s gift includes cocoa powder, fluffy marshmallows, a variety of flavored syrups, and candy cane stirrers or chocolate shavings. With a note from our elf, we’re encouraged to indulge in this warm and comforting treat. In prior years, I have included a hot chocolate bomb kit. If you’re looking for a more crafty (and messy) alterative. This also makes a fun activity.
Day 6: Ornament Gift
As our holiday tradition continues with the sixth day bringing a surprise from our ever-caring elf—each child’s member’s favorite ornament! Each year I would allow my kids to pick a new ornament for the tree. Now they look forward to the surprise of what the elf will bring. I try to pick something that they enjoy that year or a character they might like. At the end of the year, they put away their collection of ornaments, each chosen to reflect our individual tastes and memories, into a special keepsake box to put on the tree each year. The joy of this day is in the personalization.
As we hang our favorite ornaments on the tree, we’re reminded of the love and memories that make the holiday season so magical. Each ornament carries with it a piece of our family’s history and traditions, connecting us to the past and present. It’s a beautiful way to relive precious moments and celebrate the unique qualities that each family member brings to the holiday season.
The act of adding our favorite ornaments to the tree, transforms our Christmas tree into a living scrapbook of memories and traditions.
Day 7: Ornament Making
On the seventh day of our elf excitement–a day dedicated to ornament making! We make a crafty setup with all the supplies needed to create beautiful and personalized ornaments.
The Ornament Making is a day filled with imagination, creativity, and a touch of holiday magic. Gather around a table adorned with colorful paper, glitter, glue, ribbons, and other crafting materials.
It’s a chance to bond, exchange ideas, and create lasting keepsakes that will decorate your tree for years to come.
Day 8: Christmas Board Game Night
As our enchanting holiday tradition unfolds, the eighth day brings a night of festive fun and friendly competition—a Christmas Board Game Night! Have your elf bring an assortment of classic and holiday-themed board games. You may also use the games you have while enjoying Christmas snacks and music.
This tradition serves as a reminder that the true magic of Christmas lies in the moments spent with loved ones.
Day 9: Christmas Light Scavenger Hunt
As our holiday tradition continues, the ninth day brings an evening of excitement—a Christmas Light Scavenger Hunt!
They will find a checklist of holiday-themed items and decorations to look for in our evening out. These might include twinkling lights, inflatable Santas, dazzling wreaths, nativity scenes, and more. The goal is to embark on a journey to find and check off as many of these festive sights as possible.
The Christmas Light Scavenger Hunt is an opportunity for the whole family to bundle up, go outside, and have fun in the Christmas spirit.
Day 10: Snow globe Making Kit
As we journey through our magical holiday tradition, the tenth day brings a creative surprise—a Snow Globe Decorating Kit!
They will find clear glass globes, miniature holiday figurines, festive glitter, and all the crafting supplies required to bring our snowy visions to life. The idea is to design and create our personalized snow globes, each capturing a unique winter scene.
This activity is a wonderful way to engage the entire family in a hands-on, creative project.
These homemade snow globes will become cherished keepsakes, capturing the magic and wonder of the holiday season for years to come.
Day 11: Write a Letter to Santa
On the eleventh day —a stack of festive stationery and a note inviting us to write heartfelt letters to Santa Claus!
The note from our elf encourages us to take some time to express our Christmas wishes and thoughts to Santa himself. This example can be found with in the Etsy printables.
Once the letters are complete, seal them in envelopes and address them to Santa at the North Pole. Place them by the tree or the fireplace, ready to be magically taken away by Santa’s helpers.
Day 12: School Work
There are several days throughout the season that I do not have the time or energy for an activity. I like to have at least 1 letter that complements the kids on their behavior and work in school. This helps encourage them and gives them a recognition for their hard work.
Day 13: Christmas Treat
There are many days that I would call “lazy days”. For these days, our elf would bring something simple. At the beginning of the season I would buy several small treats. These might be cookies or Christmas themed candy. I made several copies of this letter in the case that I might want to reuse it.
Day 14: Nice List
At least one time throughout the season I like to reassure them from the elf —they are officially on Santa’s Nice List! This is simple yet reminds them that their good deeds and acts of kindness have not gone unnoticed. It’s a reassurance that Santa recognizes and celebrates their goodness, and it adds an extra layer of excitement to our holiday season.
Day 15: Christmas Stickers
Another Amazon find are these Christmas Stickers, I typically buy these every year for another “lazy day” craft. These will keep kids busy for hours without the mess of some of the other crafts and activities.
Day 16: Acts of Kindness
In the heart of the holiday season, it’s crucial to remember the true essence of Christmas—acts of kindness. As we embrace the magic of the season, we like to remind our kids to think of others and the act of giving rather than receiving. Our elf, Chicken Nugget, reminds us that these acts of kindness are important and we like to dedicate one day to thinking of others. This may be donating toys, shopping for another child, volunteering, or bringing food to someone in need.
Day 17: Christmas Socks
Another fun, quick, and economical treat from the elf, is Christmas socks. You can get this on Amazon but the dollar tree has many options that are great as well. This is something simple but always brings excitment.
Day 18: Letter From Santa
In the heart of our holiday tradition, our beloved elf, Chicken Nugget, often plays a special role as Santa’s messenger. One of the most anticipated moments of the season is when Chicken Nugget brings us a heartfelt letter from Santa himself. I often try to do this letter after a visit to Santa.
Day 19: Chocolate Candy Cane Sleighs
Another simple but fun craft are candy cane sleighs. These are great for giving small gifts to others. It might be something to give to other kids or friends.
Day 20: Christmas Karaoke
Christmas songs are one of the highlights of the Christmas season. We love to listen to Christmas songs while we decorate, but it is also fun to have a Christmas karaoke night. The elf brings a microphone and everyone picks their favorite songs. This could also be a dance party.
Day 21: Candy Cane Scavenger Hunt
One of our kids’ all-time favorite activities, eagerly anticipated each holiday season, is the Chicken Nugget Candy Cane Scavenger Hunt. The kids follow Chicken Nugget’s clever clues, searching high and low for hidden candy canes. They have so much fun as they unravel each riddle, leading them to candy cane treasures. At the end of the clues, they are led to a treat for the day or “Christmas treasure”.
Day 22: Reindeer Food
As we near Christmas, our elf brings another key activity—a set of instructions for crafting magical reindeer food. Our elf gives a list of ingredients and simple steps to create this special treat for Santa’s reindeer.
The ingredients typically include oats, glitter, and colored sugar, all carefully portioned and arranged in small, decorative bags. As we blend the ingredients together and fill the bags, we share stories about the reindeer and their important role in delivering gifts to children all over the world.
Once our bags of reindeer food are ready, we store them in a safe place until Christmas Eve. That night, just before bedtime, we venture outside and sprinkle this treat on the lawn.
Day 23: Christmas Pajamas
Every year, our elf, Chicken Nugget, makes a special delivery of cozy, coordinated pajamas for the entire family. These pajamas become our festive attire for the week leading up to Christmas. Each package, wrapped with care, contains pajamas carefully chosen to reflect the holiday spirit—classic plaid patterns, whimsical reindeer prints, and more. We unwrap these surprises on Day 19, and the laughter and smiles that follow as we model our new sleepwear set the stage for Christmas. On Christmas Eve, we wear our coordinating sleepwear for a night of anticipation. It’s a tradition initiated by our elf that we eagerly look forward to each year, and we’re grateful for the warmth and joy it brings to our holiday celebrations.
Day 24: Christmas Cookies
Just before Christmas Eve, we have a family tradition that’s all about baking and decorating cookies. It’s a fun-filled day where we come together to bake and decorate cookies for ourselves and for Santa. Our helpful elf ensures we have all the supplies we need.
From dough to icing and sprinkles, our elf makes sure we’re well-equipped for our baking adventure.
With the elf’s assistance, we dive into a world of holiday baking creativity. We roll out dough, cut out fun shapes, and get creative with colorful icing and decorations.
Day 25: Good-Bye Letter
On the final day of our magical holiday tradition, our elf leaves us with a goodbye letter.
In this letter, our elf recaps special moments shared throughout the holiday season and the joy of being a part of our family’s festivities. As we read the goodbye letter, we’re reminded that while our elf may return to the North Pole, and brings excitement of the arrival of Santa. I made all of these letters customizable and printable using this Etsy link but you can also write your own for what works well for your family and traditions! Hopefully you find these ideas helpful!