The 2023 Elf on the Shelf Printable Ideas Calendar has over 30 days of ideas. Find funny and easy activities for your elf, from arrival to the last day. Includes free cheat sheet calendar printable, supply list, instructions, and even a blank elf note template!
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Alright, Elf on the Shelf helpers...I've got a fun printable set for you today!
Now I know that some of us moms and dads have to help out with those elf antics every once in awhile. Sometimes, it can be hard to think of easy, mischievous pranks for your favorite elf. The simplest way to do it is to have a printable Elf on the Shelf calendar of ideas to refer to throughout the season.
I've made a full Elf on the Shelf ideas calendar to look at throughout the Christmas season for you today! All you'll need to do is make sure you have the easy list of supplies on hand, most of which are probably already in your home. Then, help your elf out as needed!
(Note: if some of the images in the post are outdated, don't worry - the printable calendars you'll download are up to date for 2023.)
How to Print
All of the printables you see above are free downloads. Simply click the button below to sign up (for free) to download your Elf on the Shelf 2023 Calendar set.
You'll receive download instructions to your inbox within a few minutes. One you click the link to open the file, you'll open a pdf document in a new tab. You can either press the printer icon to send to your printer or the downward-facing arrow to download the pdf to your device.
These pages are formatted to print on standard 8.5x11" printer paper. An at-home printer works just fine - this is the home inkjet printer I use! You might want to print the pages on cardstock to make them extra durable.
What You'll Get in This Printable Set
This is a 6-page set of Elf on the Shelf printables that will walk you right through your Christmas elf's activities for the year.
Free Printable Calendar of Elf on the Shelf Ideas
It all starts with the Elf calendar that's full of fun ideas.
This is an easy reference point to show you what to do every day with your elf. In my house, our elf (named Eddie) starts visiting on the Friday after Thanksgiving. But, I know a lot of elves don't come back until December 1st.
So, I erred on the side of caution and made the list for a full 31 days, from Thanksgiving to Christmas. You can always adjust as needed for your elf.
Full Instructions
From there, you can refer to the full page instruction sheets in the printable pack that briefly explains each creative activity and has a short supply list for each day.
Want to see what ideas are included in this sheet? Skip to the bottom of the post or click here to see 30 days of elf ideas.
Full 30-Day Supply List
The supplies list you see above has every item you'll need to do the things on this Elf on the Shelf planner! It's super easy to make sure you have everything on hand before the holiday season even starts. I'm going to guess you're probably like me and have 95% of this in your house already.
Elf on the Shelf Printable Note
Throughout the ideas calendar, I reference needing a note a few times. I've got you covered in that department! I made this cute "official" blank Elf on the Shelf letter printable template you can use for the notes from your elf.
30 Days of Elf on the Shelf Ideas
This is a copy of the instruction sheets you see above - I thought it might help to have them written out in the blog post as well!
- Day 1 (11/24) - Welcome Back Breakfast - Decorate your table with a Christmas-themed tablecloth, plates, cups, and centerpiece, and have a fun breakfast with your elf! Elf can bring a sweet breakfast treat (donuts, muffins, cereal, etc.). (Supplies Needed: Christmas centerpiece, tablecloth, plates, cups, sweet breakfast treat)
- Day 2 (11/25) - Draw on pictures with dry-erase markers - Make silly faces on your framed pictures with dry-erase markers. You can add eyebrows, hats, ears, sunglasses, clown noses, etc. (Supplies Needed: Dry erase markers)
- Day 3 (11/26) - Ziplining - Use a long piece of string and a coat hanger; tie the piece of string to 2 higher places 6-10 feet from each other and have elf hang onto the coat hanger to zipline across. (Supplies Needed: 8-10 foot piece of string, coat hanger)
- Day 4 (11/27) - Go Goldfishing - Tie a short piece of string to the end of a toothpick or cotton swab. Fill a bowl with Goldfish crackers and have elf fish with the fishing pole you made. (Supplies Needed: Toothpick or cotton swab, short piece of string, Goldfish crackers)
- Day 5 (11/28) - Dye the milk/juice green - Use green food coloring to dye the milk or juice in the fridge! (Supplies Needed: Green food coloring)
- Day 6 (11/29) - Candy Cane Hunt - Hide a pack of candy canes throughout the house; have elf sit in empty candy cane box with a note to find them. (Supplies Needed: Box of candy canes, note)
- Day 7 (11/30) - Snowball fight - Ball up 10-12 pieces of toilet tissue and make a note for kids to have a snowball fight with them. (Supplies Needed: Toilet tissue)
- Day 8 (12/1) - Flour snow angel - Spread flour on a cookie sheet and use the elf to make a snow angel. (Supplies Needed: Cookie sheet, flour (sprinkles work too!))
- Day 9 (12/2) - Doll tea party - Have a few dolls set up to have a tea party with your elf. (Supplies Needed: Tea party set, 3-4 dolls)
- Day 10 (12/3) - Hide in the fridge - Wrap your elf up in “blankets” (kitchen towels) and hide in the door of the fridge. (Supplies Needed: Kitchen towels)
- Day 11 (12/4) - Toilet paper the Christmas tree - Cover your Christmas tree in toilet paper! (Supplies Needed: Roll of toilet paper)
- Day 12 (12/5) - “Roast” Marshmallows - Put a marshmallow through a toothpick and have elf pretend to roast over an unlit candle. You can also use a battery-powered tealight. (Supplies Needed: Marshmallow, toothpick, candle or battery tealight)
- Day 13 (12/6) - Flossing - Elves can be cool too! Wrap your elf in dental floss with a note that says “is this how you floss?” (Supplies Needed: Dental floss, note)
- Day 14 (12/7) - Wrapped under the tree - Wrap your elf (sloppily) in wrapping paper, with tape lying nearby. (Supplies Needed: Wrapping paper, tape)
- Day 15 (12/8) - Faces on bananas or eggs - Use a Sharpie to draw silly faces on your bananas or eggs! (Supplies Needed: Sharpie, bananas, or eggs)
- Day 16 (12/9) - Take a marshmallow bath - Have your elf bathe in a bowl of marshmallows. (Supplies Needed: Mini marshmallows, bowl)
- Day 17 (12/10) - Drink syrup with a straw - Stick a straw in your bottle of syrup and have the elf positioned to sip out of it. (Supplies Needed: Bottle of syrup, straw)
- Day 18 (12/11) - Coloring book - Have your elf coloring way outside of the lines in your kids’ favorite coloring book. (Supplies Needed: Crayons, coloring book)
- Day 19 (12/12) - Make a cake - Hide your elf in the mixer, or holding a whisk, with a box of cake mix and a note that says “make me!” (Supplies Needed: Mixer or whisk, a box of cake mix)
- Day 20 (12/13) - Trail of socks - Have a trail of socks leading up to your elf hanging out of a stocking. (Supplies Needed: Socks, stocking hung)
- Day 21 (12/14) - Bows on cabinets - Use stick-on bows to decorate the cabinets in your kitchen (Supplies Needed: 1 bag of stick-on bows)
- Day 22 (12/15) - Spell with cereal - Spell out a message to the kids with pieces of cereal. (Supplies Needed: 1 box cereal)
- Day 23 (12/16) - Taped to a cabinet - Use painters/masking tape to tape your elf’s arms/legs to a cabinet, with their favorite doll or action figure holding the roll of tape nearby. (Supplies Needed: Roll of masking/painter’s tape, doll or action figure)
- Day 24 (12/17) - Flew into the tree - Have your elf hang onto a toy plane (or paper plane) and “crash” into the Christmas tree. (Supplies Needed: Toy/paper plane, Christmas tree)
- Day 25 (12/18) - Board game - Have your elf playing a family favorite board game or doing a puzzle. (Supplies Needed: Board game or puzzle)
- Day 26 (12/19) - “Cooking” candy - Put some candy in a frying pan and have the elf “cooking” with a spatula. (Please, oh please, don't turn your stove on - not responsible for burnt candy in your house.) (Supplies Needed: candy, frying pan, spatula)
- Day 27 (12/20) - Toilet paper snowflakes - Pull out the toilet paper roll a little bit and cut snowflake patterns into it. Have elf holding scissors (be cautious about having these out around young kids though!). (Supplies Needed: Toilet paper, scissors)
- Day 28 (12/21) - Wrapping paper legs - Put your elf’s legs into 2 rolls of wrapping paper and put the other end of the rolls into shoes to look like long legs. (Supplies Needed: 2 rolls of wrapping paper, shoes)
- Day 29 (12/22) - Toothpaste in Oreos - Have your elf “filling” Oreo cookies with toothpaste
(supplies needed: Oreos (minis work well), a tube of toothpaste) - Day 30 (12/23) - Deliver Christmas cookies and hot cocoa - Leave a basket of Christmas-themed cookies and packs of hot chocolate as a gift from your elf. (supplies needed: pack of cookies, packs of hot cocoa)
- Day 31 (12/24) - Goodbye letter - Write your kids a sweet/funny note from the elf on his last day! (Supplies Needed: Note included in your printables)
I hope this collection of free elf printables make it super easy to help your elf out this holiday season! To download these free printables, simply subscribe to the Lamberts Lately newsletter. It's free to sign up! Click the button below to register; you'll get the printable download instructions in your email shortly after.
Merry Christmas, everyone! May your elf be mischievous and bring lots of Christmas time fun to your home this year. 🙂
Elf on the Shelf FAQs
I'd love to hear some of your favorite easy Elf on the Shelf ideas! Share them in the 💭 comments below.
How do I get these printables?
Thanks!
So sorry Emily, I just realized the link didn’t copy correctly in the post! It’s there now – you can also click here to go directly to the sign-up.