24 Easy Elf Ideas for Busy Parents (Most Take 5 Minutes)

You don’t need a craft store run or a Pinterest-perfect scene. You need an idea that takes five minutes and makes a kid laugh before school. Here are 24 of our favorites, one for every night of December leading up to Christmas Eve.

Week one: start strong, keep it easy

1. Marshmallow snow angel. Sprinkle flour or powdered sugar on a tray and press your elf in to make an angel.
2. Kitchen zip line. String between two chairs, elf hanging from a candy cane.
3. Goldfish fishing trip. Goldfish crackers in the sink plus a pencil-and-string fishing pole.
4. Cocoa hot tub. A mug full of mini marshmallows.
5. Storytime for the stuffies. Stuffed animals lined up, picture book in the elf’s lap.
6. Banana buddies. Draw silly faces on the bananas.

Week two: a little mischief

7. Mustache makeover. Dry-erase mustaches on framed family photos (on the glass only).
8. Mini snowman build. Stacked marshmallows, toothpicks, pretzel arms.
9. Window note. “Merry Christmas from the North Pole!” in dry-erase on a mirror.
10. Elf-sized pancakes. Silver-dollar pancakes stacked high at breakfast.
11. Scavenger hunt. A riddle that leads to a small treat.
12. Kindness challenge. A note asking the kids to do one kind thing today.

Week three: cozy and silly

13. Paper snowflake storm. Scatter a few cut snowflakes around the elf.
14. Caught in the freezer. Elf next to the ice cream. Just chilling.
15. Movie night setup. Mini popcorn bowl and a family movie queued up.
16. Toy car race. Elf vs. toy cars down a cardboard ramp.
17. Yoga class. Action figures in poses, elf as the instructor.
18. Letter-writing desk. Paper and pens out for letters to Santa.

Week four: the big finish

19. Brick jail. Elf “caught” behind a building-brick wall for being naughty.
20. Coloring contest. Coloring pages, crayons and a “Judge: Santa” sign.
21. Tic-tac-toe challenge. Mid-game against a stuffed animal using candy pieces.
22. Ornament swing. Elf swinging from the tree on a ribbon.
23. Hot cocoa bar. Mugs, cocoa and toppings set out for a family cocoa night.
24. Christmas Eve goodbye. A goodbye letter and a small gift to close the season.

Save this list. Better yet, let the idea cards in your kit do the remembering for you.

Every Lol & Elf kit includes 24 nightly idea cards like these, so all you have to do each night is flip to the next one.