Elf on the Shelf arrival ideas and welcome letters to copy
Thirty ways for the elf to turn up, from a North Pole parcel to a box of doughnuts, with an arrival box checklist, three letters to copy and the right night to set it all up.
The Elf on the Shelf’s first morning is the set-up children remember longest, and it needs no more work than any other night: a prop, a note and a spot they will find before breakfast. If the elf comes on 1 December, with the first advent calendar door, set the scene on the night of Monday 30 November 2026. Below are 30 arrival ideas for a new or returning elf, what to put in an elf arrival box and three letters to copy. Arrival props and outfits are in our Elf on the Shelf accessories, part of our Kids & Elf collection.
When should the elf arrive?
There is no fixed date. The official UK site says a Scout Elf usually arrives at the start of a family’s Christmas celebrations, and that Santa sends most elves during Scout Elf Return Week, which its Return Week page dates from 24 November to 1 December. Every elf flies home with Santa on Christmas Eve, so the arrival date decides how many mornings you need to fill.
| Elf arrives | Set up on the night of | Mornings to Christmas Eve | Suits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuesday 24 November | Monday 23 November | 31 | The longest run, from the first day of Return Week |
| Sunday 29 November (Advent Sunday) | Saturday 28 November | 26 | Families who light an advent wreath or start the calendar that day |
| Tuesday 1 December | Monday 30 November | 24 | Matching the first advent calendar door |
| Saturday 5 December | Friday 4 December | 20 | A weekend arrival with time for a bigger scene |
| Saturday 12 December | Friday 11 December | 13 | A shorter run for a busy month |
Elf on the Shelf arrival ideas for a new elf (1 to 10)
A first-time elf needs an introduction more than a stunt. The first morning has three jobs: show that the elf came from the North Pole, explain the rules and ask for a name. In the official version, the family reads the storybook together and then names the elf, which is how it gets the Christmas magic it needs to fly to the North Pole every night.
- North Pole parcel: a cardboard box addressed to the children, with hand-drawn stamps and a hole cut in the lid for the elf to peep out of.
- Storytime: the elf sitting on the open storybook on the breakfast table, ready for the first read.
- Name jar: a jam jar, slips of paper and a pencil, with a note asking each child for a name; our list of Elf on the Shelf names helps if they get stuck.
- Snow from the North Pole: the elf in a ring of shredded white paper, with a note saying the snow came with it and never melts.
- Crash landing: the elf nose-down in a paper aeroplane on the hall floor.
- Balloon ride: the elf in a paper cup tied under a bunch of balloons on the banister.
- Elf door: a small door against the skirting board, with the elf sitting in front of it.
- North Pole breakfast: pancakes, hot chocolate and the advent calendars laid at each place, the elf in the middle of the table.
- Fortune teller: a shiny bauble for a crystal ball on a scarf-covered stool, and a fortune predicting a very merry Christmas.
- Train ticket: a handmade ticket from North Pole Central to your town, with the elf riding a toy train.
Elf arrival ideas for a returning elf (11 to 20)
A returning elf can skip the introductions and go straight to the jokes. A pun on a note does most of the work.
- Doughnut worry: a box of doughnuts for breakfast and a note reading “Doughnut worry, I’m back”.
- Rent paid: a pile of chocolate coins as payment for a month’s board and lodging.
- Spelt out: “I’m back” written on the table in cereal hoops, mini marshmallows or chocolate chips.
- Mirror message: “Did you miss me?” on the bathroom mirror in dry-wipe pen, with the pen left by the elf as evidence.
- Elf taxi: the elf in a toy car or wagon with a handmade taxi sign and a receipt for the fare from the North Pole.
- Surprised pet: googly eyes stuck on the glass over the dog’s eyes in a framed photo, and a matching pair on the elf.
- Biscuit break: the elf beside the biscuit tin, crumbs all around, with a sign blaming the long flight.
- Holiday postcards: postcards from the elf’s year off, one from the beach and one from Santa’s workshop.
- Unpacking: a matchbox suitcase, doll clothes spread out and the elf half inside the sock drawer.
- Parachute drop: the elf hanging from a handkerchief parachute tied to the banister.
Quick and funny elf arrival ideas (21 to 30)
Ten that take under five minutes, for the night you remember at 11pm.
- Advent guard: the elf on top of the advent calendar, holding door 1 shut until breakfast.
- Jet lag: the elf asleep in a slipper with a felt sleep mask and a “Do not disturb” sign.
- Tangled: the elf wrapped in the fairy lights on the tree, as if it tried to help.
- Bucket list: a December to-do list the elf brought, from a film night to a walk to see the lights.
- Letterbox entrance: the elf’s legs sticking out of the inside of the letterbox.
- Snowman lookout: the elf on top of three toilet rolls stacked into a snowman.
- Boat trip: the elf in a toy boat in the dry bath, with a sign saying it sailed from the North Pole.
- Cuppa: the elf next to a mug and a tea bag after the long trip.
- Hide and seek: an envelope on the table saying “Find me” and the elf somewhere easy.
- Sleeping bag: the elf in a sock with a note saying it was too tired to hide.
What to put in an elf arrival box
An elf arrival box is the parcel the elf turns up in, or brings with it. Keep it small: it opens a month of mornings and should not compete with Christmas Day.
- The elf, in a first year: prop kits do not always include one, so check what is in the box
- The welcome letter (three versions below)
- A name or adoption certificate with a blank line for the name: the official Elf Registry has a printable one, with a letter from Santa
- The storybook, for a first-time elf
- A hot chocolate sachet or a few chocolate coins for each child
- A December bucket list of family activities
- North Pole snow: shredded white paper in a jar
- An elf-size scarf or sleeping bag for later set-ups
Any lidded box works. A crate from our Christmas Eve boxes can do both jobs: the arrival box on 1 December and the Christmas Eve box on the 24th.
Elves Behavin' Badly
Girl elf with hat, red plush body and long legs, vinyl face, 30 cm
The Elf on the Shelf
Elf on the Shelf box set, girl Scout Elf with blue eyes and storybook
The Elf on the Shelf
Elf Pets Arctic Fox plush with storybook and adoption certificate
Elf on the Shelf arrival letters to copy
Copy one onto Christmas paper in small, neat handwriting, which looks more like an elf’s than yours, and swap in the names in brackets.
Welcome letter for a new elf
Dear [children’s names],
Hello from the North Pole. Santa has chosen your family for me, and I am your new Scout Elf. I don’t have a name yet: please choose one after you have read my book together. My name is what gives me the Christmas magic I need to fly back to Santa every night.
Every day I will watch and listen. Every night I will fly to the North Pole to tell Santa about your day, and every morning I will land somewhere new. Who will find me first?
Please don’t touch me, or my magic might fade. On Christmas Eve I will fly home with Santa.
See you tomorrow,
Your new elf
Letter for a returning elf
Dear [children’s names],
I’m back. I spent the year in Santa’s workshop, and he has sent me to see how you are getting on before Christmas.
Same rules as last year: no touching, I report to Santa every night, and I go home on Christmas Eve. I have missed you, so let’s make this the best December yet.
Love,
[elf’s name]
Note for an elf who arrives late
Sorry I’m late. A snowstorm at the North Pole kept every elf on the ground, and I came as soon as the sleigh runway was clear. I have a lot of catching up to do.
[elf’s name]
How to welcome the Elf on the Shelf for the first time
- Pick the date and set a phone reminder for the night before.
- Once the children are asleep, set up in a room they walk through before breakfast, such as the kitchen.
- Put the welcome letter where they will see it, and read it aloud to children who cannot read yet.
- Read the storybook together that day, then let the children choose the name.
- Say the rules out loud once; our guide to the Elf on the Shelf rules has answers for the questions that follow.
- Photograph the arrival: next year, the returning elf can bring the photo back as a postcard.
For the 23 mornings after a 1 December arrival, our 100 Elf on the Shelf ideas include a night-by-night plan for December 2026, and the props for the rest of the month are in our Kids & Elf range.
Frequently asked questions
What are some good elf arrival ideas?
The ideas children remember tell a story about the journey: the elf peeping out of a North Pole parcel, nose-down in a paper aeroplane or riding in on a toy car. A returning elf can lean on a pun, such as a box of doughnuts with a note saying “Doughnut worry, I’m back”.
What are some ideas for a new elf arrival in the UK?
Give the arrival a British twist: a parcel with a hand-drawn first-class stamp, the elf having a cup of tea by the biscuit tin after the flight, or a train ticket from North Pole Central to your town. Pair any of them with a welcome letter that asks the children to choose a name.
When should your elf come back?
There is no fixed day. The official site says most elves arrive during Scout Elf Return Week, from 24 November to 1 December, and all of them leave with Santa on Christmas Eve. For a 1 December arrival in 2026, the elf goes out on the night of Monday 30 November.
How do I announce my elf arrival?
With a welcome letter on the first morning, ideally inside a small North Pole parcel. Some families build up to it with a letter from Santa a few days earlier saying an elf is on its way; the official Elf Registry has a printable adoption certificate and a Santa letter.
How do you welcome the Elf on the Shelf for the first time?
Set the elf out the night before with a welcome letter, then read the storybook together the next day. The children choose a name, which in the story gives the elf its Christmas magic, and you go over the no-touching rule once.
What to say when an elf comes back?
Keep it short: the elf has been helping in Santa’s workshop, it missed the children, and the rules are the same as last year. One joke or pun on the first note sets the tone for the month.
What is a quick elf arrival idea?
“I’m back” spelt out in cereal hoops on the kitchen table, the elf sitting on top of the advent calendar, or the elf asleep in a slipper with a “Do not disturb” sign. Each takes a couple of minutes with things already in the house.
What are the three rules of Elf on the Shelf?
Nobody touches the elf, because its Christmas magic is fragile. The elf flies to the North Pole each night to report to Santa and lands somewhere new by morning. And it goes home with Santa on Christmas Eve, staying at the North Pole until the next season.
