Our elf has opened a tiny observatory on the windowsill. He’s hoping to spot the North Pole, although his cardboard telescope might need a little imagination! ⭐
He’s made a star chart and put a few paper stars on the window. His “North Pole star watch” note tells the children exactly what he’s been up to.
This easy elf idea uses a pretend telescope made from a cardboard tube. It’s a quiet little evening scene that still looks lovely when everyone finds him in the morning.
What you’ll need:
- One official Elf on the Shelf doll (paid link)
- A short cardboard tube
- Coloured craft paper (paid link) — choose blue — and a small scrap of silver paper
- Thick card for a simple tripod
- Tape
- Paper stars or dots
- A folded cloth to support the elf
- Paper and pens for a star chart and note
Setup:
Wrap the tube in blue paper and add a silver-paper ring around one end. Make three folded-card legs and tape them together at the top to form a low, stable stand. Attach the tube so it points gently towards the closed window. Sit your elf against the folded cloth with his face visible and one mitten near the telescope. Add a few paper stars to the glass with removable tape, or prop them on a card behind the stand. Draw a small chart with matching stars and leave it beside his note. The telescope is a pretend prop, so it does not need a lens. The children can match the stars to his chart or draw a constellation of their own.
Make it cheaply:
Roll a scrap of card into a tube and rest it on one folded-card support. Draw the stars on a paper backdrop instead of cutting individual shapes. A cereal-box flap makes a perfectly good chart. For the quickest version, leave the elf with the rolled tube and a drawing of the night sky.
Try the tinfoil moon landing or the paper-robin watch for another elf scene.
