Our elf has been leaving compliments around the kitchen. It’s a lovely surprise to find before breakfast! 💛
There are little notes for good helpers, kind smiles and all the thoughtful things that sometimes go unnoticed. He’s saved one more in his mitten, just for whoever finds him first.
This easy elf idea is quick to put together and gives the morning a cheerful start. You can make the messages personal without needing a complicated scene.
What you’ll need:
- One official Elf on the Shelf doll (paid link)
- Six or seven coloured sticky notes (paid link), or little paper squares
- A pen
- A clean, smooth cupboard door
- A folded tea towel or small box to support the elf
- A little removable tape if you use ordinary paper
Setup:
Write a short kind message on each note, keeping the words big enough for the children to read. Try “You are kind”, “Thank you” or something specific, such as “Lovely sharing yesterday”. Put the notes on a smooth cupboard door in a loose little group, checking that they lift away easily. Sit your elf below them against the folded tea towel or a low box. Tuck a “For you” note between his mittens and leave a few blank squares nearby. In the morning, the children can write their own message for someone else in the house. There’s no need to turn it into a big task; one small compliment is plenty to keep the elf’s idea going.
Make it cheaply:
Skip buying a new pad and cut squares from the blank side of used paper and attach them with a small piece of removable tape. If you’d rather leave the cupboard clear, stand the notes along the table against a cereal box. Different pen colours make them cheerful even on plain paper. You can also tuck one note into each person’s breakfast place and leave the elf holding the last.
Try the paper-chain factory or the North Pole post office for another elf scene.
