Our elf has offered to sort out fish and chips. He may have misunderstood the brief, because the fish is made from paper and the chips came from the crisp cupboard! 🐟
The little blue fish has a folded tab to keep it upright on the plate. A handful of crisps completes the elf’s very unusual interpretation of dinner.
This funny elf idea is a quick bit of wordplay for a busy evening. It is especially good if the children enjoy spotting what their elf has got wrong.
What you’ll need:
- One official Elf on the Shelf doll (paid link)
- A small plate
- A few potato crisps, or paper versions
- Blue craft paper (paid link) or scrap paper for a fish
- A pen and a little tape
- A folded cloth to support your elf
- Paper for the meal note
Setup:
Draw a simple fish on the blue paper, with a pointed tail and one eye, then cut it out. Add a small folded paper tab behind it so it can stand or lean against the plate edge. Put a few crisps on the plate and position the paper fish beside them. Sit your elf nearby, supported against a folded cloth, with his mittens resting on the table. Add a “Fish and chips!” note where it is easy to see. You do not need a real fish, a toy fishing rod or any cooking props for this version. If you would rather keep the whole scene pretend, use a few irregular yellow paper shapes for the crisps and save the real packet for later.
Make it cheaply:
Use scrap paper and a plate already in the cupboard. A fish drawn on the back of an envelope works perfectly well if you have no blue paper. The crisps can be paper too, so the whole meal costs nothing. For a very quick setup, leave the flat paper fish on top of the plate with the note tucked beside your elf.
Try the banana phone call or the silly pantry labels for another elf scene.
