Elf ideas for older children
A seven-year-old is not impressed that the elf has moved. Older children want something to work out, do or answer. Here are ten elf ideas that work for children between six and ten.
Ten elf ideas for older children
- 4 December · 5 min Moustaches on the photos Everyone in the family photos has grown a moustache overnight. Comes with the purchase
- 6 December · 5 min Gone fishing The elf is sitting on the edge of the washbasin, fishing. Comes with the purchase
- 7 December · 5 min The kindness mission Today the elf has not been up to mischief. It has left a mission instead. Comes with the purchase
- 9 December · 5 min Taped up The toys have had enough and taped the elf to the wall. Comes with the purchase
- 14 December · 5 min The zip line The elf is riding a zip line right across the room. Comes with the purchase
- 16 December · 5 min Hidden in the tree Today the elf has hidden. Whoever finds it first wins. Comes with the purchase
- 18 December · 5 min The wish list The elf has laid out paper and pens and started on its own wish list. Comes with the purchase
- 19 December · 5 min The snowball fight The elf and the soft toys have had a snowball fight with cotton wool. Comes with the purchase
- 21 December · 5 min Notes on the mirror The bathroom mirror is covered in little notes with kind words. Comes with the purchase
- 22 December · 5 min The wrapping elf The elf has been practising gift wrapping: the remote control, a banana and a shoe. Comes with the purchase
What changes as children get older?
- Give them a mission. Antics that end with the children doing something, such as searching, guessing or doing something kind in secret, last longer than ones you only look at.
- Let them read it themselves. A child who has just learnt to read wants to read the elf’s card aloud to the rest of the family. Write short sentences in large letters.
- Add a riddle. “I am somewhere green” is enough for a game of hide and seek.
- Let them play a trick back. Ask what they think the elf would like, and let them leave something out for it in the evening.
When your child starts to suspect
Sooner or later comes the question of whether it is you who moves the elf. That need not be the end. Many children are happy to become helpers: they get to set up the antics for a younger brother or sister, or for the parent who is not in on it. The secret simply changes hands.
Letters for older children
The elf’s letters can get longer and a little cheekier. It can blame someone else, ask for help or leave a question to be answered on a note by the next morning. There are elf letters to print for free, with an empty card for your own words.
More lists: easy elf ideas and elf ideas for small children.