10 Elf on the Shelf Departure Ideas

Discover creative ways to send your elf back to the North Pole for the year with these fun ideas!

At the end of the holiday season, it’s time to bid farewell to your Elf on the Shelf for the year. If your Scout Elf needs a creative way to say goodbye to your family, they’re in the right spot!

Here are 10 goodbye elf ideas, perfect for saying “Cheerio.” Scout Elves—get inspired and use one of these departure ideas to plan your final surprise of the year!

1. Special Delivery to Santa

It’s that time again…your Scout Elf printed this special packing slip to show they’re ready for their flight back to the North Pole!

Materials:

• Color printer
• Cardstock/paper
• Printable
• Scissors
• Tape

Instructions:

1. Your elf will print and cut out the printable.
2. They will fold it around themself, and tape it together.
3. You can wish them safe travels before they return to Santa featuring their special packing slip.

2. Made It Back to the North Pole

“Mind shipping my things?”

Materials:

• Picture frame
• Color printer
• Cardstock/copy paper
• Printable
• Scissors

Instructions:

1. Your Scout Elf will snap a picture (printable), and set it out in a picture frame for you to see.
2. The elf will then set out the printable message and elf-sized packing boxes, letting everyone know that they made it back to the North Pole and would like to have their “things” shipped back to them!

3. Frosty Farewell

Your Scout Elf departed with Santa, but not before leaving a frosty farewell display on the window for you to find!

Materials:

• Printer
• Cardstock/paper
• Printables
• Scissors
• Spray snow

Instructions:

1. Your elf will print and cut out the printable.
2. They will use spray snow to spray their outline, so you can see where they departed to follow Santa.

4. Up, Up and Away

It’s time for your Scout Elf to take off after a wonderful season spent with you! They’ll say, “Toodle-loo” while hanging onto a bunch of balloons.

Materials:

• Balloons
• Tape
• String

Instructions:

1. Your elf will blow up several balloons and tie them to strings.
2. They will tape the balloons to the wall, then wrap the strings around one hand to hang from them, so they don’t fly too far away before you can say goodbye!

5. Instant Memories

Before they head back to the North Pole, your Scout Elf left behind keepsake photos for you to remember their elfventures from this season!

Materials:

• Printer
• Cardstock/paper
• Printable
• Scissors
• Tape/glue
• Pictures of elf ideas from the season
• Clothespins
• Scout Elves at Play Holiday Hook

Instructions:

1. Your elf will prepare for this setup by taking pictures of their elf ideas leading up to Christmas.
2. To execute this idea, your elf will print out the photos they’ve been collecting.
3. Then, they’ll print and cut out the printable.
4. They will tape the frames around the snapshots.
5. After, they will use clothespins to clip the pictures to a string.
6. Lastly, they’ll hang on the Holiday Hook among the sweet photo keepsakes.

6. Christmas Eve Surprise

For their final feat of the season, your Scout Elf may bring your children one last present to say thanks for such a wonderful holiday!

Materials:

• Wrapping paper/gift bag/gift box
• Present

Instructions:

1. Your Scout Elf will get a present for your children. They love to gift goodies like PJs, candy, games or toys.
2. Then, your Scout Elf will wrap up the gift or place it in a gift bag, which they’ll wait by.

7. Packed and Ready to Go!

Scout Elves sure do travel light!

Materials:

• Color printer
• Cardstock
• Printable
• Scissors
• Clear self-adhesive tape
• Holiday Harness from Scout Elves at Play

Instructions:

1. Your Scout Elf will print, cut out, fold, and tape the printable into their very own mini suitcase.
2. They’ll use the suitcase to get packed up and ready to go on their final flight to the North Pole of the season.
3. Since your Scout Elf will stand still all day, they can rely on the Holiday Harness for support.

8. Got to Get to My Other Gig

“See you later! I’m booked at the North Pole!”

Materials

• Color printer
• Cardstock/copy paper
• Printable
• Scissors

Instructions:

1. Your Scout Elf will print, cut, and arrange the printables.
2. Next, they will have a jam session using their favorite instruments!

9. I Will Miss “Shoe!”

“These are a perfect fit!”

Materials:

• Your own shoes!
• Color printer
• Cardstock/copy paper
• Printable
• Scissors

Instructions:

1. Your Scout Elf will gather all the shoes they can find.
2. Then, they’ll place the printable card with their departure message next to the shoe they choose to hide in and let you know that they will surely miss “shoe.” Of course, they really mean they will miss YOU!

10. The Elf on the Shelf Goodbye Poem

It’s rhyme time! Your Scout Elf wrote a special goodbye message poem to leave with you before returning to the North Pole.

Materials:

• Color printer
• Cardstock/paper
• Printable
• Scissors

Instructions:

1. Your elf will print and cut out the printable.
2. They will sit next to their sweet Goodbye Poem and wait for you to read it.

These ideas were originally posted on Elf on the Shelf’s blog.

For more toy guides and ideas like this one, check out our Toyland® Blog.