There’s nothing quite like Christmas with children.
The excitement starts building weeks before the big day. Decorations appear, Christmas lists get longer, festive films are suddenly on repeat and there’s a growing sense that something magical is just around the corner.
For parents, however, there’s another side to all that Christmas magic: making it happen!
Between buying presents, remembering school events, finding Christmas jumpers, wrapping gifts, planning food and attempting to keep track of approximately 400 different December commitments, it can feel like the busiest month of the year.
And if your family has a mischievous little elf joining the festivities, there’s another job waiting at the end of the day.
You know the moment.
You’re warm in bed. You’ve finally switched off. Your eyes are closing...
THE ELF!
Suddenly you’re downstairs again, trying to think of something fun while wondering where on earth you left your festive imagination.
At Porky Penguin, we think Christmas traditions should bring more smiles than stress. So, if you know your elf will be making an appearance this year, getting organised early can make December a whole lot easier.
Give yourself 24 days of inspiration
It’s easy to start December feeling creative.
Night one? Brilliant.
Night two? Still going strong.
By the time you’re juggling Christmas parties, school performances, present wrapping and everything else December throws at you, coming up with another idea at bedtime can feel rather less magical!
Our Everyday Elf Idea Pack is designed to help take that pressure away.
Inside you’ll find 24 Scene Information Cards and 24 Prop Cards, giving you plenty to work with throughout the festive season. There’s also a Shopping List Card and Main Information Card to help you prepare.
Even better, we estimate you’ll already have around 60–70% of the items on the shopping list at home.
That means you can gather what you need ahead of time, tuck everything away somewhere safe and head into December feeling considerably more prepared.
The pack doesn’t include an elf, so it’s ready to use with your family’s own festive visitor.
It’s a simple bit of preparation that could save you from those late-night “What are we going to do tonight?” moments.
Start the excitement before they even arrive
For children, the anticipation can be every bit as exciting as the event itself.
When will the elf arrive? What will they do? Will they be back this year?
Our Personalised Elf Arrival Postcard is a lovely way to build that excitement before the fun gets underway.
The postcard can be personalised from your chosen elf or elves, helping you create a surprise that feels especially meant for your children.
And if an arrival postcard has already become part of your family tradition, there’s good news: we change the postcard every year, so previous customers will receive different wording.
The postcard is a flat A5 card, approximately twice the size of a normal postcard, giving your special festive message plenty of presence when it arrives.
One important parent note: your personalisation is printed exactly as you enter it, so give those names and spellings a careful check before placing your order.
It’s a small touch, but those are often the details children remember.
Turn their arrival into an adventure
Want to make one day in December feel particularly special?
Instead of simply discovering where their elf has appeared, you can make finding them part of the fun with The Official Elf Hunt 2026.
This clue-based adventure sends children searching from one location to another, following riddles until they eventually discover their hidden elf. You could even add a little treat at the end if you want to make the final discovery extra exciting.
There are 18 cards included, featuring rhyming clues, playful poems and themed extras designed to have children racing from room to room looking for the next clue.
There are plenty of ways to work the hunt into your Christmas plans. Use it for the big arrival, save it for a surprise midway through December, or bring it out for a reappearance.
And if you enjoyed the hunt last Christmas, you won’t simply be repeating the same activity. The 2026 version is brand new.
Do your December self a favour
Christmas doesn’t need to be perfectly planned.
Some of the funniest family memories come from the moments that don’t go according to plan!
But there are certain things you can make easier.
Sorting out your elf supplies before December means one less thing competing for your attention when the festive calendar gets busy. Then, when December arrives, you can spend less time desperately searching for inspiration and more time enjoying the reactions.
Because as far as the children are concerned, Christmas magic simply appears overnight. So, get ahead while you can, future-you will be glad you did.
Get Christmas-ready and discover our festive elf products at Porky Penguin.