Caught! The Cookie Thief
5 minutes · Low cost · 3–8 years · Little mess
This elf woke up hungry. It had its eye on the cookie jar and it very nearly got away with the whole thing — but a cookie is a big load for someone that size. There are crumbs everywhere, a corner is missing, and a thin trail leads straight back to the little door. Not the cleverest getaway an elf has ever managed.
What you need
- 1 cookie (or biscuit)
- Optional: a small toy ladder
How to do it
- Take one cookie — the crumblier the better.
- Break a small piece off one edge, as if someone much smaller had tried their best.
- Put the half-eaten cookie down near the elf door.
- Scatter a thin trail of crumbs from the cookie jar to the door.
- Optional: lean a small toy ladder against the jar.
What you tell the children
“I have left crumbs absolutely everywhere. Could you help me clear up before the mice turn up? A dustpan and brush would be perfect.”
The note the elf leaves
Shhh. I was only having a taste. Your cookies are the best ones in the whole street. But... oh dear. I think I may have crumbed a bit.
Your elf
The printable version is in the app — with your elf's name on it, and your child's.
One idea every night
The app spreads the ideas across the nights up to Christmas, reminds you in the evening and prints the letters. Twelve are free, and 70 more come with the season pass.
