The Wandering Socks
10 minutes · Free · 4–8 years · No mess
The socks got curious. Overnight a few of them wandered off and settled in places socks have no business being — on a lampshade, behind the plant, halfway up the stairs. Nothing is broken, nothing is sticky, and the morning starts with a hunt instead of a negotiation. It is the gentlest idea in the set, and the one to keep for a morning when nobody has the patience for mess.
What you need
- Children's socks (3–5)
- A small basket
How to do it
- Hide a few socks around the house, somewhere a child can safely reach them.
- Lay a short trail from the elf door towards the first one.
- Keep the hiding places away from stairs, the kitchen and anything that could tip over.
- Put a basket by the elf door for the socks that get caught.
What you tell the children
“Find all the socks that ran away and bring them back to the basket. Count them as you go — I have lost track entirely.”
The note the elf leaves
Oh dear. The socks were curious and wanted to see the house. Can you find them all before they get any further?
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.
