Snowstorm Landing

Field Manual EF-24

Your elf arrives in a flurry of paper snowflakes and cotton-wool drifts, as if they flew straight through a blizzard. A pretty first-morning scene.

Set-up time: 15 minutes
Morning-after tidy: A little mess

Supplies

Requisition slip

White paper
Scissors
Cotton wool balls
A tray or baking sheet

Setting the scene

1Fold and snip a handful of quick paper snowflakes. They don't need to be neat.
2Pull cotton wool balls apart into soft drifts on a tray.
3Sit the elf in the middle, a little windswept, with snowflakes scattered around.
4Tuck the arrival note into a drift.

Tonight's note · Form EF-3

The Bureau of Whimsy

Elf Field Operations

Watching Kindly. Reporting Daily.

Field Elf DispatchWorkshop Annex 7, North Pole

Case No.EF-2026-43745

FormEF-3

IssuedDecember 14, 2026

Re: Nightly Field Dispatch

Psst… Maya and Leo! Over here!

Hello! I flew through the biggest snowstorm on the way here and brought some of it with me. Don’t worry, this kind doesn’t melt. I’m so happy to be back with you for another season.

Today’s mission: be kind, be brave, and be you.

Watching kindly,

Pip the Elf

Field Elf, First Class

Elf Field Operations

P.S. I’m very good at hide-and-seek. You’re better. Don’t tell anyone I said that.

The note your elf leaves, printed on Elf Field Operations letterhead. Filed here for Maya; yours carries your child’s name.Print this note Plan all 24 nights

More scenes like this one

All arrival ideas

Cross-references

MarshmallowSnow
Marshmallow Snowman Workshop
Your elf runs a snowman workshop, building tiny marshmallow snowmen on pretzel sticks and leaving a kit so your child can make a whole snow family.
15 minA little mess
MarshmallowSnow
Marshmallow Igloo
Your elf builds a cosy igloo from marshmallows and settles in for the night. It takes a little patience and one bag, and it gets a big reaction.
15 minA little mess
ArrivalFunny
Hot-Air Balloon Arrival
Your elf floats in by hot-air balloon: a paper cup basket tied to a balloon, drifting near the ceiling. A memorable arrival made from party leftovers.
10 minNo mess

Paperwork that pairs with this scene

Elf Field Operations

Form EF-3Free
Elf Nightly Note
A short note from the elf for tonight: a kindness mission, a joke, a countdown or an explanation for this morning's mess.
Letter
Form EF-1Free
Elf Arrival Letter
Your elf's first-morning letter: introductions, the nightly-report routine and a few house rules, all very official.
Letter
Form EF-2Free
Elf Incident Report
When the elf gets up to something: an official report with offense, evidence, witness statement and a (very lenient) ruling.
Official form

Easy Elf Ideas for Exhausted Parents: A Survival Guide
Elf season doesn't have to mean elaborate scenes every night. Here's how to keep the magic going on the energy you actually have.
3 min read · Elf Field Operations
Planning Your Elf's Arrival and Goodbye
The first and last nights frame the whole season. Here's how to make the arrival exciting and the goodbye warm.
4 min read · Elf Field Operations

Scene set. Note printed. Bedtime.

Print the note with your child's name in about thirty seconds. Classic wording is always free.

Print this note File an incident report