Elf on the Shelf Coloring Pages
The Elf on the Shelf began as a 2005 picture book by Carol Aebersold and her daughter Chanda Bell, based on a Christmas tradition from Aebersold’s own family. Santa sends a scout elf to each family that adopts one. Once the family gives it a name, the elf gets its Christmas magic. Each night it flies to the North Pole to tell Santa about the day, and before the children wake up it comes back to a new spot in the house. These free printable Elf on the Shelf coloring pages show the kind of places a scout elf might turn up in the morning.
The elf sits on a shelf with his legs dangling, peeks out of a stocking on the fireplace and flies past the moon and stars toward the North Pole. In the kitchen he sits in a bowl of cereal, relaxes in a teacup full of marshmallows, eats a cookie on top of the cookie jar, builds a snowman on the counter and snacks on a big bowl of popcorn. Around the house he slides down the banister, hides behind a bedside lamp, peeks around a giant storybook and waves from inside a striped mitten.
Playtime pages show him riding a toy train, driving a toy car, riding a rocking horse and hanging from a candy cane hooked on a shelf. He hugs an ornament on a Christmas tree branch, stands on a stack of presents pointing at a star, shows off a gumdrop next to a gingerbread house and waves goodbye from a window with a wreath. For more holiday pictures, see the Christmas coloring pages and the Santa coloring pages.
How to print these Elf on the Shelf coloring pages
Click the Download button under any picture to save it, then print it on standard letter paper. The pages are portrait and sized to fill the sheet, so pick fit to page in your print settings. Plain white paper is fine for crayons and colored pencils; light cardstock holds up better for markers.
Coloring ideas
A classic choice is a red suit and pointed red hood with the collar left white. Add a little pink to the round cheeks and give the hair any color you like. The presents, ornaments, candy cane stripes and the mitten’s stripes are good places for bright colors and patterns. You can also leave a finished page out in the morning as if the elf colored it overnight.
Who these pages are for
The simpler pages, like the elf on the shelf, the popcorn bowl and the mitten, have large open shapes that are quick to fill and suit preschoolers and early elementary kids. The busier pages, such as the kitchen with the snowman, the staircase and the gingerbread house, have more small pieces for older kids and adults who want a longer session. Parents and teachers can print as many copies as they need for home, a class party or the days before winter break.
Frequently asked questions
Are these Elf on the Shelf coloring pages free?
Yes. Every page on this site is free to download and print for personal, classroom, church or library use. Please do not resell the files or upload them elsewhere.
What size do the pages print at?
They are portrait images sized for standard US letter paper (8.5 by 11 inches) and also fit A4. Choose fit to page in your print dialog if your printer adds margins.
What colors is the Elf on the Shelf?
A classic choice is a red suit and pointed red hood with a white collar and pink cheeks. The dolls come with different skin tones, and every part of these pages is left open, so you can color the elf to match your own family's elf or pick any colors you like.
What does the Elf on the Shelf do?
In the book, Santa sends the elf to watch over the family during the holidays. Each night it flies to the North Pole to report to Santa, and each morning it is back in a new spot in the house for the children to find. Children are not supposed to touch the elf, because that could take away its magic.
When does the Elf on the Shelf go back to the North Pole?
The elf leaves on Christmas Eve, when its job for the season is over, and stays at the North Pole until the next holiday season.
Can I use these for a classroom Christmas party?
Yes. Print as many copies as you need for your students. They make a good activity for the last days before winter break. The only thing we ask is that the files stay on this site rather than being redistributed.
