What to do if your Elf is Late! + FREE Elf Late Arrival Letters Printables

Is the elf running late at your house? Grab the Elf late arrival notice printable and pick from one of the Late Arrival Elf on the Shelf letter printables to use for your elf’s arrival. These free printable letters are perfect for when the elf is running behind schedule. 

Elf on the Shelf Running Late

Eeek! The elf is running late and the kids are wondering where they are! Have no worries and no stress! We have you covered for the elf’s arrival even when they are running a tad bit behind. 

Sometimes things happen and there is a delay in the elf making their grand entrance to start the magic and holiday fun. 

I like to make things fun and easy for other parents who like to have Santa’s little helpers come and visit the kiddos. With elf printables like this elf on the shelf arrival letter printable it will make your life easier.

For us, the Christmas magic of the elf is one of my kid’s favorite things to enjoy during this time of the year. It is a family tradition that is just as important to use as getting our Christmas tree.

This set of elf on the shelf printables includes an elf late arrival notice printable, an “I sent you a treat sorry I’m late letter printable” and different “I’m late” and “We’re late” printable letter options.

This elf on the shelf printable arrival letter is perfect for when your elf friend is running a little bit late 

When Does the Elf Come Back?

The Elf on the Shelf typically starts around the beginning of December, specifically on December 1st. Sometimes the Elf’s return will be earlier and start their fun the day after Thanksgiving and then there are times when the elf will return a bit later.

How long does the Elf stay?

The Elf on the Shelf tradition typically lasts throughout the holiday season, from early December until Christmas Eve. The elf is meant to return to the North Pole with Santa Claus on Christmas Eve leaving a gift for the kids to find on Christmas Day.

Elf on the Shelf Printables

• Elf on the shelf rules Printable. Help the kids follow the Elf on the Shelf Rules with this FREE Elf on the Shelf Rules Printable. Just print it out and hang it on the fridge!
• Naughty or Nice Notice Elf on the Shelf Printable. Need a way to tell the kids if they are on the Naughty or Nice list? Just print it and fill it out and have your elf leave it for the kids!
• Tic Tac Toe Elf Sized printable Elf Game. When you need an idea to keep your elf busy, why not give him a tic tac toe board to play.
• Elf on the Shelf Planner. Use the Elf on the Shelf Planner printable I have created to get organized. It will help make your Elf on the Shelf plan for the holiday season easier too.
• Elf on the Shelf Good Bye Letters. For when the elf goes back to the North Pole on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day, use this for the elf to say farewell and head back home.
• Elf Welcome Letters. If your elf is running behind thats ok, they can still bring a letter that doesn’t include them being late. Check out the Elf on the Shelf Welcome letter (for the first visit ever), I’m back Elf on the shelf return letters (for if you have 1 elf friend) and We are back Elf on the Shelf Letters.

How to Handle Late Elf Arrival

Have the Official Elf Department of Departure send an Elf on the Shelf Late arrival notice. There is an elf late arrival notice printable that I have included in this set of late elf arrival letter free printables.

Have the elf send a small gift. If the elf is delayed that doesn’t mean the fun has to be. I have included a special note about being late that you can use before your elf arrives so the kids know they are on their way. 

Use one of the elf on the shelf arrival ideas along with one of the printable arrival letters for elf being late once they arrive.

If this is your elf’s first visit ever then you may also want to have the elf Names printable come with the Elf late notice Printable to get the fun started. If you are stuck on Elf Names, Check out this awesome Guide to Naming Elf on the Shelf and the best Elf on the shelf names! We have girl elf names and boy elf names!

How do you Tell Kids the Elf is running late?

Let the kids know that anytime from Thanksgiving until mid December is when elf friends start their visit. Yes, most arrive on December 1st but sometimes there are delays. 

Let the kids know that it is nothing they did that caused their elf to be delayed. 

If the kids are asking about their elf’s arrival not being on time you can let them know one of the reasons that they are late and let them know that their elf friend is still on their way. 

You can also use the printable Elf Late Notice that I have included with the Late elf arrival letters. Then check off which reason the elf is late. Then have the notice in an envelope addressed to the kids, being sent from Santa letting them know their elf is on the way.

Reasons Elf’s Arrival is Delayed

During the Christmas season there are many times that things unexpected happen. Your elf’s arrival not being on time can be one of them. There are quite a few different reasons that your elf on the shelf’s arrival is delayed but have no worries they will be there soon!

If your elf is running late and the kids are asking questions. \Here are a few reasons that your elf is running late coming from the North Pole. 

• Weather Delays. The North Pole experienced unexpected blizzards or storms that slowed down travel for all the magical creatures.
• Elf Training Camp. Elf has been attending a special training session to learn new tricks and bring even more fun surprises this year.
• Toy Factory Overload. With an overwhelming number of toy requests from children worldwide, the workshop got extra busy. This caused a delay in the elves’ departure.
• Magical Detours. Elf had to make magical stops along the way to gather extra cheer and joy for the holiday season.
• Helping Other Elves. Your elf might have stayed back to assist other elves who needed a hand finishing their tasks.
• A Sleigh Mishap. A minor hiccup with Santa’s sleigh might have caused a slight delay in the elf’s arrival to your home.

What letter options are there?

To make sure every family is covered I have made a variety of late arrival elf on the shelf return letter options for you to pick from. Each reason on the elf late notice has a letter specifically using that reason, there are also “2 Donut Worry” letters included as well for a total of 26 Elf on the Shelf I am late letter options to pick from!

• I am late elf arrival letters for family’s with one kid and one elf friend.
• I am late elf arrival letters for family’s with multiple kids and one elf friend.
• We are late elf arrival letters for family’s with one kid and multiple elf friends.
• We are late elf arrival letters for family’s with miultiple kids and multiple elf friends.

Get The Elf on the Shelf Late Arrival Letters Printables

There are multiple free printable elf letters for you to pick from when it comes to late arrivals. There is a letter option for each of the late arrival notice reasons so you can pair them together.

To get the printables, fill out this form. You will then get an e-mail to confirm signing, up click that button and then the pdf files will open. You can save them and then print whichever ones you want to use.

*IMPORTANT NOTE: None of the letters you print will have any watermarks, the only images that have them are the ones in this blog post, but when you print them there will be no sign of anything showing they are not from the Elf.

Elf on the Shelf Ideas

• 25 Simple Elf on the Shelf Ideas
• Kitchen Elf on the Shelf Ideas
• Dollar Store Elf on the Shelf ideas
• Quick Elf on the Shelf Ideas
• Naughty Elf on the Shelf Ideas
• Elf on the Shelf Donut Ideas
• Elf on the Shelf Ideas for Toddlers
• Last minute Elf on the Shelf Ideas
• 5 Minutes or less elf on the shelf ideas
• Elf on the shelf ideas for when you have forgotten
• Elf on the shelf ideas with Marshmallows

What Is Elf on the Shelf?

Elf on the Shelf is a fun holiday tradition in which scout elves are sent from the North Pole by Santa. It is used to add magic to the holiday season. The elf brings a ton of holiday magic and festive cheer to the kids.

Each night the elf goes back to the North Pole, some parents say to report back to Santa the children’s behavior and others say it is so the scout elves can meet up and come up with ideas to share with the children.

The elf magically moves to a new spot every night, and children find their elf friends when they wake up each morning. The fun part for the kids is seeing what the elf (or elves if they have multiple) have done for the day. Sometimes the elf brings a gift, other times the elf does something silly, and sometimes something mischievous.

In our house, our Elf adds to the magic of the Christmas Season and is used to have extra fun and enjoyment. You can choose to have the elf be a watcher of good behavior if you want to, that is a personal parenting choice.

If you are new to Elf on the Shelf be sure to check out our Ultimate Guide of Everything you need to know about Elf on the Shelf.

Stress Free Elf on The Shelf Season Planning Guide

Don’t Stress Elf on the Shelf Season with this Elf on the Shelf Guide that will help you with your planning, Elf Ideas, Props and more!

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