Magic by Morning Tonight

Secret Code Note

Your elf left a message in secret code, with a key to crack it.

A 10-minute idea for The Elf on the Shelf® or any elf doll.

  • 10 min
  • No mess
  • Medium
  • Ages 4–7, Ages 8+

What you need

  • paper
  • a pen
  • a pencil

How to set it up

  1. Write a short message as numbers, with A=1, B=2 and so on.
  2. Write the key at the bottom: A=1, B=2, C=3, all the way to Z=26.
  3. Leave the note in your elf's lap with a pencil.

Safety check

Just paper and a pencil. If a toddler shares the house, swap the pencil for a crayon so there's no sharp tip within reach. How we check

An elf doll with a pencil tucked under one arm and a folded note of numbers in its lap.

Note from your elf: 8-9! 25-15-21 3-18-1-3-11-5-4 9-20!

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AI illustration of Moss, our own elf. Yours will look a little different.

Written with AI · Checked against our safety list · How we check

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