The Kringle Capers · Christmas 2026
Pip the Elf writes to your child by name, sharing the adventures (and a few mishaps) happening in Kringle Village as everyone gets ready for the biggest night of the year.
Letters mailed weekly · last one arrives right before Christmas Eve
Meet your new pen pal
My job is making sure Kringle Village runs smoothly, which is a very big job in December. These aren't stories read to your kids. They're real letters to them: Pip asks questions, shares what he's seeing and becomes a friend who cares about them.
This December, your kids will join Pip for:
How it works
Pick a package and share your kids' names and ages. Have an elf already? Add their name and Pip will bring them along on his adventures.
Each one comes in a hand-decorated envelope with a new chapter of Pip's story, plus stickers, coloring pages, recipes or a treasure from Kringle Village.
Just as excitement peaks. No midnight elf repositioning, no prep, nothing to remember. Just a kid running to the mailbox.
Packages
$35 December · $59 Nov + Dec
Pip's weekly letters, written to your child by name, with surprise bonuses in every envelope.
Most loved
$79 December · $89 Nov + Dec
Everything in the Letter Series, plus a whole December you'll do together.
Limited to 15–20 families
Choose Memory Maker
$199 · December only
For the child who needs to feel truly seen: letters woven around their own life, and read aloud in Pip's voice.
Only 5 families each year
Choose UltimateOrders close November 30. Letter Series postage is always included. Memory Maker and Ultimate add shipping for their craft kit. Tax added at checkout. Secure checkout through our shop, The Plaid Pinecone.
What's inside
Already have an elf?
Tell us your Elf on the Shelf's name and Pip will write about them as his friend, weaving them into his adventures and giving your elf a whole North Pole life your kids never knew about.
No elf? Perfect. Pip will be your family's elf friend. The letters were first designed as a no-stress alternative to the nightly elf routine.
Free printable
Curious what kinds of things come in the letters? Make Pip's Constellation Projector with your kids and gaze at the stars from your living room. All you need is a flashlight, a tube and the free printable cards.
Get the free downloadQuestions
Ages 4–14 work beautifully, and even teens love them. Pip adapts his stories to your child: younger kids get a picture-book style with activities like coloring pages, while older kids get more complex puzzles, artifacts and interesting facts about traditions around the world.
Yes! Letters lean toward your oldest while staying fun for younger siblings. Memory Maker crafts include simpler steps for little ones and advanced options for older kids.
One letter is mailed each week (delivery usually takes 2–5 business days), and the last one arrives right before Christmas Eve. Memory Maker and Ultimate craft kits arrive at the beginning of December, and Pip's Christmas gift arrives the week before Christmas.
Orders close at the end of November, so every family receives Pip's complete December story from the very first letter. Want letters in November too? Choose a November + December package. Once December begins, Pip is far too busy to take on new pen pals!
No elf needed. Pip becomes your family's elf friend. If you do have one, add their name when you order and Pip will bring them along.
Many of the recipes in Pip's booklet include substitution ideas, and you can simply skip any that don't fit your family.
Email me at plaidpinecone@gmail.com. I'm happy to talk through what will work best for your family.