Christmas activity for families to become elves under Mrs Christmas, with reindeer food, decorated biscuits, an interactive story and a chance to meet Father Christmas.
The Elf Academy is new for 2026 at Temple Newsam House, running from Saturday 5 December through to Wednesday 23 December. It's a Christmas activity for children, with sessions on Saturday 5, Sunday 6, Saturday 12, Sunday 13, Saturday 19 and Sunday 20 December. The whole thing is built around turning the kids into fully-fledged Christmas elves under the guidance of Mrs Christmas, who trains them to help Father Christmas on the most important night of the year.
The day is made up of hands-on Elf Training Modules. There's making reindeer food to take home, decorating Father Christmas' favourite biscuits and an interactive story led by one of his helper elves, with a chance to meet Father Christmas himself. As they go, each recruit collects a stamped elf-in-training card and a graduation gift to take home. Beyond the training, families can explore the house's decorated rooms, the Christmas trees and a Christmas tree trail.
If you've got a child who finds loud noises or crowds a bit much, there's a Relaxed Elf Academy on 12 and 13 December. It's the same training, but with fewer elves in training, the music and sounds turned down, and ear defenders and quiet areas available for children who need them.
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Tickets for the Elf Academy are £16-£20, and adults' General Admission is extra. There's an Early Bird offer available until the end of October, and LeedsCard and Max Card concessions apply. The sessions run across six dates between 5 and 20 December at Temple Newsam House.
