Elf on the Shelf

I have never heard of this, could someone explain it to me? Sounds fun and I would like to try it as my kids get older! Thanks!

Our elf shows up the morning after we put the Christmas tree up. The tree lights being on tell him that we are ready for him to come. So, in the morning, he is hidden somewhere in the tree, and then the fun begins. We too read the book again..and several times after that, the kids just love it. He has gotten to be a pretty good hider, but my kids wake up and search for him immediately! Good luck.
(For those of you who are not familiar with this tradition, the book with the elf can be found at Hallmark..well, at least it could last year when we got ours. It is a little elf that watches how you behave each day, and then each night returns to the North Pole to report. When he comes back, he "hides" in a different place, so the kids get up to find where he is. They can't touch him, or he will lose his magic, but he helps as a little reminder to be good..Santa is watching:)

We have an Elf named Henry that visits us every year. My kids love him! He usually appears the weekend after Thanksgiving, after the tree is up. Once the kids realize he is there we all sit together and read the Elf on a Shelf book, so everybody can be reminded of the rules. Each morning that is one of the first things my kids do is look for Henry. My husband and I have fun figuring out where he will sit every day.

Edited to add: Elf on a Shelf is a "book" you can get it on Amazon. It comes with a little elf that you get to name. The elf sits in your home on shelves, or windows, or on the top of cabinets, our elf even sits in the Christmas tree. He watches your children and reports back to the North Pole every night to give Santa an update on how they are behaving. Then, before the next morning he returns to your house in a different location to start his new day. The book explains the story and the rules...NO TOUCHING the elf or he loses his magic and that type of thing. On Christmas Eve he leaves to go to the North Pole for the final time and then doesn't come back until next year.

This is the first year we have done the elf. My sister-in-law gave it to us, and the kids are loving it. We have 4 year old twins, and they take all of the rules in the book very serious.
By the time the kids wake up in the morning, my husband is usually at work. I wanted both of us to start the tradition, so we had to come up with a way that we could do it in the evening. So, while the kids were playing in their room, we put the elf with the book on our front porch and rang the doorbell. The kids came running, and opened the door. We brought him in. We told them that the first night was the only night that mom and dad could touch him. We read the book, and put him up high on a shelf. Every night we find a different place for him. They love waking up in the morning, and going to look for him.
I have read some of the other responses, and it sounds like making him reappear the morning after the christmas tree goes up is a great idea. We look forward to many years of this new tradition.

What is the "Elf on the Shelf" tradition? I haven't heard of it before and I'm curious about it! Thanks

My mom gave it to me last year and we started it with the kids. They loved it! Our Elf is Charlie- not so creative with the naming, that's my husband's name. ;) This year I was panicking because I couldn't find him. The kids were wondering where Charlie was and when he was coming back. I just kept looking and said that maybe he's hiding really good and watching! My daughter noticed that he came on Dec. 2nd and said that must be when he was coming back. Luckily, my mom ordered me a new one and we got it on the 2nd. :) I'm going to save a file on my computer with where I'm hiding Charlie after Christmas!

It's adorable how the kids get up every morning and the first thing they do is look for him- a bit of a competition. They tell him secrets and have even been known to tattle on each other to him so he'll tell Santa!

Oh, he fell once here too and I had to pick him up. I said that the only people who can touch him are parents and ONLY if they have to save him when he falls. Santa will understand and let him keep his magic in that situation. :) Did anyone say that he flies to Santa each night to report on how the kids behaved? Then, he's in a different spot each day. I keep him up high so they don't get TOO curious.

We got our Elf on the Shelf this year. To introduce the elf we put it in a place the kids would notice it and ask about him. When they asked what he was we read them the book and selected a name. They look for him every morning. Our kiddos are 10 and 5.

What a precious tradition.

My girls are grown... <sigh> and no Grandkids in sight
Anybody have any to lend? LOL

Enjoy your chillens' Ladies. Too soon they're big. You can still enjoy them, but in different ways, and no more snuggles after bath, sleeping baby to watch... and no more Little Elves to hide.

T.

This is our 2nd year with our Elf "Bob". He moves around a lot, and even has made a trip to Austin last year for Christmas with my family. We put him up the morning after the tree is up and he heads out after Christmas Day. Last year my kids (now 7yrs and 3.5 yrs) were really bummed that he left so he made a surprise appearance via picture mail on my cell phone to say he's enjoying being back with Santa and then sent a postcard a week later from Hawaii (I found a postcard with a beach scene and mailed it to us). I have a feeling he'll be cruising around some tropical destination again this year as well after Christmas.

One thing we did is separated his hands (they are stitched together) and it really helps get him postitioned in odd places. I've had to put him back from falling off the ceiling fan light while the kids watched and, speaking from experience, DON'T TOUCH HIM! Use a clothes hangar or kitchen tongs or something. My kids take this very seriously and my mom once picked him up and there was mass hysteria.

Enjoy! It's such a fun thing!

C.

My granddaddy used to give us these elves when we were little. I am now 44 years old! I never knew they had a tradition that went with them until a couple of years ago. I have an elf that I got at an antique store because it was exactly like the one my granddaddy gave me. I found out about the part where you hide it in different locations around your house each day for your child to find just a couple of years ago. I started doing this for my daughter, she is now 6, and she still loves it. I was at Borders Books a week or so ago and you can purchase the elf and the storybook in a boxed set. I don't know the whole story behind elf on a shelf but the book explains it all. I just love the little elf! You can also purchase the elf and storybook at Bettysattic.com. Have fun!

We have been doing elf on the shelf for 14 years now. It is soooo much fun. Our elf always appears at the top of the tree at first. Our tradition is that he comes the night we put the tree up. Then he moves around every day. Santa takes him back to the North pole Christmas Eve. When the children are acting up he usually goes to the phone to call Santa. The trick is never touch him in front of the kids. My youngest is 8 yrs old and he has just figured it out this year :( but I think he will come to our house forever. I hope you have a lot of fun with it. Have a very Merry Christmas and a Blessed New Year.

M.

This is the first year we did Elf on the Shelf for my 2 and 4 (Turning 5 next week) year old. The 2 year old really don't understand by the 4 year old loves it. She gets up everyone morning and looks for the elf and when she starts acting bad I just remind her Fred the Elf is watching and she will stop whatever she is doing. I put the Elf on the front porch with a note that said to: from santa. I then went outside for something and said whats this on the porch. The kids came running out and was really excited that Santa had sent an early gift. You will have so much fun with the Elf, just don't forget to move him!

I haven't heard of this before either. So could you please explain it to me? Thanks!