When does Elf on the Shelf come? The Elf on the Shelf website recommends your Elf arrive between November 24 through December 1. This is also known as Scout Elf Return week, a.k.a. the time when Santa's little helpers flee the North Pole and head out to the houses they'll be staying at until Christmas.
Elf on the Shelf is a Christmas tradition that sees parents moving an Elf on the Shelf (also known as a "Scout Elf") around the house every day to keep an eye on children ahead of Santa's visit.
Santa advises that no family member touch their Elf on the Shelf, but he does describe a few rare instances when an adult may use tongs or potholders to help an elf in an urgent situation. Parents: read on to learn about special, few and far between cases where emergency help will be required.
Hide Your Elf
The night before Christmas, the elf flies off one last time to spend the year with Santa until reappearing next season. Every night, a parent hides the elf in a new place.
A Scout Elf's heart is full of Christmas magic, and once your family names your Scout Elf, it activates the Christmas magic in your elf's heart, allowing them to fly, report to Santa and keep a watchful eye each Christmas.
There are just a few rules to remember! The most important—don't touch your Scout Elf, or they will lose their magic! Scout Elves can't talk, but they are great listeners. Little ones can share secrets and wishes with their elf as often as they'd like.
According to The Elf on the Shelf: A Christmas Tradition, the night before Christmas, an elf's job comes to an end. On December 24, most Scout Elves say farewell to their families and fly back to the North Pole following Santa's sleigh. This way, they can help him begin preparing for the year ahead.
Children are not allowed to touch them.
Elves are very fragile, and if they are touched by human children they lose their magic and ability to communicate with Santa.
Say something like "I don't know... I didn't know if the elf could really move spots so I sometimes move it. Maybe I shouldn't have, after all, it's part of the magic of Christmas!" Then ask your child if he/she thinks it's a good idea for parents to move it or does he/she think you should leave it alone.
Elves need to wait until everyone is asleep before they can move around. If there was too much activity around the house last night, perhaps your elf only had time to get to the North Pole and back, but not enough time to find a new position. Make sure you get to bed early tonight to help them out!
The answer is no. We are not Santa. There is no one, single Santa. We are the people who fill your stocking and choose and wrap the presents under the tree-just as our parents did for us, their parents did for them, and you will do for your kids someday.
Not so fast. The crux of this toy is that the elf is not-so-secretly spying on your kids on a daily basis to report their behavior to Santa Claus. If your child is bad or doesn't follow rules, the obvious risk is that their Christmas presents will be sacrificed, and they will instead receive that dreaded lump of coal.
Write a note to your elf or Santa apologizing for touching your elf. This is the most effective way to help your Scout Elf get back in action quick!
This is a great way for your Elf to regain Christmas magic. Sprinkle some cinnamon near the Elf. Cinnamon is like Elf vitamins and will help your elf get back to the North Pole and make a full recovery! The Elf will return tomorrow all recovered.
The Elf on the Shelf website recommends your Elf arrive between November 24 through December 1. This is also known as Scout Elf Return week, a.k.a. the time when Santa's little helpers flee the North Pole and head out to the houses they'll be staying at until Christmas.
Your elf ate too many treats from Mrs. Claus' Sweet Shop™. It can happen to the best elf (or human) when so many tantalizing treats are floating around during the holidays! Your Scout Elf may need an extra day or two to digest his or her holiday treats and get back into tip-top flying shape before returning.
The truth is, Scout Elves only move when they are certain noone else is around. This is because when they're with you, they must fulfill their duty for Santa, watching and listening to every single thing that happens in your home.
As the days inch nearer to Christmas, families across the country are taking part in "Elf on the Shelf" festivities, where a small elf figurine is placed around the home every day to watch if children have been naughty or nice. According to elf legend, the elf moves each night.
As for when the shift starts to happen, it's different depending on the child, but expect the questioning to get serious somewhere between the ages of 7 and 10.
The second rule of Elf on the Shelf is that the elf will not speak or move while the kids are awake. The elf only moves at night when it makes its trip back to the North Pole. Once it returns home, it then assumes a new position in the house.
"There is no such thing as being too old to believe in Santa, the Easter Bunny and the Tooth Fairy," Kelman tells Yahoo Life. "Letting kids figure it out on their own is preferable to parents breaking the news to them.