25 hiding spots to get you started. - by Eunice Oh
No more calling up Santa when the kids are making a mess, the Elf on the Shelf is on the case!
WATCH: How to make your own Aussie Christmas tree
The skinny Elf, donning a red Christmas suit, has become a classic Christmas tradition for many families, especially with young children. Positioning the Elf in a new spot everyday to keep an eye on the kids is the perfect way to begin the Christmas season. So, what comes with having an Elf on a Shelf?
What is Elf on the Shelf?
Scout Elves help Santa take care of his Naughty or Nice List by watching over families in their homes to ensure that everyone is on their best behaviour! Every night, the Elf reports back to the North Pole to keep Santa updated - and each morning, the Elf returns to the family home that they're monitoring, hiding in a new spot and awaiting the kids to find them
How do you play Elf on the Shelf?
If you're starting Elf on the Shelf for the first time, you can either read the book or explain the concept to your children. Once you've introduced your Elf to the family, the hide and seek begins. Pick a new place to "hide" the Elf every day. Each morning, the games reset and kids will look around the house to find your Elf - but it's important that they leave the Elf where he is without disturbing him because he's hard at work spying on Santa's behalf.
Depending on the age of your children, the Elf doesn't have to be well concealed in high bookshelves or places that will be hard to spot. The older your children are, the more you can make it more of a challenge.
What are the rules of Elf on a Shelf?
There are only three rules that are essential to playing Elf on the Shelf:
Do not, under any circ*mstances, touch your Elf. If you do touch your Elf, it will lose all of its magic!
Scout Elves cannot talk, but they are great at listening. If you have a Christmas wish list, it may be wise to tell your Elf about it so he can pass on the information to Santa
All Scout Elves must return to the North Pole on Christmas Eve, and will not be back until next year.
What is an Elf on the Shelf for?
The concept of an Elf on a Shelf is that your elf is a spy or scout for Santa, and each night will fly back to the North Pole to tell him whether you've been naughty or nice that day. It's a great was to keep the spirit of Santa alive in the house and encourage good behaviour in children throughout the holiday period.
How do you summon the Elf on the Shelf?
Summoning your Elf to come back early for the Christmas season can be a great activity for you and your children to take part in. Some ideas to bring them back from the North Pole include:
Write your Scout Elf a note.
Host a beginning of Christmas celebration.
Create a welcome area for your Elf - this could include Christmas cookies or a small home for the Elf to come back to.
Leaving out lollies, chocolates or your Elf's favourite snack.
What gifts can Elf on the Shelf bring?
If your child has been especially good or 'nice' during Christmas, their Elf may come back one morning bearing gifts. This is a great way to incentivise good behaviour or bring specific Christmas decor into the house, like an advent calendar.
25 ideas on where to hide your Elf:
Hanging off a branch on your Christmas Tree
On top of your fireplace near your other Christmas decor
Camouflaged in a glass cabinet or cupboard
Concealed within your Christmas wreath, or hanging upside down performing as a gymnast
On top of a dresser, or in a drawer that your kids frequently open
Wrapped in a toilet roll and rolling down the stairs
Fill your bathroom sink with cotton balls for Elf to have a little bath
Have a spare phone? Get Elf taking some selfies
Up to mischief and wedged in between the blinds
When you set up your breakfast table, have Elf armed with a knife and fork ready to tuck in
Take the labels off some cans and have Elf playing a makeshift drum set
To tempt your kids to eat their lunch, have Elf hanging out of their lunchbox
Keep Elf warm and toasty by wedging Elf in between two pieces of toast
Gather dolls and plushies and have Elf busking in your home
Have Elf walking the dogs by making a few yarn leashes around your favourite paw patrol figurines
Open a few books and have Elf reading to the kids
Build a play pen with Lego and throw in some plastic balls for Elf's own ball pit
Give your Elf a job as a mechanic. Using a toy car that's around Elf's size, have Elf take a look under the car
Set up a few bowl of popcorn, chips and lollies and have Elf hosting a movie night
Throw some flour onto your kitchen counter and have Elf making a snow angel
Set up a mini beach scene with a towel, sunscreen and sunnies
Pop elf between the juice and milk in your fridge to surprise the kids at breakfast
A cutlery drawer is the perfect size for Elf to lie down in
Utilise the shower curtains in the bathroom and have Elf hooked onto the top
Who doesn't love a cuppa? Have Elf enjoying a cup of tea through a straw
Based in Sydney, Eunice Oh is a content producer, K-beauty expert and major foodie. Her work has appeared in That's Life, Woman's Day, Girlfriend Magazine, 7News and BEAUTYcrew.
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.
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.
As an avid elf fan, you already know the number one rule about having a Scout Elf: no touching! This helps Scout Elves keep their Christmas magic so they can complete their important Christmas duties.
Elf brings advent calendars with him for 1st December
You can welcome both Christmas traditions at the same time by allowing your first Elf to appear with the advent calendar, as well as his welcome letter, on 1st December.
Your elf will blow up several balloons and tie them to strings. They will tape the balloons to the wall, then wrap the strings around one hand to hang from them, so they don't fly too far away before you can say goodbye!
All Scout Elves are different, so the date they come back can vary -some return at the end of November and others may wait until the second week of December. So don't worry if they haven't arrived exactly when you expected them to!
Every night, a parent hides the elf in a new place. The children wake up each morning and search the house to see where the elf has reappeared—becoming a daily, holiday-themed hide-and-seek game with a sneaky elf.
Have a wish, want to ask a question, or would just like to say hello? Just fill in your name and what you'd like to tell Santa or your Scout Elf. It's super easy and quick, and will have your hopes and dreams flying up above the Northern Lights and on their way to him in no time.
Whether Elfie arrives in a gift box from the North Pole, soaring from the lights on a paper airplane, or surprising your kids by appearing inside a giant ornament balloon, these creative entrances will kick off your festive season with a spark.
Although the North Pole may be a long ways away, your Scout Elf is always easily reachable online. Kids can write to their elf or Santa through our online portal or on our Facebook page, and one of Santa's mailroom elves will be sure to send back a kind reply!
When did Elf on the Shelf start? The book and box set launched in 2005. The tradition has gained in popularity over the years, likely because the Scout Elves' shenanigans have been well-documented on social media. Parents and kids love to show off all the wild ways elves return to their homes each morning.
So, parents looking for a final idea for their elf will make it seem as if the elf is delivering the box. If you've had to come up with 23 ideas through December, this is fine. But, don't feel obliged to bring an Elf on the Shelf into your Christmas Eve box tradition. It's perfectly fine to deliver it yourself.
If your elf didn't move, they may be trying to communicate an important message to you! If your elf is accidentally touched, they may have just enough energy to get to the North Pole but not enough magic to create a whole new scene in your home.
Some make their first appearance on Thanksgiving night, and others wait until December. Most of them will arrive during the official Scout Elf Return Week though, which is November 23 through December 2. If your little friend hasn't shown up by early December, it might be worth a note to Santa to check up on him!
A simple way for your elf to say goodbye is to find a printable letter and simply tuck your elf in next to it. There are so many to choose from online. Here are some we found: Download a Free, Printable Letter from the Elf on the Shelf website.
Well, this year we're breaking the “elf” rules and letting the kids cuddle and play with their elves on Christmas Eve. You see, Santa gave elves extra magic for Christmas Eve snuggles, and they'll return next year as long as you put them back in the same place you found them.
So, parents looking for a final idea for their elf will make it seem as if the elf is delivering the box. If you've had to come up with 23 ideas through December, this is fine. But, don't feel obliged to bring an Elf on the Shelf into your Christmas Eve box tradition. It's perfectly fine to deliver it yourself.
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