The Elf on the Shelf

All of my friends with older children have raved about The Elf on the Shelf.  Seriously, Santa is ingenious. Sending little elves to watch over our little ones throughout the holiday season as spies to report back to him on whether they are being naughty or nice, is just plain awesome. My sister bought Gavin his own elf, as well as The Elf on the Shelf book last Christmas, and recently I decided to open the box and read him the story.

All elves are uniquely different, but they can be purchased with either light skin, dark skin, black hair, brown hair, brown eyes or blue eyes. Our elf came in a large box along with a storybook. As the story goes, each house has their own elf, that the kids name themselves. During the holiday season, the elf returns every night to the North Pole to tell Santa whether the children were behaving or not. Every morning, upon his return, the elf can be found resting in a different place to watch! The children are instructed not to touch their elf, or he will lose his magic, and on Christmas Eve, the elf returns to the North Pole to help Santa until the holiday season arrives the following year.

At just 2, Gavin is a little young for the concept, but I thought I’d give it a try. When we got to the page where I asked him what we should name the elf, he said, “All done!”  So even though we’ll probably wait until next year to officially name our elf, I’m sure he’ll enjoy playing hide and seek with him in the meantime. If your kids could use a little incentive for good behavior this holiday season, The Elf on the Shelf may be a great tradition to add to your holiday preparations. To find your nearest Elf Adoption Center, visit the website, www.elfontheshelf.com.

We received The Elf on the Shelf as a gift. The opinions are my own.