A bit early: Can someone explain "elf on the shelf" to me.

I get that it's an elf that you put on the shelf and he watches you all day and every night reports back to santa..

But, beyond that... What do you do? You put the elf in a funny spot each night? I read you can't touch it.. So does the elf stay in that funny spot until the kids go to bed and then you move it?

I saw someone put the elf in a bowl of mashmallows like it was taking a bath!

Liam is three so I think he may "get" it this year.

A bit early: Can someone explain

I don't do the shelf thing. Our elf is a mischief elf and gets into things. He has created a zip line from the tree to the door, attempted to bake stuff and made a mess, TP'd my kids rooms, put socks on the Christmas tree, left them little gifts, etc. He does however, report back to Santa on how the kids are behaving ;)

And we don't have the traditional elf on a shelf kit you buy, I have an elf that someone made that has velcro hands so he can hook onto things.

Message edited 9/16/2012 1:23:42 PM.

A bit early: Can someone explain

DS will only be 19 months this Christmas so he is a bit young. But I mentioned buying it now to start the tradition next year and DH said no way, the elf creeps him out haha.

Re: A bit early: Can someone explain "elf on the shelf" to me.

Yes..I put him in a diff spot after the kids go to bed and before I got to bed...sometimes I ran down before the kids woke up in the morning while they were brushing their teeth bec I forgot...

But I was never too creative ...I really should...but I never wanted them to think they could touch it so I put it over doorways, windows and on high shelves...maybe this year I will be more creative...


But my kids were def sure not to touch it bec then he would lose his magic...I hope they replay the movie on tv again this year..it def got the kids in the spirit..it was really cute!