The Elf on the Shelf: A Christmas Tradition

This gift is more than just a toy. It will create memories that will last forever. Children only get one childhood. And this product is a memory. Not a gift. Priceless

Our three year old twins are getting old enough where they are starting to understand certain concepts so we thought this Christmas would be the perfect year to purchase an Elf on the Shelf. They loved it and had so much fun with it! I believe Elf on the Shelf is a relatively new tradition but I love the look of the scout elf because he has the look of a 1950s figurine. Included in the very sturdy and reusable box is the elf and a colorful, hardcover storybook which explains in a rhyming, storytelling manner how to use the Elf on the Shelf. The elf itself is approximately 13 inches tall, fully-extended, and his outfit feels like it is made of a felt-like material. His body is stuffed with plastic pellets and his head is made of hard plastic with nicely painted-on facial features. He doesnt sit very well by himself but there are plenty of ways to prop him up. His hands are also stitched together which makes it fun to dangle him from a doorknob, chandelier, or any other fun spot you can think of! The storybook is a beautiful hardcover with colorful pictures and the book reads like a rhyme. It is approximately 26 pages long and explains how the Elf on the Shelf works. The idea behind it is the scout elf is sent to your family each year and will keep an eye on the children on behalf of Santa. You get to name the elf and he will continue to be your familys scout elf. At night, the elf will fly to the North Pole to report good and/or naughty behavior, then fly back to the family where he will get into something during the night and the children will wake up the next morning, excited to find him! The elf is always watching and the only rule is that the elf cant be touched otherwise the magic will disappear. When the elf flies back to the North Pole on Christmas Eve, he wont return to your family until the next Christmas season. I really love this activity for my kids and felt that, at almost three years old, it was the perfect age to introduce this to them! My kids always got so excited to look for our elf in the morning and kept asking throughout the day why he was trying to get out the door or why he was hanging from the Christmas tree. I was also very impressed with how well my kids listened to the rule and they never touched him. Whenever they started acting up, I would tell them our elf is watching and we dont want him to have to report any naughty behavior to Santa. It didnt always work but hey, I tried. Overall, I think this is a great activity for families and I felt it was very reasonably priced for the amount of fun we had. I highly recommend this to give your kids something to look forward to every morning during the Christmas season!