Whether you’re hosting one of these friendly-faced visitors for the very first time or simply want to understand the meaning behind the elfcapades you see on social media, keep reading to learn more about how The Elf on the Shelf became a cherished Christmas tradition for young and old. The Elf on the Shelf story My granddaughter will be three in a couple of months and she received her elf this holiday season. Naming our Elf was an adventure. Every name we suggested she said “No” to so we asked if she wanted to name is “No” and she said YES!! So our Elf’s name is Knowie. He travels home every night and finds a new place to perch the next morning. Each morning it’s a game to find out where he is sitting and she loves it. We have to tell him goodnight every night and make sure that she knows he’s watching and will report to Santa so she’d better be good. While Bell says that "no Scout Elf 'idea' is too big or small," The Lumistella Company has created many resources to help busy families “inspire” their elves for a fun and happy season, everything from the Claus Couture Collection of elf apparel to the Scout Elf Ideas app. Elf on the Shelf rules

The Elf on the Shelf': How the brand evolved over 17 years". foxbusiness.com. November 9, 2021 . Retrieved October 30, 2023. Sure, it may be all fun and games, but there are still some official rules that everyone should follow, including:The Elf on the Shelf was written in 2004 by Carol Aebersold and her daughter Chanda Bell. Bell suggested they write a book about an old tradition of an elf sent from Santa who came to watch over children at Christmas time. [2] Aebersold's other daughter, Christa Pitts, was recruited by the family to share her expertise in sales and marketing. Together, the trio devoted the next three years to promoting their self-published book and attending book signings and trade shows. The story ends on Christmas Day, with the elf leaving to stay with Santa for the rest of the year, until the following Christmas season. The Elf on the Shelf won the Best Toy Award by Learning Express, a Book of the Year Award from Creative Child Awards, and a National Best Books Award sponsored by USA Book News in 2008. Who's the Boss?". Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives. Archived from the original on December 7, 2017 . Retrieved December 1, 2017. How does Santa really know who is naughty or nice? The answer is finally revealed in…The Elf on the Shelf A Christmas Tradition.TMThe Elf on the Shelf A Christmas TraditionTM is an activity the entire family will enjoy. Based on the tradition Carol Aebersold began with her family in the 1970s, this cleverly rhymed childrens book explains that Santa knows who is naughty and or nice because he sends a scout elf to every home. During the holiday season, the elf watches children by day and reports to Santa each night. When children awake, the elf has returned from the North Pole and can be found hiding in a different location. This activity allows The Elf on the Shelf to become a delightful hide-and-seek game.The Elf on the Shelf gift set INCLUDES A SCOUT ELF from the North Pole, a hardbound CHILDRENS BOOK and a KEEPSAKE BOX for easy storage. In addition, each shipment is marked for special delivery from Santas workshop. ALL PRODUCTS ARE BRAND NEW! The Elf on the Shelf: A Christmas Tradition by Carol V. Aebersold – eBook Details

I cannot support the idea of extrinsic motivations for moral development. If children are being decent, kind, generous citizens just because a tiny humanoid is watching their every move, then they're not thinking critically about their actions and their effects on others. Children don't internalize the value of altruistic behaviors from this book; they are left with no need to be good for the sake of being good. Instead, children are presented with an insincere meritocracy as tempering their otherwise irresponsible and sociopathic tendencies. This book is a disservice to children for insisting that they are incapable of compassion and responsibility, and a disservice to parents for assuming that they cannot imbue their children with any sense of personal accountability. Elf on the Shelf is a book the whole family will enjoy. Each set comes with a book and a cute little Elf. Each Elf will gain his magic once he/she has been given a name. The names are as individual as the kids that the elves belong too and naming them is half the fun. All of us have enjoyed [The Elf on the Shelf] tradition, no matter how old or young we are,” Malarkey tells TODAY.com. “When my kids wake up, I cannot wait to show them my elf masterpieces and all the creative trouble that will ensue.”Twas the Night Before Christmas: Edited by Santa Claus for the Benefit of Children of the 21st Century" (2012) being Pamela McColl "smoke-free" edit of Clement Clarke Moore's poem I heard of this last year via a relative who was talking about how her co-worker had bought this for their household. She explained the basic gist of the elf on the shelf, and I found it creepy. The Atlantic columnist Kate Tuttle calls The Elf on the Shelf "a marketing juggernaut dressed up as a tradition", whose purpose is "to spy on kids". She argues that one shouldn't "bully [one's] child into thinking that good behavior equals gifts." [9] Writing for Psychology Today, David Kyle Johnston calls it a "dangerous parental crutch", with much the same reasoning as what he terms the " Santa lie". [10] Kavilanz, Parija (November 21, 2017). "Elf on the Shelf phenomenon is 11 million elves strong". CNNMoney.

There are years where we don’t always feel the holiday spirit so strongly and even a couple years where we didn’t decorate, but Stitch and Claude are always making mischief,” Stew tells TODAY.com. Herbst, Christina (November 21, 2021). "What Is Elf on the Shelf, and How Does It Work?". tasteofhome.com . Retrieved October 30, 2023.

Email Newsletter Sign-up

A Visit from St. Nicholas" (also known as "'Twas the Night Before Christmas", 1823) attributed to Clement Clarke Moore

The Elf on the Shelf: A Christmas Tradition is a 2005 American picture book for children, written by Carol Aebersold and her daughter Chanda Bell and illustrated by Coë Steinwart. The book tells a Christmas-themed story, written in rhyme, that explains how Santa Claus knows who is naughty and nice. It describes elves visiting children from Thanksgiving to Christmas Eve, after which they return to the North Pole until the next holiday season. The Elf on the Shelf comes in a keepsake box that features a hardbound picture book and a small scout elf. The story was inspired by a family tradition started by Carol Aebersold for her twin daughters, Chanda Bell and Christa Pitts, in Georgia. [1] Plot [ edit ] And with millions of households sharing in that memory making, it seems that indeed The Elf on the Shelf tradition will carry on for many years to come. Each night the elves travel home to the North Pole so they can report in to Santa. Will their child be on the naughty or nice list? With the help of their magic, they return each morning and find a new place to sit and watch. It’s important that the children don’t touch their Elf or he will lose his magic.Children can talk to their special visitors, though Scout Elves can only listen and never speak to humans. Only parents are allowed to touch them or else they’ll lose their magic — and what's the fun in that?