It’s that time of year again…time to find hiding places around the house for Santa’s spy, the Elf on a Shelf. Most of us know by now that this little guy (or gal) is how Santa really knows who’s been naughty or nice. At the start of Christmas season every year, the Elf appears to serve as Santa’s eyes and ears, traveling back to the North Pole each night to give St. Nick a detailed report of who’s been bad and who’s been good. This lets Santa know which names to put on the Naughty or Nice list.
To help preserve the idea that the Elf is alive, each night he or she disappears as the trip to the North Pole is made, and reappears the next morning in a new spot, because these elves love to play hide-and-seek with their families. Your children are not allowed to touch the Elf, or else he’ll lose his “magic.” If your kids accidentally touch the Elf, they can write an apology letter to Santa, leave the letter next to the Elf before they go to bed, and Santa will receive the letter later that same night.
The fact that the Elf has moved helps convince the kids that the elf is real. Some elves like to hide in the freezer (probably because it reminds them of the North Pole) and others prefer to sit on the fireplace mantle or hang from the chandelier. If your Elf has been hiding around your house for a few years now, he or she has probably tried those places already, and you might need to chime in with some fresh ideas to help out. Here are some possible Elf hiding places to suggest:
- Inside of or close to the Christmas stockings. While this might seem like an obvious place, sometimes hiding in plain sight is the way to go.
- In the front door wreath. You could explain to the kids that the Elf didn’t want to wake them by rattling around the house too early.
- Perched on a potted plant. The Elf could be enjoying the natural greenery; they don’t have much of that at the North Pole.
- Among the family photos. Elves may be mischievous, but they do love their family members, and sometimes they just want to feel included.
- In the fruit bowl. Even elves need to eat healthy, and there are no fruit trees at the North Pole, so don’t be surprised to find your Elf with his arms wrapped around a banana.
- On the bathroom counter. Elves are sticklers when it comes to personal hygiene, and your elf may be brushing his teeth or putting on his favorite cologne when your children get up to use the bathroom in the morning.
- In the toy box. This is almost self-explanatory – elves like to play! Your children should not be surprised to find their Elf cavorting with the toys in the toy box. Just remind them that they cannot touch the Elf or he might lose his magic!
- On a bookshelf. Elves are clever creatures, and yours may have a penchant for Shakespeare, or romance novels. You just never know.
- Reading the newspaper. If your Elf is a sports fan, he might be perusing his favorite team’s latest stats. Or working a crossword puzzle. Or keeping up with current events.
- In the fridge, draped over the eggnog carton. Elves don’t have a lot of self-control (or elf-control) when it comes to eggnog. Your elf may have imbibed too much of this favorite holiday beverage, and be “eggnebriated”. Let’s hope it wasn’t spiked!
We hope these suggestions help your Elf on a Shelf discover new and exciting places to hide around the house this year. Have fun and remember, your Elf not only sees what your kids are doing, he sees you too, so be good for goodness sake!
