Elf on the Shelf question

[LifeInAHamsterWheel]

We're doing Elf on the Shelf this year. Really properly doing it. I've got a list of things to 'do' with them every day and although I never wanted to do it before, I'm sort of looking forward to it as it will be a distraction from all the covid crap that's been going on. Youngest is 10 and does still believe, but maybe won't next year, which is another reason for doing it now.

So, I understand they're not supposed to touch the elves at all? (we have 2!) But if you can't touch them how are you supposed to clean up if they make a mess? How do you 'prepare' for the next days antics? If they're stuck in the tree on paper planes, do we just leave them there all day and then that night I move them to the next prank?

I know it's just a bit of fun but at the same time I don't want to make any huge faux-pas!

I think the idea is to clean up and put it elsewhere when the kids are in bed, so it gets left in situ all day.

I'm doing it this year after swearing I never would...

There's no way I can tell my 2.5 year old she can't touch it. I plan on her waking up to see the elf in a new position, then she can play and she must put it to bed under the tree at her bedtime, then I can put it somewhere new.

That's a good idea. Our elves have beds (bought by grandmother!) but DD definitely said something about not being able to touch them? Maybe I'll just tell her that adults are allowed to touch them, but children aren't

If the children touch the elves, then you sprinkle on a bit of glitter and they get their magic back.
Our DD doesn’t question the fact that we move him back to his spot. Just accepts it.

If you buy the 'proper' elf on the shelf ( not the supermarket one) it comes with a beautiful book telling the story of the elf and it explains how/why they shouldn't be touched.

This is my 12th year and probably the last now my youngest is 8 and I wish I'd never started it!
Those nights when you get in bed, just dosing off and remember you forgot to move the bloody thing is a nightmare. As is finding new things for them to 'do'.

At age 10 I wouldn't bother lol!

I imagine there’s many families with four children saying very gleefully regretfully that the elf can’t visit this year as that would be 7.

This sounds like so much work. No way would I be leaving a mess all day.

I’m quarantining our elf this year

We never had the no touching rule. During the day it was just a normal toy and DD loves to cuddle with him. He also isn't the "proper" one so no fears or questions of her seeing it for sale in shops, why we can touch it etc.

We clean up in the morning after the discovery, if it's something that needs cleaning up ..like snow/cereal angels.

Great thanks everyone. One of our elves is the one in the box with the story book etc (which must be where DD got the no touch til from) the other was bargain-basement! Anyway I'll tell her that in our house it's fine to touch them during the day. And that she's responsible for cleaning up any mess they make!!
I have a list of things to do and have my props etc ready. I'm actually looking forward to it. But this may well be the only year I'll ever do it!

We have had the elf for years ( think first year they were mentioned on MN!!! )

The book the elf came with said they couldn't be touched so we went with that ( it helped keep the magic a bit as they couldn't see the sellotape etc) If the elf needed to be moved someone very carefully had the 'honour' of moving her with oven gloves 😄 ( not in the book!) so we didn't knock her magic off and she could 'fly' back to the North Pole and see her elf mates each night! On Christmas Eve the kids get to cuddle as she flies home with Santa!

Kids are teens now but insisting that 'Holly' comes back this year...they are going to take in turns to hide and create mischief.

We put ours on the high shelf and the kids couldn't possible reach him. I do the antics late at night and the kids are all shocked the following morning. I pick up the elf and put him back on the mantle every morning and clean up any chaos he's done. Kids have never questioned why I touch him and they don't 🤷‍♀️

@LifeInAHamsterWheel

Great thanks everyone. One of our elves is the one in the box with the story book etc (which must be where DD got the no touch til from) the other was bargain-basement! Anyway I'll tell her that in our house it's fine to touch them during the day. And that she's responsible for cleaning up any mess they make!! I have a list of things to do and have my props etc ready. I'm actually looking forward to it. But this may well be the only year I'll ever do it!

Toilet paper snowmen are cute and fun and easy to do if you're ever in a pinch!

And yeah, DD cleans up the elf's mess too... since it's her elf.

I swore I wouldn't do the Elf... Then my 5 year old bought herself one in the January sales 2 years ago 🤦‍♀️

He stays in her room all year and she insists that he isn't magic until December when you must make a cinnamon circle around him on the last day of November to bring back his magic. I've no idea where she got this idea from but I don't have it in me to refuse 😂

As he's hers we've never done a no touch rule etc. Last year ours wasn't particularly messy though!

We did it for the first time last year , ds was 6, he was so excited every morning to see what mischief he had got up to, it was great. We left elf in his the midst of his naughtiness like he had been caught red handed . It is a pain when you're tired but it was worth it for my sons face every morning 😀

Could you list your ideas, I really need help with things to do as I really can't be arsed

This year the elf is going in a magic elf isolation jar for 14 days so sadly won't be able to do anything. Mini mask on, and looking very sorry for himself. Thank fuck. Only 10 days to cover

And I've told my two (8&11) that the elves have already told me they can't go downstairs until they are dressed for school. I'm hoping for 3 weeks of no getting dressed morning arguments!

@Kez0777 here's my list of things to do - all unashamedly stolen off the internet

Working Out - marshmallows on either end of a straw

Swinging from a toilet roll with string

Find the hidden treat (underneath paper cups)

Snow Angels (with sprinkles)

Red noses or googley eyes on all all our photos (and them) - red pompoms

Arms through a slice of toast "it's so cold outside but we're toasty in here"

Head & shoulders inside a bag of sweets with sweets all around

Chocolate snowmen/santa - chop heads off and put elves inside

Move the spoons & forks and put elves in their place

Rolling down stairs inside a toilet roll (with arms up over their heads)

Replace toilet roll on holder with duct tape and write on it "this could get sticky!" hang elves beside it

Empty pringles tin - cut out space for arms & face and put elf inside

Wearing their masks holding a tape measure and a sign saying "stay 2m away!"

Lots of scrunched up paper balls and the eleves having a snowball fight!

Elves all tangled in dental floss and a note saying "we were trying to do the floss!"

2 candycanes to make a heart shape and a note saying "we love you"

Golfing - cut out small green shape, use candycanes for clubs and mini marshmallows for golf balls

Doing their elf-ercises

Climbing up the walls - attached to gift wrap bows

Sitting on sofa with small bowl of popcorn and remote control between them

Mess with cheerios and spell out "it wasn't us"

Elves in a big bowl of skittles or smarties with a "ball pit" sign

Toilet wrapped in toilet paper and elves with paper & sellotape stuck to them

Inside paper planes stuck in the christmas tree

Playing tic-tac-toe - the grid drawn on a sheet of paper and the Xs and Os drawn on top of mini marshmallows

great list of elf activities OP,I'll be copying a few of those!
we've had an elf for 2 years now.....hoping this year will be our last as she's 9 now, but it's ben such a miserable year I want to try to do it well
hits in the past have been when our elf put DDs pants all over the christmas tree, and when we used some twine and paper clips so she was zip sliding from the christmas tree
we have the no touching rule- DD got this from school from other kids because I wasn't going to do elf on the shelf but you can pick her up with gloves on, or holding a towel or something
our elf also arrived early to cheer up DD, so is currently elf - isolating wearing a face mask

I let my kids touch and play with the elves. They're only 3 and 5. We didn't bother with the losing their magic thing.

Thanks @LifeInAHamsterWheel

I've ordered some Christmas cushion covers so they can change them and some window stickers for them to put up.

For those saying there's are 9/10 and won't Bellevue next year I'm afraid to say my daughter is 11 (year 6) and still believes 😆 I'm sure this will be her last year though.

I'm just glad this year won't involve any Christmas parties and attempting to sort the elves out once you get home 🥴

We get around it by never touching them directly so use gloves or tea towel or anything to hand to move them back next to their door so I can tidy up the antic.

Well DD re-read the book and is adamant they can't be touched but she used my kitchen tongs to pick one of them up this morning which really made me laugh. They arrived overnight (we are putting our decorations up today) and so far have just made a mess by writing their hellos on our hall mirror (in whiteboard marker!)
I love the idea of them putting DDs pants all over the tree! Will include DS jocks in that prank too if I put DH jocks the tree might collapse ha ha
It's just a bit of fun to lift our spirits these days. As a previous poster says it's not like I'll be arriving home from nights out and having to do something with the elf so might as well throw myself into it.
Enjoy everyone!

You can buy some good elf bits too, last year the got a jumper each and this year I've got an elf white board for them to leave messages on.
I also printed off free things like elf twister and an elf photo booth