Thread for those who actually enjoy elf on the shelf

[christmassaurus]

I know the elf gets a lot of hate on mumsnet and this is only my second year doing it... but I actually quite like doing elf on the shelf - I don't pretend he's magic or anything, and he doesn't do anything naughty/messy or spy on the kids (and never gets posted on Facebook/insta etc), but I love the look on DD's face in the morning when she sees him having a tea party with her toys or on her rocking horse.

Anyone else?

I do enjoy it, as much as I internally groan 😂 It seems to spread out that Christmas magic throughout the month, and it makes DS happy to bound out of bed for 24 cold mornings, which is a win!

I love it. It was brilliant surprising the children with it when they were smaller. Now they are older, they like to take turns in being creatively naughty too.

I also quite like it. Although perhaps that's because DH is in charge of it and does most of the heavy lifting!

Perhaps this thread should also include ideas becuase we do start to run out of those by the end of the month!

This morning DH had them swinging from the fridge using fridge magnets and a weird hook contraption! Worked well. Toilet paper will be involved at some point.....

@NewCushionswe’ve had an elf 12 years, it’s one of our favourite parts of Christmas! My advice is to try to follow whatever the kids have been doing during the day…if they’ve played with Lego then the elf does as well. If they’ve been colouring in, the elf is colouring in when they wake up (and maybe doodling on the page, using the ‘wrong colours (red for trees, blue for sky etc). If they watched a movie, the elf does as well (usually The Elf movie!). You can’t go wrong with toilet paper…decorate the tree with it, write silly lyrics for well known carols along the paper and run it down the stairs. Underwear is great too…decorate the tree with (clean!) underwear, make a hammock for the elf in the tree. We’ve also decorated family photos with googly eyes. Our elf always printed a copy of the family Christmas photo onto paper and drew moustaches and glasses etc all over us. Keep it simple, follow the kids for inspiration, use what you have to hand.

Aww I loved it when mine were little. Ours never did anything messy or naughty, just some silly things like stickers on photo frames or hiding in the Christmas tree or watching a film with Barbie! It was so magical. I wanted to do it this year but the teens said no so the elf is just hanging out in the radiator! Love hearing about everyone's elf-antics!

Glad I'm not the only one! This morning he was just sat on the sofa with a book and her advent calendar... I think tomorrow I'll put him going down a 'slide' on one of DS's toys.

I like the underwear hammock. That's us sorted for tomrorow at least.

For my two children it is their favourite part of Christmas. I dont know why they love it so much, but they are obsessed.

Saw this low effort idea on FB and will.he doing this tonight.

We love it too, been doing it a long time, and this is our first year without a believer and he’s still asked for the elf to visit!

We do a variety of stuff ranging from fairly elaborate snow scenes to ‘oh sh!t we’re about to fall asleep and we forgot the elf’ just hiding it somewhere.

Over the years I’ve picked up a few little outfits which add to the set up, and collected various toys and miniature things which come out every year.

We do some messy and some ‘naughty’ but I don’t understand how that’s a ‘bad influence’ - the children found it entertaining because they know it’s not ok; they’re not going to start copying it!

I think it’s a really sweet way to add to the magic, might not be for everyone but we’ve really enjoyed it for many years so if you and your kids like it, that’s all that matters 🥰