The first and most important rule is that you must NOT touch your Elf. If you do, they will lose all their magic - and nobody wants that to happen.
Even though your kiddos probably want to embrace your Elf with tons of love before he leaves, he still has to fly back to the North Pole. So, just like the other 23 days, don't touch the Elf. If they touch him, it's possible he won't have enough magic to make it home.
The Elf Must Not Be Touched
Considered the most important rule, the Scout Elf must never be touched (of course, apart from when the parents move them around) as that will cause them to lose their magical powers. In some cases, they could also disappear when touched, such as when a dog might get a hold of them.
Santa advises that no family member touch their Elf on the Shelf, but he does describe a few rare instances when an adult may use tongs or potholders to help an elf in an urgent situation. Parents: read on to learn about special, few and far between cases where emergency help will be required.
The tradition comes from a children's book that explains the typical rules, which include a child being unable to touch an elf, lest it loses its magic, and the promise that it will return the following year after it leaves.
By age eight, kids begin to acknowledge the unlikeliness of one man travelling the world in a single night. The good news? If you started the tradition of Elf on the Shelf in your household, you can likely send the elf into early retirement around your child's eighth Christmas.
If your elf didn't move, they may be trying to communicate an important message to you! If your elf is accidentally touched, they may have just enough energy to get to the North Pole but not enough magic to create a whole new scene in your home.
There are just a few rules to remember! The most important—don't touch your Scout Elf, or they will lose their magic!
Tell them, “every time they touch the elf, Santa brings them one less gift on Christmas morning.” If there's anything your child wants for Christmas, it's their gifts. Each time they touch the Elf, they get one less present.
The first and most important rule is that you must NOT touch your Elf. If you do, they will lose all their magic - and nobody wants that to happen.
“Are Mom and Dad really Santa?” We know that you want to know the answer and we had to give it careful thought to know just what to say. The answer is no. We are not Santa. There is no one, single Santa.
According to The Elf on the Shelf: A Christmas Tradition, the night before Christmas, an elf's job comes to an end. On December 24, most Scout Elves say farewell to their families and fly back to the North Pole following Santa's sleigh.
Because human touch causes magic lost, you cannot touch the Elf on the Shelf. It is important to share this Elf Rule with your child immediately upon Elf adoption. If it is Christmas Eve, you can touch the Elf on the Shelf on the last night.
Give the Elf a Hug.
While normally this is not ok and the elf will lose his magic, Santa gives special permission on Christmas Eve for the kids to hug their elves good bye.
Are your kids outgrowing the magical fun of Elf on the Shelf? Donate the little guy to a local school, charity, or thrift store. You can also hold on to it and donate next year, just before the holiday season. It's a great way to pay it forward and pass on the holiday spirit.
Your elf ate too many treats from Mrs. Claus' Sweet Shop™. It can happen to the best elf (or human) when so many tantalizing treats are floating around during the holidays! Your Scout Elf may need an extra day or two to digest his or her holiday treats and get back into tip-top flying shape before returning.
Elves need to wait until everyone is asleep before they can move around. If there was too much activity around the house last night, perhaps your elf only had time to get to the North Pole and back, but not enough time to find a new position. Make sure you get to bed early tonight to help them out!
According to elf legend, the elf moves each night. Some mornings, though, kids might find themselves asking why the elf is still in its same place. Here are a few possible reasons that Santa's helper may not have found a new position in your home.
According to the official "Elf on the Shelf" website, "Christmas magic is very fragile, and if scout elves are touched they may lose their magic." It doesn't specify that this only applies to kids, so we're guessing this applies to any humans.
Usually elves travel by more magical means, but for a more official goodbye, pack up your elf in a box, write “To the North Pole” on it, and slap every stamp you can find on there. You don't actually have to send it anywhere, just make it seem like he's going on a trip to a very cold and faraway place.
The Elf on the Shelf Goodbye Hug
If your Elf on the Shelf depature narrative has him hitching a ride back with Santa on Christmas Eve, then your Elf doesn't need magic to fly back to the North Pole. Because of this, you can let your children snuggle, hug, and play with the Elf on the very last day!