At night, Scout Elves fly from your home to the North Pole to report to Santa on the children's behavior, then return to a new spot in the house before morning, often engaging in fun activities like baking, playing with toys, or creating mischief, according to the Elf on the Shelf lore and parent blogs.
Nighttime Elf Adventures
From baking up sweets to zipping through the air to the North Pole, watch to see all the fun things your family's elf may be up to when you head to bed.
Based on a Christmas tradition that started in Aebersold's family when she was a child, it describes the role of an elf who is assigned by Santa Claus to monitor children's behavior. The book is packaged with a toy elf, and families are encouraged to name it and act as if it is genuinely watching them.
Each and every night your elf will disappear off to the North Pole to report back to Santa, reappearing the next day, in a completely new position in the house.
Our elves move periodically, not just overnight.
The General Rule
If they're touched by human hands, that magic can weaken. However, Santa understands that accidents sometimes happen. If your Scout Elf finds themselves in trouble, adults may step in carefully using Santa-approved tools to help them return safely to their spot.
The three rules of the Code of the Elves from the movie Elf are: 1. Treat every day like Christmas; 2. There's room for everyone on the nice list; and 3. The best way to spread Christmas cheer is singing loud for all to hear, as explained in this Pop Culture and Theology article and this Facebook post.
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.
The number 1 rule for Elf on the Shelf is never touch your Scout Elf, because if a human touches them, they will lose their Christmas magic and won't be able to fly back to the North Pole to report to Santa. While accidental touches happen, the core idea is that the elf's magic is fragile and sensitive, so children (and grown-ups) should avoid contact to keep the tradition going.
Instead, they meditate deeply, remaining semiconscious, for 4 hours a day. (The Common word for such meditation is “trance.”) While meditating, you can dream after a fashion; such dreams are actually mental exercises that have become reflexive through years of practice.
Some say that it inadvertently teaches children that their behavior should be governed by potential rewards (i.e., if you behave well, you'll get more gifts on Christmas).
The three rules of the Code of the Elves from the movie Elf are: 1. Treat every day like Christmas; 2. There's room for everyone on the nice list; and 3. The best way to spread Christmas cheer is singing loud for all to hear, as explained in this Pop Culture and Theology article and this Facebook post.
The two primary rules for The Elf on the Shelf are children must not touch the elf, or it loses its magic, and the elf cannot speak but listens to children's wishes before flying back to the North Pole each night to report to Santa. While parents can set additional household rules, these core tenets guide the elf's magical mission to observe behavior and help Santa with the nice list.
Maybe it's his favorite spot, just like we all have a favorite spot at the dinner table or on the couch watching TV. Or he has a primo view to watch you from. He slept in…and didn't want you to see him move and ruin the magic. He's entitled to a rest—the North Pole is a hike.
Most Scout Elves return to their families during Scout Elf Return Week™—a week-long window at the end of November, leading into December. (This year's Scout Elf Return Week will take place Nov. 24–Dec. 1.)
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.
You're not supposed to touch your Elf on the Shelf, as it makes them lose their magic and prevents them from flying back to the North Pole to report to Santa. Other "don'ts" include giving them human food (unless they're "sick" and need a little magic), forgetting to move them (which means they have a message for you), or making it too elaborate that it becomes a chore instead of fun.
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. This way, they can help him begin preparing for the year ahead.
This has definitely become one of our favourite elf traditions. On Christmas Eve the kids can say goodbye to our elf with a big hug since he doesn't need his elf magic to go home that night.
A house-elf had to obey any commands given to them by their masters. At times, they seemed to desire to disobey these orders, but as their master's orders were "the house-elf's highest law", they couldn't, and were forced to punish themselves if they did.
It's important to know that Elves don't move from place to place in your house throughout the day. There's only one time when they're allowed to move: at night. So if the sun is still shining and your kids are still awake, your Elf will patiently wait until your littles go to bed to switch up their location.
Nighttime Elf Adventures
From baking up sweets to zipping through the air to the North Pole, watch this exclusive Elf on the Shelf® video to see all the fun things your family's elf may be up to when you head to bed.
Yes, parents can touch the Elf on the Shelf, especially in emergencies or to move them, but it's best done with tools like tongs or gloves to avoid direct skin contact to preserve their magic, as kids absolutely cannot touch them; parents can also help by cleaning up messes or placing the elf in safe spots, with rules varying by family, but the core idea is to keep the wonder alive.
If you get wind of anything, call me on my radio. Channel three, code word is "Santa's got a brand new bag".
If your elf wont perform, it's usually because the kids have handled it too much causing its magic to fade... the fix is to sprinkle cinnamon around it and leave it alone. It should regain all its powers within a day or two. Good luck.