Elf on a Shelf

A new phenomenon I have encountered this holiday season is the "Elf on a Shelf" tradition that many families with youngsters have embraced. Whoever thought of this one was pretty crafty. You have this elf, who sits on a shelf, and watches everything the little ones do so that he can report back to Santa. Naturally this voyeuristic household addition "encourages" the children to behave, at least while they are in the elf's presence. I am learning from the daily updates my kindergartners share that elven activity varies depending on the family. Some elves just stay put on that shelf. Others will disappear without any warning (to go to the North Pole of course). I have even heard of elves causing havoc with toilet paper in the living room. To add to the Christmas excitement this past week, our boys made a elf craft and got to write the name of their house elf on it. Now we have "Commander Elf" "Rocky" "Elfo" "Elf-ee" and many others watching our classroom (hasn't helped the Christmas-induced wild behavior yet). I strive to practice impartiality, but I have a favorite elf. His name is "Rex Malone." Poor little guy has two left feet and looks like he might need to go potty, but that doesn't stop him from spreading Christmas cheer. (See top row far right)



Have any fun family traditions? Please share! Also, if you too are fascinated by the elf on a shelf you can find out more info on this site: www.elfonashelf.com