So it is that time again, time for Elf on the Shelf to make an appearance in many households and classrooms.
I wanted to give you a brief explanation of what the heck Elf on the Shelf is and I also have some deals for you and fun accessories to consider if you already have one of these guys.
Elf on the Shelf pictured above is the original and most popular by far. You can choose from girl elves or boy elves and you can also choose light or dark skin color. It comes in Spanish or English. The set is priced around $30 and comes with the little box to hold it all, a book (and the book will be girl or boy depending on what you choose) plus the elf.
The idea behind this is that the Elf keeps an eye on the children and reports back to Santa each night to let him know if the kids have been good or bad. Ideally, your kids try harder to behave if they know the elf is watching.
Now the elf is a really big deal in some families. Each night Mom or Dad is supposed to move the elf around so the kids know he has made his trip to see Santa. During the day he stays in that spot- watching over everyone. So you kind of have to be on the ball and remember to move him around when the kids are asleep.
Some people really get into this and I have seen elves on ziplines that Mom or Dad has strewn across the living room or once I saw someone that designed a huge red carpet to announce the arrival of the elf. (Oh and each elf gets a name that you can choose and write in the book).
Typically the elf makes an appearance the day after Thanksgiving and sticks around until Christmas Day.
So you want to start thinking about the elf now since Thanksgiving is just around the corner. The price on the set above is about $30 and we saw it listed in the Target Black Friday ad for $29 with a $5 gift card back. Typically that is the lowest price although occasionally Barnes and Noble or other stores have coupon codes that make it a few dollars cheaper.
You can get a similar version of Elf on the Shelf for a bit cheaper- I mentioned Christopher Popinkins here. Just note that there are tons of Elf on the Shelf things out there- Pottery Barn Kids has a whole lineup of sheets and kids pjs and last night I saw fleece blankets at Target. So if you get a variation on the classic Elf on the Shelf it won’t be the same as all the things out there to hype this product up.
Another option is the plushee pals for $11. I think these are cute for smaller kids (disclosure: when we got our elf my kids were 2 and 3 and thought he was scary) they would have liked this better BUT it would be really hard to find cute things to do with your elf each day since this isn’t really posable. (Is posable a word or did I make that up?)
You can order an Elf on the Shelf kit here– choose girl or boy and skin color. Note prices change all the time but as of posting the blue eyed elf is only $26!
AND if you already have an elf, here are some really cute accessories to customize it:
And lots more…
Sara says
I love the accessories! I just thought it would be so cute to make our girl elf a tutu with the leftover tulle from the Halloween costumes! Thanks!
Maura says
Charlene you mention your daughters were 2 and 3 when you got it. I was wondering if you think 3 is a good age to start doing it? My daughter just turned 2 and I kn
Maura says
Ok my phone hates me apparently. 🙂 I was trying to say that I think my daughter is too young this year for it, but I was hoping next year would be better. Just wanted to know your opinion on a good age to start doing it. Thanks!
Charlene says
Maura, maybe you can point it out in a store and see how she reacts? I think starting earlier is better because the time frame that they believe you when you tell them this kind of thing is so small :). Plus you get those precious little giggles when the elf does silly things.
Andrea says
Hey just wanted to mention – I picked up my daughters elf on a shelf today at bed bath and beyond with my 20% off coupon – so it was 29.99 and I think my total was about $25.