Why everyone’s obsessed with Elf On A Shelf

WHO is this strange little man watching our children? The Elf On A Shelf is taking over living rooms all over Australia but is he good or evil?

Rashell Habib

@Rashellha

less than 2 min read

December 8, 2014 - 5:03PM

YOU may have heard of it or you may even have one in your living room. This year, the Elf On A Shelf toy is the latest Christmas must-have.

The idea is that you put this little ornament somewhere in the house and your kids think the elf reports all the good (and bad) things back to Santa.

Sydney mum Erin Wackwitz is one of many mums enbracing the elf.

“I love that it is really getting into the spirit of Christmas and getting my kids excited about the story of Santa,” she said.

“My almost four year old, Archer, gets so excited to find out what the elf has been up to during the night and I am having a ball finding fun things for Jolly to do every night.”

Elf On A Shelf began as a 2005 book - The Elf on the Shelf: A Christmas Tradition - and includes a special scout elf ‘sent from the North Pole to help Santa Claus manage his naughty and nice lists’ according to the Elf’s official website.

Elf just catching up on some stories while he waits for the kids to wake up. Photo: Erin Wackwitz

So when a family adopts a scout elf it flies to the North Pole every night to tell Santa Claus everything.

Australian parents have embraced the elf, which you move every night into a new position so the kids think it is really alive.

Elf got bored and decided to try his hand at some art. Photo: Erin Wackwitz

But if anything the elf is providing more amusement for adults that for kids. Social media is awash with Elf On A Shelf picture spoofs as people snap the elf in compromising positions. Who said kids should have all the fun?