The elf should not be touched by anyone, as touching it may cause the elf to lose its magic. Also, the elf doesn’t speak — so no Christmas present spoilers are coming from Santa’s little helper.

Kids go wild over "Elf on the Shelf." But there is an alternative. "Reindeer in Here" is billed as a less stressful Christmas tradition. We compare.

Elf on the Shelf will celebrate 20 years of magic soon. Love it or not, the tradition – started by Carol Aebersold and her daughter Chanda Bell back in 2005 – became a global phenomenon ...

Enter the Elf on the Shelf, otherwise known as Scout Elf – Santa's pint-sized helper who takes note of a family's Christmas adventures by day and travels back to the North Pole to report his ...

Elf on the Shelf "scout elves" are as notorious for keeping kids in line during the holiday season as they are for their nightly antics. But what do experts say about whether or not it's a good ...

We all know the drill when it comes to Elf on the Shelf. For 24 days, the elf “moves” around your house, making mischief and supposedly keeping an eye out for Santa. But this is the age of ...

An Elf on the Shelf is one of Santa’s most important helpers. An Elf on the Shelf observes your child from a special location which changes every day.

The Elf on the Shelf may be a holiday tradition in your home during Christmas, ... Santa sends The Elf on the Shelf to scout children's houses and keep tabs on their Christmas season behavior, ...

Christy Heins, of North Aurora, Illinois, shared her exit strategy for getting out of the Elf on the Shelf routine in a hilarious Facebook post on Dec. 3 Dave Quinn is a Senior Editor for PEOPLE ...

There's even Elf on the Shelf clothes, pets, and accessories to give your kids' Christmas pal their own personality. If you've never done it before, you probably have a lot of questions.

It’s that time of the year when Santa Claus’ helpers, Elf on the Shelf, are sent to ensure the kids are on their best behavior before Christmas.

These celeb moms are winning Christmas with their elaborate Elf on the Shelf displays Mackenzie Schmidt is the Home and Travel Editor for PEOPLE. She's worked at PEOPLE for over five years as a ...