It happens to all of us who have our little Elf friends visiting during the holidays. We wake up, if we are lucky, we grab our coffee before the kids wake up, and before we know it they are up and on the hunt. No matter how much we try, we all need these quick tips for when our Elf on the Shelf doesn’t move or when someone touches the Elf on the Shelf!
Now, this is where one of two things can happen because parenting mishaps never happen at the best times. You have at least half a cup of coffee in you, and your face remains calm. You didn’t even get a sip, and your eyes became as large as those of your children.
How could your Elf on the shelf not move? And most importantly, how will you, as parents, possibly explain to your children that your elf didn’t move? Calmly go through the following scenarios with your children to help everyone in your family figure out why your Elf on the Shelf didn’t move.
Don’t Touch
The number one rule our little elves give us is to never, ever touch them. Touching them takes away their magic and makes it hard, if not impossible, for them to return to the North Pole at night. After all, how can a wee little elf fly all the way back to the North Pole without his magic?
“Are you sure someone didn’t touch him? Even the littlest touch could take away his magic. You know that even if someone in our family doesn’t see you touch our elf, he still knows, and it takes away his magic. Oh goodness, I hope he gets his magic back. Let’s be extra careful from this day on to NEVER ever touch our Elf on the Shelf.”
Just a Bit
“You can see from what this little elf does every day that he has a silly side. Are you sure that our Elf on the Shelf didn’t move just a tiny bit? Maybe he is trying to mess with us and make us THINK he didn’t go back. Did you check his hat?
What about his right arm? I remember his elbow being down just a little bit. Or was it his left leg? Wasn’t it different yesterday? Don’t let him get the best of us!! He is trying to be silly like he always is.”
Quick Thinking
If your elf has some of these fun supplies, you can add one or two to the scene, or you can drop them on the floor, leave them somewhere else in the house or introduce an Elf Pet. These can all be done in a couple of seconds without any muss or fuss.
This is a great option if you know you’ll be strapped for a time one day as well! Leave that little Elf in the same spot and just spice him/her up with a fun accessory! I have to say; the Merry Magical Elf Notes are a lifesaver in this situation.
You can leave one somewhere else for the kids to find or just pull it out of thin air and solve the mystery! When your Elf on the Shelf doesn’t move, or your Elf is touched, this is perfect!
Here are some great Elf accessories if you Need Them:
- Shirts
- Dress
- Suit
- Puffy Coat
- Pet St. Bernard
- Merry Magical Elf Notes
- Pet Reindeer
- Fancy Outfit
- Pet Reindeer Coat and Boots
- Sports Jersey
Elf on the Shelf Didn’t Move It’s a Trick
“Well, that was fun, wasn’t it? We went around this whole house looking for our Elf on the Shelf, and here is he playing games on us.” Here is where you look right at your elf and tell him, “You silly thing making us look for you. You stayed in the same spot just to see what we would do.
Tomorrow we will check here before we look anywhere else, won’t we, kids?” And tomorrow, they will, and I bet he will not be there. 🙂 Don’t forget to check out all of the great Elf on the Shelf accessories and materials! There are so many fun and interactive elements that go along with Elf; they’re so much fun to add to your Elf tradition!
- Elf on the Shelf Doll
- Elf on the Shelf Kit
- Outfits for Boys and Girls
- The Elf Story (In case the book gets lost!!)
- Elf Sized Suitcase
- Elf on the Shelf Pet Reindeer
- The Elf Story DVD
- Elf on the Shelf Pet St. Bernard
- Baking Set with Elf on the Shelf Kit
- Elf on the Shelf Advent Calendar Countodwn
- Naughty or Nice Elf on the Shelf Board Game
More Elf on the Shelf
Elf on the Shelf Introduction Letter Printable | Introductions should be out of the way by now, but maybe get some planning ready for next year.
60+ Elf on The Shelf Ideas on Pinterest | There’s still time, though, to use some fun ideas from Pinterest with your elf.
Elf on the Shelf Activities that Take Less than 5 Minutes | You won’t even have spent more than 5 minutes of your time on these simple ideas.
How to Say Goodbye to Elf on the Shelf | Ideas for Saying Goodbye | It’s almost time to say goodbye to your elf. Is your family ready for that?
Crazy Easy Elf on The Shelf Ideas | Quick Elf Ideas | Just don’t forget to get in some crazy simple ideas towards the end of the season. We all know we can take it easy at this time.
Leanne Penny says
This is great, this morning ours didn’t move because I was sick the previous day. Oops!
I said “I think he really likes it there, it’s a great view and I’m sure he will move tomorrow. I even threw in that Santa sent me an email to this effect. It worked.”
grace says
my daughter trough had her elf on the shelf and then her sister trough it down the window from up stairs now i dont think it is going to move but hopefully it will tomorrow we put it in his bed so i am hoping tomorrow
Amy Barseghian says
I hope so too!
grace says
my daughter trough her sisters down the window but i am hoping it will move tomorrow
Emma Jane says
My elf on the shelf did not move someone tell me why?
Carissa says
If your unpackaging an Elf on shelf how do you take it out of you can’t touch it?