Did you know that your Elf on the Shelf has rules?
Inviting an elf to your home for the holidays can be such a fun tradition for your kids.
And whether you’ve had an elf come to stay for Christmas before or are new to the popular tradition, understanding the Elf on the Shelf rules is key to having some silly holiday fun with your visitor.
With the help of this printable, you and your kids can be sure you keep the magic alive throughout the holiday season.
What Are the Elf on the Shelf Rules?
While different families follow different rules for their elf, there are a few standard rules that most people abide by.
These four basic rules are a great starting point for creating your own family tradition:
Don’t touch the elf
Kids are not allowed to touch the Elf on the Shelf or the elf loses its magic.
Make sure your kids know this rule so their elf keeps coming back every night.
Your elf won’t talk back, but they’re always listening
Although your elf won’t talk to your kids, he does listen.
Your kids can tell them the things they want for Christmas or the good deeds they’ve done throughout the day.
Your elf will take everything they tell him back to Santa that night when he travels back to the North Pole.
Your elf goes back to the North Pole every night
Once your kids go to bed, your elf flies back to the North Pole to help Santa prepare for Christmas.
That’s why he’s in a different place every morning.
Part of the fun of inviting an elf to stay at your house is to search for them in the morning to see what kind of trouble they’ve gotten into that night.
They’ll stay until Christmas Eve, then go back to the North Pole until next year
Your elf will visit your house each day leading up to Christmas Eve, but they have to head back to the North Pole that night to help Santa deliver presents.
They’ll stay there until next Christmas, when they’ll come back and visit your family again.
When Does the Elf on the Shelf Arrive?
The date your elf arrives really depends on when your family starts celebrating Christmas.
While some elves start arriving in homes the day after Thanksgiving, others don’t arrive until the first of December.
And some don’t follow the calendar at all.
Instead, they arrive on the day the Christmas tree is set up or any other day you choose.
Free Elf Rules Printable
When your elf first arrives, it’s a great idea to remind everyone of the elf rules.
A handy way to do this is to use this free printable with the elf rules all ready to go. You can print it out, frame it, stick it to the refrigerator with a magnet, or whatever you like.
Have fun planning your elf activities and enjoy your holiday!
Remember, the elf is watching!
More fun, free Christmas-y printables to enjoy
M&M Oatmeal Cookies in a jar DIY – makes a great homemade gift and comes with a printable gift tag
How to download this printable:
This free printable has a link to Dropbox.
All you need to do to download and print it is click the link.
This is the sentence to click to get the Elf Rules printable.
The link should open, and you will be given the option to download it.
If you wish to print directly from the screen instead of downloading it first
The way you do this may vary from browser to browser.
In Chrome, you’ll also notice that if you mouse over the image, a menu will display.
One of the options on this menu is a printer option.
If you wish to print directly from the screen without downloading the image, it’s ideal to use this print button.
If you use your browser’s print button, it may resize the image so that part of the image is off the page.
Hi, I’m Jennifer. I love to cook and entertain. I have a lot of fun sharing traditional food and drink recipes as well as putting a new spin on the classics. I strive to provide easy to make recipes that are perfect for the home cook, bartender and entertainer.