Elf on the Shelf UK: elves, kits and Christmas Eve boxes

Elf on the Shelf: elves, accessories, boxes and kits

Elf on the Shelf elves, accessories, Christmas Eve boxes and gingerbread house kits for children. Prices run from £3.99 to £29.95, with a median of £9.99. Some elves come with a storybook, others are soft elves from other makers, and several kits leave the elf out. Check what is in the box and the age label before you buy.

Elf on the Shelf: the tradition and what it needs

The Elf on the Shelf began as a rhyming children’s book published in 2005. A scout elf arrives in the house, usually at the start of December, and the children give it a name. Each morning it turns up in a new spot, having flown to the North Pole overnight to report to Santa. The one rule most families keep is that nobody touches the elf, and it goes home on Christmas Eve.

Buying for it comes down to four jobs: the elf itself, things for it to do, a box for Christmas Eve and a family bake or build. Prices here run from £3.99 to £29.95, with a median of £9.99, and buyers rate the products 4.6 out of 5 on average.

Boxed Scout Elf or a soft elf from another maker

A boxed set holds an elf doll, a storybook and an adoption certificate, and comes as a boy or a girl with a choice of eye colour. Soft elves from other makers list the figure only, often as a pair. They stand 30 to 35 cm (12 to 14 inches) tall, with vinyl faces, and some have hook-and-loop hands for gripping props.

Product type	Place in the price range	What the listing says is in the box
Boxed Scout Elf set	Upper half	Elf doll, storybook, adoption certificate
Plush pet with a storybook	Upper half	Plush animal and book
Soft elf from another maker	Mostly at or below the median	One or two figures, no book
24-day prop and idea kit	Upper end	Props and idea cards, so check whether the elf is included
Outfits, door, sleigh and skateboard sets	Mostly under £10	One outfit or one prop
Arrival and goodbye letters	Bottom of the range	Printed paper

The grid also holds a 26-minute DVD and an audio character that plays on a Toniebox.

First year or returning elf

A family starting out needs the elf and a way to introduce it. A boxed set with its storybook does both, and an arrival letter covers the first morning. A family whose elf is already in the loft needs props and ideas only. Props are sold for an elf, not instead of one, so a first-year buyer starts with the elf.

Starting out: a boxed set and an arrival letter.
Keeping to a budget: a soft elf from another maker and one outfit.
Returning family: a 24-day kit, or a few small props.

Elf on the Shelf accessories, boxes and gingerbread kits

Three collections cover the rest of the season, listed here in the order a family uses them.

Arrival, late November or 1 December: outfits, props and door kits are in Elf on the Shelf accessories. Several listings say the Scout Elf is not included, and the arrival letter is in this collection.
Through December: one prop or idea a night. A 24-day kit supplies one set per night for 1 to 24 December, and our guide says which accessories and kits are worth buying.
A weekend in December: a bake or a build from the gingerbread house kits. Only some are edible, so check the box contents.
24 December: the goodbye letter and a Christmas Eve box. Most boxes arrive empty and measure 21 to 36 cm long.

Choosing an Elf on the Shelf for the first December

Is the elf included? Door kits, skateboard sets and the largest 24-day kit say the Scout Elf is not included.
Is there a book? Boxed sets include a storybook and a certificate, while soft elves from other makers list the figure only.
What size is the elf? Soft elves measure 30 to 35 cm, and outfits in the accessories collection are made for a stated height, such as 12-inch elves.
How many pieces? One 24-day kit lists more than 70 props and 24 idea packs, and another lists 15 elf-sized tools and a 60-page idea book.
What is the age label? It differs between listings, and some give two ages in different fields, so go by the age line on the product page.
Where will it live? Boxed sets arrive in a keepsake box and one outfit set comes with a tin suitcase, so the elf and its props can go back in one place after Christmas Eve.

For the nightly part, the 100 Elf on the Shelf ideas run through every night of December, and the easy ones take under two minutes.

Frequently asked questions: Kids & Elf

What are the rules of Elf on the Shelf?

The one rule most families keep is that nobody touches the elf. The elf arrives in early December, is given a name and flies to the North Pole each night to report to Santa, then turns up in a new spot each morning. It goes home on Christmas Eve. Each family adds its own rules, and our rules guide goes through them.

What comes in an Elf on the Shelf box set?

The boxed sets list an elf doll, a storybook and an adoption certificate in a keepsake box. They come as a boy or a girl scout elf with a choice of eye colour. Outfits, props and kits are sold separately, and some of them say the Scout Elf is not included.

How much does an Elf on the Shelf cost?

Prices in this collection run from £3.99 to £29.95, with a median of £9.99. The boxed sets with a storybook sit in the upper half of that range, soft elves from other makers mostly sit at or below the median, and outfits, letters and small props cost less. The 24-day kits are at the upper end.

What is a quick Elf on the Shelf idea?

Move the elf to a new spot and add one small prop, such as a note, a sleeping bag or an outfit. Ideas like these take under two minutes, which helps on the nights you forget to move it. The easy ideas guide on our blog lists more.

Is there an Elf on the Shelf film?

The grid lists a 26-minute DVD called An Elf’s Story, released in 2012 in PAL format, at the bottom of the price range. It also lists an audio character that needs a Toniebox to play.

How many days do you do Elf on the Shelf?

The usual pattern is 1 December to Christmas Eve, which is 24 nights. The 24-day kits in this collection follow it, with one set of props or ideas per night. Some families start in late November.