Elf on the Shelf 24 Day Kit Review
DISCLOSURE -THIS ITEM WAS GIFTED TO THE REVIEWER FOR THE PURPOSES OF WRITING THE REVIEW. ALL THOUGHTS AND OPINIONS ARE THE REVIEWER’S OWN.
Reviewed by Deborah Banasko
I think that Elf on the Shelf has become a little bit like Marmite for parents; you love it or hate it… but just don’t forget to do it before the kids wake up! I am actually someone who loves it, purely for the joy and Christmas spirit that it brings my three children. Our elf Percy is pretty much a family member for 24 days each year, and there’s generally a tear on the final day when he leaves (mine).
For those who are not familiar with the concept, on every night in December leading up until Christmas you secretly move your little scout elf to a new location for your children to search for in the morning. Our elf Percy arrived over 10 years ago, and to start with it was fun and easy. However, as time has passed my kids friends elves have started to do more exciting things than Percy. The perfect parents on social media have started to post their elves on zip-lines down the stairs or performing some food related hilarious prank which must have taken them hours to set up. We actually added a baby elf to the brood last year as I couldn’t think of anything else new to do.
When this review arrived I could barely control my excitement, as this year I won’t be racking my brain at midnight trying to think of something new and hysterically funny to set up. I also plan to be incredibly smug around the perfect mums.
The box is large, sturdy and covered in cute little photos of the different scenes that you can create.
This is a-100 piece set aimed at ages 3 and above due to small parts. Please be aware that you will need to purchase your elf separately (although if you are looking to buy this set then I would guess that you are already a couple of years in and stuck for ideas too).
When you open the box, I cannot describe the joy you will feel when you see 24 neatly laid out little bags, labelled 1-24, containing props and accessories for each day leading up until Christmas. No more panic-internet-searching for ideas at midnight or smearing chocolate onto toilet paper to look like poo beside your elf (just me?). This is wonderful and genius and such a game changer.
On the inside lid it does suggest some little tips of things to use to enhance your scene which you will probably already have at home, such as brown sugar or play sand for the beach scene, so there is nothing too tricky involved in setting this up. I would suggest looking at the bags a few days before December, just in case you do want to add anything extra, though I must stress that this is not essential.
When you open a bag, there is a little card showing how your scene could look plus the accessories for the day. What I haven’t mentioned up until now are the 3 double sided backdrops; a kitchen scene, beach (complete with sandy snow man), gingerbread house, cosy fire, northern lights and a snowy reindeer scene. They are beautiful, and great if you just need an easy set-up without fuss. There is also a cardboard Christmas table to set up and a double-sided cardboard Christmas tree (one snowy, and one designed as an indoor tree).
I do think that I may mix up the days slightly, as one prop is a cute food mixer and I thought it would be a lovely idea to use this one on a weekend and pop some mince-pie based ingredients into the mixing bowl, with a note suggesting that we bake some that day. There is also one with a train toy, so if you had booked a Christmas train that would be a great day to set up that scene.
As you would expect there is a sledge and some mini presents wrapped up. Some are random, such as a yoga mat, but I plan to get some dolls involved in that one as well. Part of me wishes they were all Christmas or winter themed, although I do think that the kids will find the some of the less obvious ideas (playing football with a goal!) really funny and it could otherwise get a little monotonous.
The possible drawback (if you can call it that) to this is that your kids may want to play with the props; for some families this wouldn’t be an issue, but we believe in the magic of not touching the elf as told in the Elf on the Shelf Book. In fact my kids would freak out if anyone touched him. I have considered the elf leaving all of the props on Christmas morning for them to play with but I am going to see how that plays out. They are just really good quality items and it would seem a shame to not play with them at some point too!
One of my concerns was whether I would be able to use this set the following year; whilst £32.95 does not feel a lot of money for 24 days of fun (less than £1.40 per day in fact) it would be nice to adapt it for next year. The answer is yes, because you can mix and match props and even bring in the kids dolls and teddies to create scenes… it just gives you more options and ideas to start from.
For me the price is fair as there is a lot in the box for you money, and it really is worth it for an easy life. The website is also fantastic and already calling me to buy more really cool extras. This kit is an easy 5/5 stars.
Rating: 5/5
RRP: £32.95
You can purchase this product from the elf on the shelf shop here: shop.elfontheshelf.co.uk