Good News Parents, Elf on the Shelf is in Quarantine this December!

We’re only halfway through November and already parents are thinking outside the box (or inside the box actually) on how to avoid having to move their Elf every day in December.

Enter the Quarantine Box – 14 days where the Elf is not allowed to leave his little box.

This means parents have 14 glorious days off from having to make up elaborate Elf antics.

elf quarantine box — Look who is stuck in quarantine for 14 days! #SorryNotSorry. Source: @Grace_rey_designs

After all, Elves can’t be free to roam after international travel from the North Pole. They have to quarantine for two weeks like the rest of us.

Looks like something good came out of COVID after all!

Elf on the Shelf quarantine jar — Source: @olivergracepaper

COVID-19 hits the North Pole

For those who aren’t familiar with the Elf on the Shelf, allow us to give you a quick refresh. Elf on the Shelf is an annoying little dobber sent down from the North Pole to spy on our kids and report back to Santa. The theory is our kids will behave because Elf is watching.

Anyhoo, kids love it. Some parents do too – they get the challenge of moving Elf every night and often use this time to stage elaborate Elf scenes to excite their kids.

If you do love it, we’ve got heaps of great Elf on the Shelf ideas.

If you don’t love it, then Elf Quarantine will be right up your alley. After all, you’ve basically got a Get-Out-Of-Moving-the-Damned-Elf card for 14 days. 14 glorious days of NOT having to wake up at midnight in a cold sweat because you realise you forgot to move that bloody Elf again! Hooray!

Make your own

Heaps of companies are jumping on board the Elf Quarantine bandwagon and selling their homemade Elf quarantine homes via their Facebook or Etsy page. Some of the houses are beyond cute!

mum central — Source: @artigianacreations

We love the addition of the hand sanitiser. My naughty Elf would probs prefer a few mini-bottles of vodka instead but hey, to each their own.

But you can also make your own Elf quarantine box with a standard jar or a wooden box. Simply add a few Christmas-themed stickers to the jar and add a little note beside it. Pretty it up as you please – with some cotton balls or bean bag balls at the bottom for snow, some fairy lights for ambiance, perhaps a bed or a chair.

Elf on the Shelf quarantine — How cute is this little Christmas countdown? Source: @como_chingass

Quarantine now or later

For families that do LOVE Elf on the Shelf, you can use this idea now – well, 16 November to be exact – so your Elf is ready to make his move come December. That way he’s ready to play come the 1st of December. Quarantine done.

For families who would prefer to keep the Elf in a box ALL year-round, leave the Elf hidden until the 1st of December. Then once he arrives, he’s gotta stay in the box for 14 days, meaning you only have to move him for 10 days. And that stupid little Elf is still keeping an eye on your kids, making sure they behave from his quarantine jar.