The Elf on the Shelf blog, with ideas and suggestions of what to do with the Elf at Christmas time. What is elf on the shelf The Elf on the Shelf arrives at Christmas, in December, and comes alive each night, having fun with the rest of the toys in the house. Each morning, we awake to see what the Elf on the Shelf has been up to during the night, and kept photos on the blog to help others with some inspiration of what to do with their Elf.