Top 20 Elf on the Shelf Videos [Watch Here]

At Hold the Magic we love to see children communicating their very own Tooth Fairies and finding them the sweetest little gifts imaginable under their pillows. 

Elves on the shelf are just as magical. Some of them bring gifts, some of them are naughty, some of them are sweet and kind and some have a calm influence on their household. No matter what kind of elves they are, they are cherished by children and parents alike. That's why we have picked out our favorite top 20 Elf on the Shelf Videos for you to watch.

But before we share our best Elf on the Shelf videos with you, you might need to know a little more about these amazing creatures...

What is an Elf on the Shelf?

An Elf on the Shelf is a little elf that visits your house before Christmas time. He or she arrives in a box with a book telling you all about their story and what they do. The elves are there to let Santa know how you are doing, and they love to tell him all of the really good things their children have done in the run-up to Christmas.

The book is an elf on the shelf handbook and it was written by Carol Aebersold and her daughter Chanda Bell over a cup of tea in their kitchen. They had shared the elf tradition when Chanda was younger and wanted to remember how fun it was when their elf would come to visit. Once it was written, they realized other children would probably like it just as much as Chanda did as a little girl.

Elf on the Shelf rules

• As soon as they arrive, the new elves have to be named by their new child. That then means they are yours and you are their child. You can choose any name, from Archibold to Harry to Sophie. Whatever you choose, you will then have an elf for life.

• Then the elf will visit you every single day until they have to say goodbye on Christmas day. This can be a lot of fun because every morning they arrive in a different spot, and you get to find them!

• There's one other thing you have to remember about your elves - you can't touch them. If anyone touches an elf, they can lose their magic. And the only way they can get it back is if you sing a Christmas carol, pour some cinnamon near them or if you apologize with a letter. An elf that has lost its magic is a sad thing indeed. Because they can't fly to Santa, and they become just like all the other toys and can't come to life at night.

• Oh, and one last thing, the elves don't talk, because that would interrupt their very important task of listening and watching. And that is what they are made for, after all.

Elf mischief

Sometimes the elves are silly and play funny games. Every night they fly off to see Santa and to report their own kids' progress. But once they're done, they can get up to all sorts of tricks. Sometimes they play with other toys. They like to fly around and to cause mischief, like putting other elves into bottles. And they even can be found having a marshmallow bath or getting stuck in plastic bottles.

So if you come closer, and are very quiet and sit still, you might just discover that the elves on the shelf have been having a lot of fun of their own... and we have caught them!

Children and parents from across the world have been documenting their elves' fun and games. And we have compiled a list of the 20 best Elf on the Shelf videos for your pleasure and delight.

So, let's get started!

Top 20 Elf on the Shelf Videos 

1.  The Elf on the Shelf story

This is where it all starts... every time an elf arrives at a child's house, he or she brings a special story along with them. This handbook lets us know everything we need to about these little scout elves and what to expect once they have adopted one. Just like the Tooth Fairy, having an elf around can make things a lot more fun, can create new stories and memories, that last a lifetime.

2. Meeting your elf

This is the cutest video we have ever seen... Chelsea gets introduced to her new elf and chooses her name. She loves her elf instantly, especially once she hears it is magic! What do you think she should call her new elf?

3. Marshmallow bath

Chelsea wakes up to a wonderful surprise; her elf, Jingle, has flown to the North Pole, but once she has arrived back at their house, gosh, she must have been tired, because she drew herself a nice bath. Scout elves don't wash in water like we do - they use marshmallows instead. She does look cozy.

4. Elves caught flying

This lucky family caught their elves flying on camera and giggling on their way to the North Pole. Having set up motion-sensitive cameras, the family woke up to find footage of their two elves flying around while they had been sleeping. When they saw the footage, they could hardly believe their eyes. Jaeger and Dylan couldn't wait to tell their friends all about how they had caught their elves on camera.

This is why we love elf on the shelf videos - magic is revealed, right before your eyes.

5. Elf on the shelf spots Santa

This has to be one of the most impressive elf on the shelf videos. This little elf shares the moment he caught Santa flying on tape. What a clever little elf. (I wonder where he was going on that airplane.)

6. Elves caught moving

Watch as this elf on the shelf is caught escaping from a mailbox and an open window. He obviously wasn't being very careful, because he got caught by humans! He climbs up the trunk of the Christmas tree and climbs into a light and hangs upside down. And guess who ate all the mince pies?

7. Elves bowling

Snickers and the new addition to the family, Giggles, are discovered in the middle of a game of bowling. They have mini bowling pins set up ready to play, and if they hadn't been interrupted, they might just have scored a strike. Our bet is on Giggles to win, what's yours?

8. Elf in a hot air balloon

Make your own elf on the shelf hot air balloon. This would be a nice surprise to leave the elves at the end of the night. That way they wouldn't have to fly themselves all the way to the north pole, they could use this balloon instead. The best thing is it even lights up, so if you can stay awake long enough, you might be able to spot them in the night sky.

Happy flying! 

9. Thanksgiving elves

Every year the elves return to their children for Thanksgiving, because they just can't wait 'til December. But did you know that elves have to organize themselves just like adults do? We have never seen so many elves as when they were caught having this secret meeting in preparation for Thanksgiving. I think I can see my elf in there, can you see yours?

10. Elf fashion show

Elves care about fashion, too. Of course, they need lots of little outfits and suitcases to pack up their clothes when they are flying across the world all the time.

11. Elf taken captive

So off we embark on a candy cane trail, unsure of the mission, but sure we won't fail. And now all that's left for team Miller to say; is wherever we go, you're with us all the way... The Miller family wake to find two little elves have been taken hostage. They are in the middle of nowhere and need to be rescued, what on earth will they do?

12. Elf on the shelf busts some moves

This elf on the shelf has some serious moves. He is flossing (and no, we don't mean his teeth!), dabbing and breaking it down.

13. Elf on the shelf sings

Scout elves don't rest when the nighttime comes... It's true. And this one is a pretty good singer, too. This video shows us just a few of the things they get up to when you're safely huddled up in your bed and fast asleep. (This is from the movie An Elf's Tale, in case you wanted to see more.)

14. Elf leaves a magical surprise

When this family arrived back from their vacation in the UK, they had a huge surprise for them waiting at home. Their kind elf, Fred, had left them the best welcome home they could've asked for. He put up lots of Christmas trees and decorated them, as well as hundreds of Christmas reefs, lights and Santa Clauses. Santa's helpers can be so sweet.

15. Elf on the shelf prank

We have no idea how this elf managed it, but he collected lots and lots of balls and put them in Oliver and Finley's playroom so they could play with them. It must have been a little of that elf magic. It looks so much fun!

16. A special Elf

As we all know, when you touch an elf, it loses its magic. This can make an elf very sad as he or she can't go back to report to Santa. In this video, two brave girls realize there could be lots of sad elves who have lost their magic. It's up to them to help them. So when Anthony the elf when turns up on their doorstep, they have to help him to get back his magic... But how?

17. Sugar overload

Anyone who knows anything about elves will tell you that they love sugar and all things sweet... The problem here is that they can sometimes go a bit overboard, and make a real mess in the process. As these girls found out; when an elf is hungry, they're really hungry!

18. Elf's eyes moved

Wait for it, wait for it... if you watch very carefully, you might just see this elf move, right in front of the camera. Scout elves are normally very careful about staying still during the day, especially in front of the grown-ups. Here we're lucky enough to get a glimpse of the real thing.

19. Elf on the shelf in space

The elf on the shelf goes to space. Even the astronauts from NASA are getting into the holiday spirit and have their very own elf getting up to mischief. When astronaut, Anne McClain realized she wouldn't be able to take her son up into space with her for Christmas, she did the next best thing - she took their family elf along so he and many other kids down on earth, could try to find their elf in the space station. Did you spot him yet?

20. Buddy up!

This elf on the shelf video captures the magic of Christmas Eve. This time is all about preparing for Christmas day, making cookies and saying goodbye to your elves. These lucky girls managed to get their elves' permission to play with three of the six they own. That way, they can buddy up and fly back home to Santa, even if half of them lose their magic. Good job girls.

Conclusion

So there you have it, our Top 20 best Elf on the Shelf videos. 

Every child deserves a magical Christmas and these elves certainly help to make that happen. We hope you liked our favorite Elf on the Shelf videos, and that no matter the season, you can always find the magic.

Happy holidays!