If the countdown questions have started at your place, you are right on schedule.
Long before the tree goes up, Australian children begin asking the same thing:
when is our Scout Elf™ coming back?
most Scout Elves arrive during Scout Elf Return Week™, which runs from
23 November to 1 December. There is no single date that every elf must keep,
though, and plenty of families here welcome theirs a little earlier or later
depending on how their December looks.
The traditional arrival window
Scout Elf Return Week: 23 November to 1 December
Scout Elf Return Week is when the first group of Santa’s Scout Elves
leave the North Pole and make their way to homes around the world. For families
who keep The Elf on the Shelf tradition, it is the unofficial start of the
Christmas season, and it is when most Australian elves turn up.
You can read more about the week itself, including how the Scout Elves prepare
before they fly, on the
Scout Elf Return Week page
.
Scout Elf Return Week
23 NOV
to
1 DEC
The most common arrival window
Why there is no single arrival date
Every Scout Elf plans their own journey home. Some set off early to help a family
get the decorations up; others hold off a little so the surprise lands closer
to December. Both are perfectly normal.
If yours has not appeared yet, there is no need to worry. We have a whole article on
why a Scout Elf might be running a bit behind
,
straight from the North Pole flight log.
New to the tradition?
If this is your family’s first year
A first arrival is about the welcome, not the production.
Keep it simple and let the children lead.
1
Read the story together
Read the storybook together on the first morning, so everyone knows
how the tradition works.
2
Choose a good spot
Choose a spot where your elf can see the whole family, and where
little hands can see them too.
3
Choose a name
Let the children choose a name. It is the part they remember years later.
If you are still deciding how to bring an elf into your family, the
guide to getting The Elf on the Shelf
covers adoption, and the
adoption centre finder
shows where to look near you.
A familiar face
If your Scout Elf is coming back for another year
Returning families usually have a rhythm already, so arrival is more of
a reunion than an introduction. A few ideas that work well:
-
Look back at last year’s photos the night before, and guess where
your elf will land. - Leave a short welcome-home note where your elf is likely to appear.
-
Set out something small and local – a gum leaf, a shell from the
summer holidays, a drawing from school.
For arrival scenes with a bit more flourish, the
ten epic Scout Elf return ideas
are a good place to start.
Can you start after 1 December?
Yes. Scout Elf Return Week is the traditional window, not a deadline.
The Australian school year winds up in the middle of December, and many
families find the tradition fits better once the end-of-year rush has passed.
A shorter visit is still a real visit. If you would like your elf to come
sooner rather than later, there are
a few ways to invite your Scout Elf back early
.
There is no deadline.
Your Scout Elf can arrive when the timing works best for your family.
Getting ready before your elf arrives
A little preparation makes the first morning easier. Decide where your elf
will land, have the storybook somewhere handy, and talk through the family
rules before the big day – including
who can and cannot touch a Scout Elf
.
Our
arrival preparation guide
walks through the rest.
Choose somewhere easy for everyone to see.
Perfect for the first morning together.
A quick reminder keeps the magic simple.
An Australian Christmas
Simple arrival ideas for summer
Christmas here lands in the middle of summer, which gives arrival day
its own flavour. A welcome-home breakfast on the back deck, a beach-themed
landing, a cold glass of milk instead of cocoa – all of it counts.
There are more ideas in our
Aussie-inspired Elf on the Shelf ideas
,
and
thirty easy hiding places
for the nights that follow.
Where to go next
Whenever your Scout Elf lands, that first sighting is what the children remember.
If you would like to keep planning, have a look at
Ideas for Scout Elves
,
meet the rest of the
Santaverse®
,
or read about
the tradition itself
.