Elf on the Shelf?

[Junelouise]

I never heard of Elf on the Shelf until friday when the grade 1 girl I look after came home all excited about him in her classroom at school. I thought it was just something the teacher had thought up until I read this post!
I buy gifts for my daycare kids at Christmas..try to keep to $ 20.00 limit. Most of my daycare are school kids, so not sure if I am going to do Elf on the shelf.
They like to help me with Christmas baking and they love the decorations. I have a wreath on the front door (doing the decorating today) with a cute snowman hanging in the middle. I hang small candy canes on the Christmas tree that I give out to them for a treat. I put out the home made nativity scene that an uncle made for us years ago..complete with lights in it. I have Christmas carols on CD's that we sing along to. I have two large lighted deers (buck and a doe) that we put out on the front lawn, which they really love, along with lighted lollipops and all the lights on the house(no more bushes, they all got cut down). OK, I am getting into the Christmas spirit now that I am talking about it!

[Serendipity]

Random Acts of Kindness has a foundation and a website. Here is the link...if you search the database you can find 273 different ideas for random acts: http://www.randomactsofkindness.org/kindness-ideas

There is also lessons plans for educators as well as TONS if useful and fun ideas!

[Serendipity]

Also speaking if Elf on the Shelf...here is a hilarious blog entry by one of my favorite bloggers about the subject. Warning: Dont be offended because it is meant to be funny so read it with a light heart http://www.peopleiwanttopunchintheth...f-mommies.html

[Inspired by Reggio]

Also speaking if Elf on the Shelf...here is a hilarious blog entry by one of my favorite bloggers about the subject. Warning: Dont be offended because it is meant to be funny so read it with a light heart http://www.peopleiwanttopunchintheth...f-mommies.html

it because it is so very true ~ some of the ideas I have seen make me laugh .... the the lady whose Elf snuck into everyones beds while they slept and PAINTED THEIR TOES ... seriously whose children sleep still and deep enough to remove their blankets and grab hold of their feet and sit there and paint their toes perfectly for the morning and well aside from that small probability what parent RISKS them waking up and getting caught ~ INSANE indeed ... either that or what did the elf put in the kiddies bedtime hot chocolate to have them sleep so soundly and still not to end up with red toe nail polish all over the bed????

While I love the idea of the Elf and the fun he creates ... I admit that I am like this blogger and think that many of the ideas out there will make more bloody mess for me than is worth the 3 seconds of magic it makes for the kids .. I am opting for more 'quick and painless' places for him to be found and since I am doing this during daycare hours it basically be Elfie getting caught exploring 'invitations' I would have set out for during quiet time anyway and having left them their little 'act of kindness challenge' for the next day ... he wont be making MESS in my house that's for sure I will live that for any insane clients of mine to have their elf at home doing on the 'night watch'