The Elf on the Shelf is a toy brand that begin with a toy and book set from Carol Aebersold. The set included a toy elf that reported to Santa Claus whether a child was behaving. Parents hide the toy each night. Aebersold based the idea on a family Christmas tradition.
The Elf on the Shelf brand has expanded to include a variety of gift sets featuring different dolls. There are also elf pets, playsets, DVDs, trains, mini toys and more.
Some of the new Christmas 2020 toys from The Elf on the Shelf include the North Pole Advent Train, Merry Minis, Santa Says; Talking Plush, Secret SnoPrize, new elf costumes and more. They can be found at Santa's Store on the Elf on the Shelf site.