The Elf on the Shelf has become a new tradition for many families.

These little magic pixie elves arrive between Thanksgiving and Christmas Eve and their jobs are to help Santa out and report back to him if children are being naughty or nice.

The little dolls, which are dressed in red and wear a miniature Santa hats originated from the children’s picture book, “The Elf on the Shelf,” written in 2004 by Carol Aebersold, her daughter Chanda Bell, and is illustrated by Coë Steinwart.

The book is sold in a keepsake box that includes the small soft toy.

Written in rhyme, the story is about a scout elf that will gain magical powers if he or she receives a name and is loved by a child, but the child must never touch the elf because if he does, he could loose the magical powers that allow him or her to fly back and forth from the North Pole.

Local resident Sara Robinson said her family has two elves.

“We have one of each,” she said, a boy elf named Pickles and a girl elf named Sweet Tart.

Pickles arrived when Robinson’s daughter was only 18 months old, she said, and Addison is now 10.

Her son, who is 8 years old, decided several years ago he didn’t like that the family only had one elf, so another was added — one for each child.

“Our elves always come the night of Thanksgiving,” Robinson said, and the children know the next morning to start looking for them.

Robinson said Pickles and Sweet Tart sometimes get into trouble.

The pair has been caught hanging by the chandelier, making snow angels out of candy sprinkles and one time one of the elves had tied the other on a train set.

At first, coming up with creative elf action was challenging, Robinson said, but now with Pinterest, the website considered a catalog of ideas, things are much easier.

Also, the Elf on the Shelf website offers inspiring suggestions for elf action in addition to tools that can inspire scout elves.

Although some parents have tired of hiding their elf all over the house, Robinson said she finds the Elf on the Shelf concept an added element of Christmas fun.

“It’s fun to believe,” she said, and it’s a neat thing to do with your children if you do not get too caught up in it.

Robinson said she is glad her children have perspective on Pickles and Sweet Tart.

“I am thankful that my children know the real reason for Christmas.

Just recently Robinson’s son Landry caught his stepfather moving the elf, she said, but told him it was O.K. since he knew that Christmas was really about Jesus.