For busy parents who don't have time to report their children's behaviour back to Santa, an Elf on the Shelf can help.
This family Christmas tradition has only been around since 2005, but has seen ever more creative interpretations in recent years.
Elf on the Shelf sees families "adopt" a Scout Elf who acts as Santa's eyes and ears over the festive period, returning to the North Pole each night to report children's behaviour.
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The fun of the tradition comes when the elf returns to the house the next morning, taking up a new lookout location - and often having created mischief in the night.
Romford Recorder readers have come up with inventive scenes for their children to find each morning, which can all be easily replicated in the run up to Christmas Day.
Five Elf on the Shelf ideas from Romford Recorder readers
Hiding from the smell...
Nikki Yems had arguably one of the funniest ideas, with the elves hiding from a certain smell.
This can easily be recreated with two jars and a handwritten sign.
Elf on a... reindeer
Susan Egley's elf returned from the North Pole on a reindeer - this idea could be created with any Christmas ornament for a fun twist on the classic Elf on a Shelf.
Waiting for a haircut
Some parents, like Christiana Andreea, have got inventive and used Halloween decorations as well.
The milk has gone bad!
With a marker pen and a little bit of imagination, parents can even create a more elaborate scene.
Arlene Raife used a play on words to create a funny fridge scene, with the "bad" milk as the 'kidnapper'.
Fishing for dinner
Make a joke out of your children asking "what's for dinner?" 20 times in one evening, like Alexandra Marie.
If you have a fish tank, this is a great idea for one of your Elf on the Shelf scenes.
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