Elf on the Shelf Alternatives Heat Up Holiday Competition

Chuck Berman/Chicago Tribune/MCT via Getty Images(NEW YORK) — It’s the Christmas tradition that’s sparked $10 million in sales and yet another task for already harried parents getting ready for the holidays.

There’s no doubt kids these days love the Elf on the Shelf. It’s so popular it even has a parody — the Dwarf in the Drawer.

Now, there’s knockoffs that let a family count down to practically any holiday. Some — like the Birthday Elf on the Shelf — come from the same creator. But others are capitalizing on the elf’s success.

Switchcrafted is a book set that comes with a “Switch With” doll that encourages exchanging Halloween candy for healthier treats.

And a Christmastime Elf isn’t the only option. There’s The Christmas Angel for families more interested in religion than reindeer. The book and angel doll works in the same way as Elf on the Shelf in that the kids wake up and look for it each morning, but the twist is that each morning they are tasked to do a good deed by the “angel.”

Some people are putting their own religious spin with their existing Elf on the Shelf. The mom behind the blog Crayon Marks and Tiger Stripes has created a “Jesus Style” version of the Elf on the Shelf for those who wish to make the tradition more about religion than reindeer.

And for Jewish kids, there’s the Mensch on a Bench, which comes with a doll and accompanying book to “introduce children to the story and traditions of Hanukkah, while emphasizing the fine characteristics of a Mensch — a good and honorable person,” according to the company. It’s been so successful, the creator is “hard at work” on a Passover book.

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