[Scary2223]

A couple of months ago while reading a story about elf on the shelf I began to think, why doesn't Halloween have some sort of fun experience for the children that relates to such a great christmas tradition and then the idea just snowballed. If you would like to, you could go to kickstarter and help fund the newest Halloween tradition, Snitch on the Witch. Any and all support would be wonderful and greatly appreciated.
Thank you so much, Jaclyn

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1037128407/snitch-on-the-witch

 

[Berserker]

Good idea. Although it is light hearted and fun, I try not to partake in the elve on a shelf simply for the fact I do not want my kids growing up knowing they are being watched. It is just a metaphor for this current police state we live in "Do good...we are watching you" environment. They need to make good decisions when no one is watching and build their integrity.
Is this too much? I know it is something simple and innocent but again, we already have enough authority "monitoring" us, I don't want to add another variable to this equation.
That being said; it is a cool idea.

 

[UnOrthodOx]

Similarly, I don't get involved with the elf, and this wouldn't be my cup of tea.

That said I see some challenges you are setting up with those that might be interested in your project:

• You've set the witch up as an antagonist. A villain.
• You've made her responsible for what you openly admit might have been traumatic for children you are trying to target. The elve is a helper of a great benefactor, you're character is about to destroy everything if you don't stop her.
• It has to be put out there, if this were to hit the mass market, some are going to be concerned with the whole aspect of asking kids to hunt down a witch. There's a certain air of witch trials/hunts in the game you propose, and I could see people having an issue with that.
• There's a decent chance of poor weather somewhere in the states on Halloween...chance of 'success' for the kids playing is therefore slim.

I can see where you're coming from, and it's a good general idea, but IMO, you need the witch to be a fun, heroic character BRINING halloween fun, or keeping the spooks away on halloween, not trying to destroy it. Maybe look into the old Kitchen witch tales for ideas there.
Pull the goal of the game away from ensuring good weather, too much unpredictability there.

I truly wish you luck, and am just trying to point out some potential problems you might not have thought of, and provide you some feedback.

 

[Scary2223]

This is more so of our children monitoring the witch. Honestly, my 2 1/2 year old loves to go searching to find her and the book is written really well. I do understand where you are coming from. I just thought this would be a neat little game for the kids to look forward to.

 

[Gym Whourlfeld]

How about this idea:"Almost any "Witch" is usually female,elderly,and we just described somebody's Grandmother (or Great Grandmother?)
how about some empathy and kindness for the old witch?
Maybe along the way "teaching" that if someone is deemed "Ugly",maybe they should be treated kinder because too many have already teased ,hurt ,neglected them for only ,maybe that one thing they could not help-Aging! (And/Or Genetics. (Pointy chin, bending nose, straight hair,you know what i mean?) Plastic surgery for everyone who needs it! But most of us just need to be regarded as .. "Normal" no matter what we happen to look like.

 

[Scatterbrains]

How did the Elf on a Shelf become a Christmas tradition...I didn't hear about it until about 2 years ago...it sounds more like a keeping up with the Jones fad than a holiday tradition. To be honest, I have no clue what the whole Elf on a Shelf is about.

My guess is that those who are on the Elf on a Shelf bandwagon would be interested in the witch. They would probably be interested in a Cupid, a Leprechaun, a and a Bunny too.

 

[UnOrthodOx]

This is more so of our children monitoring the witch. Honestly, my 2 1/2 year old loves to go searching to find her and the book is written really well. I do understand where you are coming from. I just thought this would be a neat little game for the kids to look forward to.

I get the fun in searching for the witch, I do. It's the tone that concerns me.

What about since Halloween is the time monsters and ghosts are free to roam the world, the witch is casting protection spells around the house? No monsters under this bed! etc. This gives a better reason not to touch the witch, don't want to disrupt her good work.

 

[xxScorpion64xx]

How did the Elf on a Shelf become a Christmas tradition...I didn't hear about it until about 2 years ago...it sounds more like a keeping up with the Jones fad than a holiday tradition. To be honest, I have no clue what the whole Elf on a Shelf is about.

My guess is that those who are on the Elf on a Shelf bandwagon would be interested in the witch. They would probably be interested in a Cupid, a Leprechaun, a and a Bunny too.

Elf on a shelf was news to me too! Just heard about it this year

 

[printersdevil]

I would be a little concerned teaching kids to be snitches. I don't mean to be negative, just think some things are not what I would want my kids or grands doing. Cute spells and hijinxs would be a whole lot of fun.

 

[Saki.Girl]

I would be a little concerned teaching kids to be snitches. I don't mean to be negative, just think some things are not what I would want my kids or grands doing. Cute spells and hijinxs would be a whole lot of fun.

I have to agree there is to much negativity in the world I would want to have the more positive twist on it.

 

[Scary2223]

I have to agree there is to much negativity in the world I would want to have the more positive twist on it.

You know what, I was thinking the same exact thing......I knew that a lot of people would think that its a bad thing to make the witch somewhat the enemy, but I was looking at it this way.....its halloween, I like the title of Snitch on the Witch, and its not exactly the scariest witch, I mean look at her. Its not exactly the Jason mask. I mean my 2 1/2 year old first saw the picture on the computer of the witch and said "mommy, scary witch", then I said Dominick, kiss the scary witch and without hesitation he did.

I have to say though with all the feedback I have been getting I seriously think I am reconsidering rewriting the story and I thank all of you on here for the input.

 

[DaveintheGrave]

How did the Elf on a Shelf become a Christmas tradition...I didn't hear about it until about 2 years ago...it sounds more like a keeping up with the Jones fad than a holiday tradition. To be honest, I have no clue what the whole Elf on a Shelf is about.
.

I'm in the same boat. I never heard of Elf on the shelf until a few years ago.
I know it comes from a book of the same name, but that's about it. Maybe if my kids were younger I'd know more about it.
I'm totally out of the loop on this.

 

[ThakingDbb]

Great idea! People have money to spend and when it comes to kids they will. Wish you the best of luck but you should sell it to elf on a shelf with residual royalties. Or keep it, but best of luck. Id buy it

 

[RCIAG]

There have always been those shelf sitter elves. We had some back in the day but they didn't do anything, they were just vaguely creepy looking. I think the women that came up with the Elf idea had the exact same elves & mom told them the story & now they're bajillionaires.

I do love the title Snitch on the Witch. Great title. I like the idea of finding the witch too but I don't like the idea of her being a bad spell casting witch. I know we're big fans of ugly, scary, mean looking witches here, but since it's a kid thing I'd prefer a nicer witch.

If she were associated with something else Halloween related, like if you find her you can get a "treat", like one piece of Halloween candy, a small Halloween toy or something else you'd know your child would enjoy.

 

[RCIAG]

It's late & I'm bored & did some googling to see if there was an EotS Halloween equivalent out there already & found this:

Switch Witch, available on Amazon for $20
http://www.amazon.com/Switch-Witch/dp/B00N4GXFDG/ref=pd_sim_t_1?ie=UTF8&refRID=102C6K5EQRTYX5KFZTD6

Another version with the same name, Switchcrafted: The Story of the Switch Witches of Halloween, $30
http://www.amazon.com/Switchcrafted...&qid=1412743367&sr=8-1&keywords=switchcrafted

They both trade candy for other treats.

I think the first one is ridiculously cute.

The second one is more Elf on the Shelf-like

 

[TheMonsterSquad]

I agree with the points Unorthodox makes. Even if you disagree and decide to keep her as an antagonist and spell-casting witch, I would really suggest reworking the story so the spell she casts is not about the weather. Weather in late October is too unpredictable, you will have storms on Halloween and as a result you'll have kids blaming themselves for not watching the witch correctly.

 

[RCIAG]

Hate to admit it but I just bought the first Switch Witch, the cute little one in the cauldron. Now I gotta put it where I won't forget to pass it on to the cousin's kids come late September.

 

[Scary2223]

Reason why I dislike those other 2 ideas is because kids look forward to Halloween to go trick or treating, and now we want to take their candy away from them? The one thing they get SO excited about, so lets take it all away. Makes no sense to me.
Also, this world has become so politically correct that not even a witch should carry a little fear anymore. Everyone should have a smile on there face and do the right thing? Well, as our children will learn that is not the way the real world runs.
Last but not least I don't know any kid who even follows or cares to follow the weather channel. To many times its the parents point of view on something like this. Don't out think ourselves with this one, remember they are still just kids. Kids who want to here a bed time story, who want to find something that is hidden and want to go trick or treating.

 

[Mindtrap]

I think where you might find some turbulence is that fact that christmas is such a glorified holiday and people are decorating before thanksgiving. So it may be to close to their elf on the shelf holiday and might lose the attention span of our kids these days.

I love the idea, I just didn't notice anyone else say anything in regards to that