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A couple of weeks into December and we've already exhausted all of our ideas as to what Elf on the Shelf could possibly get up to around the house.

The Christmas tradition which has taken Britain by storm in recent years sees an elf keep an eye on the little ones in the lead up to Christmas and reports back to Santa on whether children have been naughty or nice.

After long days compiling a report, the Elf then flies back to the North Pole each night to keep Father Christmas up to date, before returning to the home and hiding in a different location each morning to ensure it's got the whole house covered, as reported by the Birmingham Mail .

The naughty elf often finds itself in trouble as it is caught in cheeky situations, keeping the kids on their best behaviour for the whole of advent.

(Image: Getty)

Some parents also use Santa's little helper for their own entertainment, such as being pictured getting on the booze or in a very compromising position with Barbie , while their children are asleep.

All the moving around the house can quickly turn the festive fun into a hair-pulling task for parents to come up with new ways to bring the elf to life each night.

But a brilliant new idea will have mums and dads everywhere breathing a sigh of relief - and all you need is a television and Youtube.

(Image: polly hudson)

If you have a smart TV, all you need to do is go to the Youtube app and search 'Elf stuck in TV'.

The elf then appears on the screen with the message 'I hit the wrong button on the remote... how do I get out of here?'

The image appears as an hour-long video meaning you can set it up before your children wake up and it will delight them when they come down for breakfast.

If you don't have the app on your TV, you can also play the video on your phone and cast it to the screen as long as they are on the same Wi-Fi network. Or simply trap the elf in your phone instead.

The videos have already racked up hundreds of thousands of views as parents use the trick to take the Elf on the Shelf game to the next level.

You're welcome.