are elf on the shelf real

No, Elf on the Shelf is a made-up story that is often used to make children behave. It is a fictional character that supposedly reports to Santa Claus about the behavior of children throughout the year. The story is used to encourage children to be good and not get into trouble. However, the story is not real, and there is no such thing as a magical elf that reports children's behavior to Santa Claus.