So your kid really, really wishes he could see Santa Claus. That’s as simple as magic!
Parents can bring Santa to life this Christmas through phone calls, video messages, letters and care packages. These suggestions will appeal to both little ones who are just beginning to experience the wonder of Santa and skeptical kiddos who secretly still want to believe.
How to call Santa’s Workshop
Call Santa at home in the North Pole. Santa’s personal phone number is 605-313-0691, brought to you by Free Conference Call, a conferencing service that also takes messages for the man in red.
Kids will hear the following outgoing message and a prompt to verbalize their Christmas wish lists:
“Merry Christmas! This is Santa Claus and you have reached my personal hotline. We have been very busy making all of those toys to deliver on Christmas morning and I want you to know that your family loves you very much — and so do I. So, be good and don’t forget to always listen to your parents.”
Want Santa to call your child instead?
Plug your phone number into the website of ChristmasDialer.com to receive an instantaneous call from Santa or one of his elves. The service allows one free call, while making a “Premium Call” starts at six cents.
Write Santa a letter (or help out the elves)
When your child mails his Christmas list to the “North Pole,” Santa might respond.
Kids can mail their Christmas lists to Santa’s home at 123 Elf Road, North Pole, 88888 through USPS Operation Santa, a yearly initiative of the United States Postal Service. The agency uploads “Dear Santa” letters to its website (with children’s personal information removed) and gift givers select a letter containing a wish to fulfill.
This year, Santa’s mailroom opened in September and people can register to give on Nov. 4. The agency says Christmas letters should be postmarked by Dec. 9; the last day to “adopt” letters is Dec. 16.
The USPS says it cannot guarantee that every letter writer will receive a gift, adding, “The program depends on the generosity of others and the magic of the season!”
Receive a video message from Santa
Parents can schedule a video message from Santa to their child through the app Portable North Pole.
Sign up for a free trial to receive a “cinematic quality” video message from Santa, who will mention the child’s name, age and identifying traits along with displaying their photo. Or, pay for PNP’s premium services for a video or a photo with bonus perks. To keep the magic alive, PNP offers a five-year “Magic Pass” for unlimited access to many features via subscription or a one-time purchase. Some videos have interactive features such as going on a treasure hunt, taking a miniature train ride and touring Santa’s Great Library.
“Our focus is on creating those special moments through videos and recorded messages, which can be shared and replayed for lasting memories,” a company spokesperson tells TODAY.com.
Follow Santa’s journey around the world
On Christmas Eve, children can track Santa’s worldwide journey to deliver gifts through “NORAD Tracks Santa,” a website from the North American Aerospace Defense Command. The service uses “satellite systems, high-powered radar and jet fighters” to follow Santa as he delivers toys to children everywhere.
Kids can also learn Santa’s whereabouts by calling the NORAD call center at 1-877-Hi-NORAD (1-877-446-6823) and speaking to live people.
The organization has been tracking Santa since 1955, when a child called the Continental Air Defense Command Operations Center in Colorado, believing they would reach the North Pole.
“Air Force Colonel Harry Shoup, the commander on duty that night, was quick to realize a mistake had been made, and assured the youngster that CONAD would guarantee Santa a safe journey from the North Pole,” according to NORAD.
A spokesperson from NORAD tells TODAY.com:
“One fun fact about our Santa tracking methods is that we employ satellites far above the Earth that are equipped with infrared sensors. These sensors allow us to see the heat generated from Rudolph’s nose, and this unique heat signature helps us keep tabs on the location of Santa’s sleigh on December 24th across the entire globe!”
Kids who can’t wait for Christmas Eve can log onto the website starting Dec. 1 to play holiday-themed games and watch fun videos.
Show ‘evidence’ that Santa came by
You could eat the cookies your kid left out for Santa (why not, right?) but there’s harder evidence.
Apps like “Capture the Magic” add a jovial Santa character to your videos. Submit a video of your Christmas tree and choose a St. Nick character to “catch” in the act. To make it more believable, parents can appear in a video with Santa — and it looks pretty realistic!
