Santa "tricks" for kids

[Talia12]

There's probably already been a thread like this somewhere but as I've only recently discovered this Christmas forum I thought I'd start a new one.

We're big on doing santa in my family (well actually, my husband isn't haha as he's from a country where it's not part of the culture so he doesn't understand the magic of growing up with it like I do ) but me, my parents, and my sister and BIL do a lot to keep the magic alive for the kids. Does anyone have any ideas on ways to make the santa thing feel extra real and exciting?

I'm talking about little tricks like the whole icing sugar with footprints in by the tree on Christmas Eve, stuff like that.

I can't think of anything very original to contribute at the moment, although more things we do will come to me, but one thing I do on Christmas Eve is I tell the kids (son and two nephews) that I just spoke to my sons grandma in another country and she's seen santas sleigh in the sky so he must have started his worldwide journey. They go absolutely nuts for it. (I don't tell them that (a) she doesn't celebrate Christmas and (b) their time zone is actually behind ours)

Last year I also did one of those apps where you video a bit of the house and the app inserts little elves in it, scouting it out. Oh and we do elf on the shelf too!

 

[Eleanor ace]

This year I plan to change my ringtone to festive sleigh bells and leave it on the top floor (where the kids can't see it) and have DH hide and call my phone, so that the kids hear sleigh bells and think Santa is flying over .

 

[DCS]

Last year when we went out to sprinkle the reindeer food, i had a bunch of bells in my pocket, i have them a little shake and the kids went nuts.

 

[Kate&Lucas]

When Lucas was smaller I used to dress up on Christmas Eve while he was in bed, set up my phone camera on a timer and take photos of myself as Santa putting out his gifts. It was effort but I loved it
When he'd wake up in the morning I'd show him the photos to let him know he'd been and we'd go downstairs. One year he got a bit too inquisitive about how I'd taken the photos and then told me off royally for being awake while Santa was there, so I don't do it anymore

The Santa tracking app is great too. When we were kids obviously we didn't have that so my Dad would go out and see if anyone he knew had seen the sleigh yet (ie go for a drink at one of the neighbours' houses!), then come running in a bit later in a panic saying he saw the sleigh land a few streets over. My Mum would stand outside the door shaking bells. It was awesome.

 

[Talia12]

Ahh cute ideas! There's a home video of me when I was 3 on Christmas morning telling my parents I "heared santa last night" haha what a little fibber I clearly was, love the idea of pics to show the kids santas been though! Might try to do that this year, there only has to be a few flashes of a santa-ey outfit then I can tell them I had to take the pictures in secret and that's why they're not clear haha. Love the one about the dad running back in a panic haha that's so sweet.
I'm going to try the ringtone thing too, or could just have another family member hide upstairs and play sleigh bell sounds on their phone or something. To be honest anything like that helps get kids into bed really as they're worried he won't come otherwise

 

[Wobbles]

I love the phone idea I've had family shake bells at the back of the garden when they were smaller.

 

[george83]

We have an app that puts Father Christmas in the photo so we always take one of him in their bedroom after he's left their stockings. We do reindeer food and santa's magic key but that's all. Definitely going to steal some new ideas

 

[Talia12]

We have an app that puts Father Christmas in the photo so we always take one of him in their bedroom after he's left their stockings.

Ohh that sounds easier than dressing up haha... 😍 I'll look for an app like that this year, the elf video apps before Christmas are also really cool.
We also do the glass of sherry, mince pie and carrot - my mum is happy to deal with the first two but somehow it always falls to someone else to take a bite out of the carrot

 

[Phantom]

Every year I do the "Portable north pole" for the kids and santa sends a personalized video to them through it.

 

[Babybump87]

This year I plan to change my ringtone to festive sleigh bells and leave it on the top floor (where the kids can't see it) and have DH hide and call my phone, so that the kids hear sleigh bells and think Santa is flying over .

Brilliant idea !! I am so copying this thank you ! X

 

[vaniilla]

We do the portable north pole too and a letter down the chimney as a response to his gift list but that's about it. We'd do the footprint but ds would ask why it hasn't melted!

 

[c1403]

We have done the magic Elf that comes in 1st December and plays lots of tricks and also letters from/to Santa. So will stalk this for ideas.
My girls are both at the age this year when they'll really start to believe. They already think we have a birthday fairy that has been here in the lead up to their birthday.

 

[Talia12]

Just looked up the portable North Pole, very cool I'll be doing that!

 

[toosecat13]

We left the polar express sleigh bell (buy them on eBay) buy the fireplace a few years ago, my daughter still treasures it now. She's 10.

 

[Talia12]

We left the polar express sleigh bell (buy them on eBay) buy the fireplace a few years ago, my daughter still treasures it now. She's 10.

Ooh love this, thanks!

 

[_dreamer_]

I think my dad topped trumps on his efforts. One year my younger brother and sister were questioning whether santa was real, sooner than they should have been...and he went to the local fields, dug up a horse poop and brought it back in a bin liner. He climbed out onto our annex roof and put it there Xmas eve...the excitement on xmas day was unbelievable and all the kids in the neighbourhood came round to see the reindeer poo on the roof in the following days haha

 

[Talia12]

I think my dad topped trumps on his efforts. One year my younger brother and sister were questioning whether santa was real, sooner than they should have been...and he went to the local fields, dug up a horse poop and brought it back in a bin liner. He climbed out onto our annex roof and put it there Xmas eve...the excitement on xmas day was unbelievable and all the kids in the neighbourhood came round to see the reindeer poo on the roof in the following days haha

Hahaha! That is parenting!!

 

[_dreamer_]

I think my dad topped trumps on his efforts. One year my younger brother and sister were questioning whether santa was real, sooner than they should have been...and he went to the local fields, dug up a horse poop and brought it back in a bin liner. He climbed out onto our annex roof and put it there Xmas eve...the excitement on xmas day was unbelievable and all the kids in the neighbourhood came round to see the reindeer poo on the roof in the following days haha

Hahaha! That is parenting!!

Thanks he really is the is the bestest dad!

 

[Talia12]

Aw, that's so sweet! I mean my dad is great but he never picked up any sh*t for me

Edit: except mine of course!

 

[Bevziibubble]

Aww I love these. Great ideas!