These Virtual Santa Visits Let Your Kids Visit the North Pole from Home

From The Pioneer Woman

Although some of your favorite Christmas traditions might change this year in order to keep your family safe and healthy, there are still plenty of annual activities that you can still do: Decorating the Christmas tree, watching holiday movie marathons, and baking up batches of delicious cookies are just a few of them.

But what about your kids’ annual visit to Santa to tell him about how good they’ve been this year? You might have to postpone your mall trip or visit to Santa’s village in light of the pandemic. Here’s some good news: Their visit with Father Christmas can still go on! With the help of a little bit of Christmas magic (aka technology), you can bring Old St. Nick right to your home for a personal chat with your little ones. Don’t forget to mentally take note of the Christmas toys they tell him about!

So how can you get Mr. Claus (as well as Mrs. Claus and the elves, in some cases!) to pay a visit to your home? Ahead you’ll find five online services that allow your kids to video chat with Santa. Some of them are even free of charge! So go on and spread a little holiday joy this season with these virtual Santa visits.

1. JingleRing: If you thought video calling Santa was going to be reminiscent of your Zoom work conferences, then JingleRing will make you think again. They created their very own platform to make it look like you’re connecting to Mr. and Mrs. Claus on “North Pole TV.” Before your visit, you’ll fill out a form that tells Santa a little more about your kids so he can make the experience tailored to them. Their Santas also speak multiple languages including ASL, so everyone can join in on the fun. Plus, you can add on a special storytime package with either Santa or Mrs. Claus. And if your kids were extra good on Christmas, you might want to try the “gratitude visit” for a special post-December 25 treat.

2. AirBnb Virtual Santa Visits: The vacation rental platform has upgraded its virtual offerings during the pandemic—including adding video Santa Claus visits! Airbnb has several different Christmas offerings available. You can chat directly with Santa, hang out with “Mama Claus” as she reads stories and sings carols, or meet with Santa and a children’s book author that’ll be a festive experience for any little bookworms.

3. Kringle Mingle: Choose from a range of festive options with this video and voice call Santa service. You can order a pre-record personalized message or schedule an in-person video call with the big man himself. Kringle Mingle also offers an “Official Nice List” certificate you can print out for your kids.

4. Sam’s Club Virtual Santa Visits: If you’re a Sam’s Club member with a photo account, you can book a video call with Santa completely free of charge. Your kids will get to speak with Santa one-on-one for five minutes, and you’ll receive a keepsake photo and video after your call. You’ll also send information about your kids in advance, so it’ll be a super-personalized experience.

5. Macy’s Santaland at Home: Although the New York City-based department store isn’t doing in-person meet and greets with Santa this year, they found a way to bring the magic online. In addition to a free pre-recorded interactive video with Santa Claus himself, Macy’s has set up a completely immersive online experience that begins on November 27. Your kids can meet Santa’s elves, play Christmas games, and even take a selfie with St. Nick.