3 exciting ways to connect with Santa

It’s December 1st and I don’t know about you, but I’ve been hearing about Santa and Christmas for weeks already. I tried to encourage my kids to wait until December 1st, but now that we’re here, I’m sure it’s going to be Christmas non-stop. How did a holiday that’s 1-day end up taking over our lives for 6 weeks! It is what it is.

On that note, now is the time we normally start planning our annual visit with Santa. We used to see him personally with a local photographer, then a couple of years of mall Santa, but now it’s hard to know what to do.

Dr. Bonnie Henry ensured everyone that “He’ll be washing his hands a lot, and he probably won’t be eating cookies and milk in every house this year, but we’ll find ways of making it work.” meaning he’ll still be bringing gifts for children. Ireland has deemed Santa Claus an essential worker and will be able to continue with his annual duties to make sure that Christmas will carry on.

As for an in-person visit and photographs…the most recent update from the Lower Mainland malls is that Santa is unable to attend for photos due to COVID-19. It seems that even Santa will only be able to be visited online this year.

Stay calm, there are other options to help keep your children excited and make sure the Christmas is special with or without COVID.

Ways to connect with Santa in 2020!

1. Send a letter to Santa. If you haven’t done it yet, Canada Post sends personalized letters back from Santa. Just have your child write their letter or help them write one and address it to:
Santa Clause
North Pole
HOH OHO
Canada
Send your Santa letters no later than December 10, 2020 to guarantee a reply before the holidays.

2. Watch Santa on Christmas Eve and see what he’s doing now. Kids can get excited and watch the progress in the North Pole and on Christmas Eve with the Santa Tracker.

3. Have a virtual call with Santa. There are a few different services to help you connect with Santa. The prices range from $34.99 to $150 depending on how private you want your visit with Santa to be.

Ask Santa offers a digital AI experience where kids can ask Santa any question they want – and he will answer. Users visit Santa at his Grotto in the North Pole (where he has just completed renovations on his red sled) and have a real-time, natural conversation.
Free, but donations to the American Heart Association are appreciated.

Talk to Santa offers live calls, personalized videos, and personalized letters. Santa Claus or Mrs. Claus will have a live call with you or record a custom video for your children, family, friends, relatives, co-workers, and more. Add 5 other homes into the call, additional charges apply
$39.99-$54.95USD.

Virtual Santa Canada is Canada’s original virtual Santa experience. All sessions are monitored by our helper elves and coordinated through Zoom conferencing software to ensure a seamless experience. In the regular call, one ticket is valid for one family, and families will be sharing the session with up to ten other ticket holders.
Dec 3-6 and Dec 10-13
$34.99 – $149.99

Jingle Ring  provides a fun, customized experience for your family. Choose your preference for ethnicity, language (including ASL) and faith so up to five kids can have a special experience with Mr. and Mrs. Claus at home. The price includes a video recording and a photo from the call.
$24.99 USD

Parents who have created Messenger Kids accounts for their kids can activate the Santa experience here and through the Parent Dashboard by visiting “Controls” and tapping “Santa Experience.” If you haven’t set up Messenger Kids for your child yet, you will be prompted to do so.

This year is more important than any other to make sure Christmas is special and show your children there is some normalcy, beyond mask-wearing, in our daily lives. Santa is here to stay and there are ways to make sure that your children know it.