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Choose a comfortable, sturdy chair with a festive background and enough room around it for children, family members, and those all-important Christmas photographs. A spot near the Christmas tree, stockings, or holiday decorations can make a wonderful setting.Santa especially appreciates a chair that is firm, supportive, and not too low or overly plush. Deep couches, beanbags, recliners, and those wonderfully soft chairs you can disappear into may be perfect for a Christmas nap, but they aren’t particularly Santa-friendly.After all, it’s not a very majestic look to see a jolly old man trying to roll himself out of a piece of furniture that would rather absorb him!And there’s one other spot Santa would rather not sit: right beside the fireplace. He’s already wearing velvet, fur, and several layers of North Pole clothing. Trust us, Santa brings plenty of his own warmth to the party; he's old enough to have hot flashes!A sturdy chair, a pretty Christmas background, and a little room to gather around are all you really need to create a wonderful setting for the magic.
Have phones and cameras charged, ready and within reach before Santa arrives.Check the lighting around Santa's chair too. A bright, cheerful area usually produces much better photographs than a dark corner of the room.And don't wait only for the perfectly posed photograph. Keep those cameras ready for whispered Christmas wishes, surprised expressions, hugs, laughter and the little moments nobody planned.
Of course! Santa loves four-legged family members too.
Please let Santa know beforehand if you'd like your pet included in photographs.If your furry family member will be sitting with Santa, please provide a simple blanket for his lap. It helps keep Santa's suit ready for the next family waiting for him that evening.
Santa generally doesn’t eat during appearances. White gloves, Christmas cookies, frosting, and a very white beard have a way of creating more Christmas magic than anyone bargained for!A bottle of water is always appreciated, though, especially during a busy evening of visiting families. A straw also helps keep Santa's mustache and beard well groomedAnd whether Santa is visiting a family with children or attending an adults-only Christmas celebration, water is the only beverage Santa will drink while in character. Please don’t be offended if he politely declines beer, wine, cocktails, or other alcoholic drinks.Santa works pretty hard all year maintaining his reputation, and there are certain photographs we simply don’t want floating around the North Pole... or Facebook! A drink in Santa’s hand should always be child appropriate.Besides, Santa has a sleigh to fly later. Rudolph insists on a designated driver.
A little North Pole intelligence can create some wonderful “How did Santa KNOW that?” moments!Please complete Santa's short Elf Report before your visit. Tell Santa each child's name, something they're proud of, their teacher, favorite activities, their Elf on the Shelf, or another little detail that only the real Santa could possibly know.Santa also appreciates having the name and cell number of one adult who will be his North Pole contact on the day of the visit.
Absolutely. A quick conversation before the big day gives us a chance to discuss your family, the children, gifts, surprises and any special circumstances.If there's something Santa should know to make a child more comfortable or make the visit particularly meaningful, please tell him. Those little details often create the biggest Christmas memories.
Santa is quite busy this time of the year and doesn't want to interrupt any other visits with families. Please email Santa with your details and concerns along with your contact information. Santa can call when he's not visiting with another family.
Santa's sleigh attracts considerably less attention at the North Pole than his vehicle does in your neighborhood!Please reserve a convenient parking space near the entrance but, if possible, out of sight of curious little eyes.We'd rather not have a six-year-old solve one of Christmas's greatest mysteries by watching Santa climb out of a vehicle before he reaches the front door.
Please make sure that the area does not have Santa stepping into a puddle or slipping on the ice. Santa's feet in the air over his head is a lot more funny on TV than real life!
Yes, please. Have one adult meet Santa outside shortly before his entrance.This is the perfect time to quietly pass along gifts, give Santa any last-minute information and let him know when everyone inside is ready.
If the visit hasn't already been paid for online, please have cash in an Envelope with a Christmas Card, or titled "My Gift List" Payment is generally expected before the appearance starts unless other arrangements are made. Think of this person as Santa's honorary elf for the evening.
A little planning with Santa’s helper can make those gifts look as though they came straight from the North Pole.Have your designated helper meet Santa outside and discreetly give him the gifts before he makes his grand entrance. Please keep all the gifts together in one 35-gallon garbage bag or smaller. Santa will tuck the entire bag inside his big gift sack before coming in. This lets him make one magical entrance instead of several trips back and forth to the “sleigh.”Please write each recipient’s name boldly and directly on the package. Gift tags have an unfortunate habit of disappearing at exactly the wrong moment! It’s also a good idea to use wrapping paper your children won’t recognize from the gifts already under your tree. We certainly don’t want a sharp-eyed little elf wondering why Santa uses the same roll of wrapping paper as Mom and Dad!This is also the perfect time to quietly tell Santa if gifts should be handed out in a particular order or if there’s a special surprise he should know about.Santa saves the gifts for the very end of the visit. Once presents are opened, even Santa knows he has some pretty stiff competition for the children’s attention!And that’s when we have one final bit of North Pole magic planned. Santa will pull out the same bag that carried the gifts and ask the children to help gather up all that Christmas wrapping paper. While everyone is busy being Santa’s cleanup elves, he’ll quietly slip toward the door, give one last “Merry Christmas!”, and make his way back to the sleigh.With a little preparation outside, the magic inside looks effortless.
Most families will have already taken care of payment through our online booking system, so there’s nothing more to think about when Santa arrives.If your visit was arranged another way and payment is still due, please have the cash payment ready before Santa’s appearance begins. Place it discreetly inside an envelope marked “My Christmas Wish List” and have your designated helper give it to Santa when meeting him outside.Taking care of this before Santa comes through the door keeps all of the grown-up details safely behind the scenes. Once Santa enters your home, his attention should be exactly where it belongs: on your children and your family’s Christmas magic.And besides, while Santa’s sleigh is equipped with some pretty remarkable North Pole technology, Mrs. Claus still hasn’t installed a credit card terminal. 🎅🏻
Have everyone together and ready before your helper gives Santa the signal.Then make it fun!A little excitement, music, jingling bells or an enthusiastic “Santa's here!” can turn an ordinary doorway into a Grand Entrance.After all, the children have been waiting an entire year for this fellow to show up. He deserves at least a little fanfare.
Santa has been keeping lists for a very long time, and he has a few North Pole secrets for keeping all those names straight!Before your visit, the information you provide helps Santa learn a little about each child so he can naturally mention their teacher, accomplishments, favorite activities, Elf on the Shelf, or another special detail. Those are often the moments that make little eyes grow very wide: “How did Santa KNOW that?”If Santa will be visiting more than three children, please email him a list of their names and details ahead of time. Santa may transfer those names onto his Good List Scroll and bring it along for the visit. After all, if there are quite a few children in the room, nobody thinks twice when Santa unrolls his official North Pole list and checks it twice!Please send the names to santa@newsantaclaus.com before the visit so the elves have plenty of time to prepare Santa’s scroll. Please know that Santa will generally call the children in the order that you send. If Santa is going to give the child a gift while we talk, please have the gifts stacked in the appropriate order. And don’t worry if Santa occasionally glances at his list. With millions of children around the world, even Santa is allowed a few notes. The important part is that when he looks up, he knows exactly who he came to see.
Absolutely not!A child can sit beside Santa, stand nearby, stay with Mom or Dad, or simply watch until they feel comfortable.If a young child wants to sit with Santa, an adult should place the child with him rather than having Santa reach out and pick them up.And if your child is obviously frightened or crying, Santa will not accept them onto his lap. I'm supposed to be magical, not terrifying! Christmas memories should be filled with wonder, not created by forcing a frightened little one into a situation they're desperately trying to escape.That doesn't mean we can't get wonderful Christmas pictures. Quite the opposite! Your child can stay safely in Mom or Dad's arms while we read a story, play with a toy, or simply give them some time to decide that the fellow with the big white beard might not be so bad after all.And if they decide they're perfectly happy keeping their distance?That's okay, too. Santa invented the photobomb!Get Mom, Dad, and the children together for a family picture while Santa quietly sneaks into the background. Sometimes those playful, completely unplanned photographs become the ones families love the most.Santa follows your child's comfort level. There is never any pressure. The goal isn't the perfect Santa picture. It's a happy Christmas memory.Santa follows the child's comfort level. There is never any pressure.
Invite them to join the fun, but don't put them on the spot.Older children can help Santa with the younger ones, join the family photograph, share a laugh or simply enjoy watching Christmas through somebody else's eyes.Sometimes the teenager rolling their eyes at Santa is also the first one who wants the picture afterward.There's always room for a little Christmas spirit.
Sometimes a child reaches an age when they begin asking bigger questions about Santa. And sometimes Mom and Dad decide they're ready to learn one of Christmas's most important secrets.Santa is real.But as we grow older, we begin to understand that Santa is much more than one jolly man with a white beard and a red suit.The real magic of Santa is that wonderful feeling you get when you do something kind for someone else without needing them to know you were the one who did it. It's choosing a gift, leaving a surprise, helping someone who needs it, or making another person's Christmas a little brighter simply because you can.And once a child understands that secret, something pretty wonderful happens:They get to become Santa, too.They can secretly give a gift to someone. They can help younger children continue to believe. They can sing the Christmas songs, encourage others to join in, help create surprises, show kindness to someone who's lonely, or become part of those little moments that make Christmas feel magical.Knowing the secret doesn't mean the magic has ended.It means they're old enough to help create it.So rather than taking Santa away from an older child, Mom and Dad can ask Santa to help welcome them into a very special group of people who understand what Santa Claus has really been about all along.And from that Christmas forward, they have a new responsibility:Help us Keep the Miracle Alive for someone else.
Have the children reasonably close by and ready when Santa arrives, particularly if you're hoping for group photographs.Near the end of the visit, Santa may begin wrapping things up so he can make a cheerful goodbye rather than suddenly disappearing.Another family may be watching the window and waiting for him next, so helping Santa depart on time keeps Christmas magic running smoothly all season long.
Not this Santa!Santa believes every child is good and full of potential. He doesn't threaten children with the Naughty List, even as a joke.Christmas should leave a child feeling encouraged, loved and excited about doing good things, not worried that Santa is keeping score.If there's something you'd like Santa to encourage, tell him beforehand and he'll find a positive way to approach it.
And one more thing about that old story that Santa leaves coal for children on the Naughty List...Santa doesn't give coal.Have you seen the price of coal lately? Besides, we need that stuff to keep the North Pole warm!Santa would much rather give a child a little encouragement, another chance, and a reminder that there's always time to make a better choice.Coal is expensive. Kindness is free. And Santa has an unlimited supply of that.
Gather everyone for a cheerful send-off and give Santa a clear opportunity to say goodbye.This helps make the ending feel like part of the experience rather than Santa suddenly checking his watch and heading for the door.And then keep those little noses away from the windows for a moment while Santa makes his way back to his... sleigh. 😉
Please do!Santa genuinely enjoys seeing the photographs and hearing which moments your family loved most.Your family's privacy is important, however. Santa does not place actual photographs of your children on his public website for strangers to see. Images you share may help inspire future illustrative scenes, but your children's actual photographs remain private, and helps keep Santa's heart warm on cold winter nights.
Santa would be very grateful!Kind words from families who have already experienced a visit with N.E.W. Santa Claus mean more than you might realize. Reviews and testimonials help other parents understand what makes these visits a little different and give them the confidence to create some Christmas magic with their own children.If your family enjoyed your visit, please consider sharing your experience. Leave a testimonial on Santa's website, write a review on social media or Yelp, share a favorite moment, or simply tell another family about your visit. And when you share those wonderful Christmas pictures and memories on social media, please tag N.E.W. Santa Claus! Santa loves seeing the magic from your side of the camera, and your tag also helps other families discover where all that Christmas mischief came from.A recommendation from one parent to another is something no advertisement could ever replace. If someone at work, school, church, or around the neighborhood mentions they're looking for Santa, telling them about your family's experience helps Santa continue doing something he dearly loves: creating magical Christmas memories for children.And there's something else that's just as important to Santa. If anything about your experience didn't feel quite as magical as you hoped, please tell me. Whether it's something that happened during your visit, a misunderstanding, or simply something I could have done better, I genuinely want to hear about it and learn from it to provide better experiences for every family. Please give me the opportunity to listen, understand what happened, and, whenever possible, find a way to make it right. Your family's experience and your trust in Santa matter tremendously to me.Santa certainly doesn't need another necktie, coffee mug, or pair of fuzzy Christmas socks.A kind review, a social media tag, or simply telling another family about Santa may be the nicest Christmas gift you could give the old fellow.
Please tell Santa before the visit whenever possible.Whether it's a sensory consideration, accessibility concern, family circumstance, shy child, surprise or simply something you think Santa should know, communicating ahead of time gives us the best opportunity to make the experience comfortable and magical.You can contact Santa at santa@newsantaclaus.com.
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