How to have a great Santa Visit!
While all of Santa’s visits are unique, here are some tips of the trade that will make your visit with Santa one that will be treasured for a lifetime.
1. Have your porch lights on. This will help Rudolph! Santa is up on how to use a GPS, make sure your address is GPS locatable. You could put a BOW on your mailbox so that Santa can identify that it is the correct home.
2. Make sure your camera, video, phone is charged to take pictures. Practice taking pictures of the children to get them used to getting a few pictures taken and getting on their best smiles. Santa is busy and to take time to run to the store
to get batteries is not good.
3. All guests should arrive 15 minutes before the scheduled time of Santa. Nothing worse than have guest drive up with Santa. Definitely a mood buster…
4. If you plan to have Santa hand out some gifts during the visit place them inside a garbage bag near the front door but not within sight. Write the names clearly in bold permanent marker on the wrapping paper. Do not use gift tags they
tend to fall off. Do not use gift bags unless they are taped shut, because when Santa transfers the gifts to his sack they often turn upside down and everything is a mess. Even if there are older children and they have stopped believing (for what ever reason) please leave them a gift as well so the younger ones will still believe. It is awkward if someone is left out.
5. Help Santa create the MAGIC…please have your blinds drawn and all children and adults inside. Also, tell the children prior to Santa’s visit that Santa only flies with the Reindeer on Christmas Eve….
6. Have a sturdy chair without arms set up prior to his arrival. You should place the chair near a nice focal point…the tree, fireplace (but not to close), this way your pictures will be great.
7. Your attention is needed…This is a performance for the children, as we know they are easily distracted so please no TV’s on. You may play soft seasonal music. Also, everyone one else should plan on participating as well. If the adults do not want to play then they will need to have their conversations quietly elsewhere.
8. Make sure everyone gets a picture with Santa. We like to take pictures right away then we have time to talk, hand out gifts and read a story or three.
9. When the visit is over, Santa prefers to be compensated by receiving a “Christmas Card”. This is the most inconspicuous way to pay Santa, so the children are none the wiser. Please do not attempt to tape the envelope to the door or with the gifts to be delivered, as it is easy to misplace it during the visit. (Why does Santa charge? Santa’s reindeer need to eat and Santa has to have custom made clothes. Big and Tall stores do not work.)
10. Upon leaving your home/visit: Please help Santa out by not allowing children to follow him out the door. (Adults
either.) By helping like this it just adds to the joy, the mystic and the lore of Santa.
11. Although Santa is a stickler for staying on schedule earth travel does create some challenges. You can always call
the sleigh phone. Santa is almost always on time.
12. Santa loves pets! But if they can be put away so that Santa does not have to de-shed after his visit.
13. Have fun and enjoy the MAGIC. Always Believe! If you stop believin’ you stop receivin’.
While all of Santa’s visits are unique, here are some tips of the trade that will make your visit with Santa one that will be treasured for a lifetime.
1. Have your porch lights on. This will help Rudolph! Santa is up on how to use a GPS, make sure your address is GPS locatable. You could put a BOW on your mailbox so that Santa can identify that it is the correct home.
2. Make sure your camera, video, phone is charged to take pictures. Practice taking pictures of the children to get them used to getting a few pictures taken and getting on their best smiles. Santa is busy and to take time to run to the store
to get batteries is not good.
3. All guests should arrive 15 minutes before the scheduled time of Santa. Nothing worse than have guest drive up with Santa. Definitely a mood buster…
4. If you plan to have Santa hand out some gifts during the visit place them inside a garbage bag near the front door but not within sight. Write the names clearly in bold permanent marker on the wrapping paper. Do not use gift tags they
tend to fall off. Do not use gift bags unless they are taped shut, because when Santa transfers the gifts to his sack they often turn upside down and everything is a mess. Even if there are older children and they have stopped believing (for what ever reason) please leave them a gift as well so the younger ones will still believe. It is awkward if someone is left out.
5. Help Santa create the MAGIC…please have your blinds drawn and all children and adults inside. Also, tell the children prior to Santa’s visit that Santa only flies with the Reindeer on Christmas Eve….
6. Have a sturdy chair without arms set up prior to his arrival. You should place the chair near a nice focal point…the tree, fireplace (but not to close), this way your pictures will be great.
7. Your attention is needed…This is a performance for the children, as we know they are easily distracted so please no TV’s on. You may play soft seasonal music. Also, everyone one else should plan on participating as well. If the adults do not want to play then they will need to have their conversations quietly elsewhere.
8. Make sure everyone gets a picture with Santa. We like to take pictures right away then we have time to talk, hand out gifts and read a story or three.
9. When the visit is over, Santa prefers to be compensated by receiving a “Christmas Card”. This is the most inconspicuous way to pay Santa, so the children are none the wiser. Please do not attempt to tape the envelope to the door or with the gifts to be delivered, as it is easy to misplace it during the visit. (Why does Santa charge? Santa’s reindeer need to eat and Santa has to have custom made clothes. Big and Tall stores do not work.)
10. Upon leaving your home/visit: Please help Santa out by not allowing children to follow him out the door. (Adults
either.) By helping like this it just adds to the joy, the mystic and the lore of Santa.
11. Although Santa is a stickler for staying on schedule earth travel does create some challenges. You can always call
the sleigh phone. Santa is almost always on time.
12. Santa loves pets! But if they can be put away so that Santa does not have to de-shed after his visit.
13. Have fun and enjoy the MAGIC. Always Believe! If you stop believin’ you stop receivin’.