A Visit From Santa Claus
Tips to make the visit magical

Every home visit is different, but here are some things you might expect:
• A special entrance from Santa
• Meet and greet
• Photo opportunities
• “Chair time” when kids (and adults!) can sit with Santa individually
• Q and A with Santa
• Performances such as singing, storytelling, or reading The Night Before Christmas
• Handing out gifts
• A hearty goodbye and magical exit

Preparing for the Day of Your Visit from Santa Claus
• Arrival: If you live in a neighborhood, Santa will park out of view, but a short walking distance to the location. You will be contacted by a call or text 15 minutes before arrival then another when Santa has arrived. After contact from Santa, please prepare guests for a Santa entrance — whether it is a surprise entrance or announced beforehand.

• Seating Arrangements: After Santa makes his entrance, he should have a designated place to sit. The best kind of chair for Santa is a strong one, preferably with a straight back and without arms. You can dress it up with a pretty Christmas blanket if you wish, forest green or dark blue look great in photos!

• Santa’s Chair: We recommend putting it near the Christmas tree or someplace well-lit with a festive background. Avoid putting Santa near the roaring fireplace; he is already very warm. Avoid putting him in front of lots of glass because you will get flash bounce and glare in your photos. Arrange the chair so the kids can sit down in front of him.

• Background Noise: A Christmas performance is for the whole family. When the music is blaring or the crowd is loud and rowdy, some of the magic will be lost if Santa cannot be heard. While Santa is there, have everybody join in and have your revelers tone it down until Santa heads for the sleigh.

During Your Visit from Santa Claus
• Be a friendly host. Introduce Santa to both kids and adults; Christmas is for the kid in all of us!

• Assist with the details. Understand that Santa will not be able to memorize every name. If you have a tradition, like a special cookie or nicknames or customs, let your Santa know in advance, and again at the event. Maybe remind him “of that time Santa brought something special” if this would be meaningful to the audience.

• Encourage participation. Be upbeat and get everyone to join in on songs, stories, and other activities. If you show enthusiasm, others will too!

• Coordinate the kids. As cute as it might be, sometimes it is best not to put all the kids together. The younger, squirmier kiddos should stay in their parents’ laps. If a child is having a meltdown, have someone assigned to help them go somewhere where they can calm down.

• Be flexible. Remember that all performances have unique pacing and rhythm based on your guests and home atmosphere. Be flexible and allow the timing to flow naturally.

Passing Out Gifts
• Make sure Santa can find your gifts. Put your presents in a large plastic trash bag marked with a bright ribbon. Make sure it is easily accessible and able to be lifted into Santa’s bag. If there are lots of presents or they are extremely heavy, get some elf hats and have a few helpers meet Santa outside. Remember, if you cannot carry all the gifts at once, it might be hard to have Santa carry all of them at the same time, too.

• Do not count on labels. Write the name clearly in large print with a marker directly onto the wrapping paper. Labels usually fall off in Santa’s bag. If this is a group gathering, make certain you can distinguish between people with the same name. If the names might be challenging, have someone help Santa with pronunciations.

• Have backup gifts. If this event includes many families, have a few small backup gifts just in case someone did not get the word. Stuffed animals and gift cards work well. You could even pass them over saying, “Oh, Santa, you dropped these.”

• Decide how to open gifts. The best way I have found is called a “Countdown and Out.” Santa hands out the presents, but everyone waits to open them until Santa is leaving. Santa starts the countdown, saying, “5, 4, 3, 2, 1… Merry Christmas!” Then the paper flies! The advantage is that Santa leaves on a high point, and no one tries to follow him out to see the reindeer. In fact, assign someone to make sure the kids do not follow him outside.

Taking Photos with Santa Claus
• Charge your batteries. Have all your cameras and smartphones ready, fully charged, connected to wi-fi, and prepared before the event begins.

• Take photos first. Try to get the photos done early in the event. You will have time to get everything you want, and folks are still fresh with the wonder of the visit. Then you can relax and just visit!

• Photos with pets. Santa is generally good with pets, but if you want photos with pets, there should be a lap blanket and plenty of advanced notice. If Santa must visit someone else that day who is allergic to pets, he might not be able to hold your pet for the photo. Instead, he will ask you to hold them and stand or sit nearby.

Santa Claus Reminders
• Santa will not tell children they are on the naughty list, even if you ask him to.
• Santa is not likely to eat or drink, beyond a few nibbles or sips. A bottle of water is always welcome. However, it might be difficult to keep a beard pristine and white gloves stain easily.