For almost 70 years, NORAD has tracked Santa’s journey across the world every Christmas Eve. Even my starry-eyed kids want to know when Santa will fly over our house.
Now, thanks to a new collaboration between OpenAI and NORAD, ChatGPT comes with three holiday tools designed to make the season a little more magical: Elf Enrollment, Santa’s Toy Lab and Christmas Story Creator. Here's how to try them.
Elf Enrollment turns your selfies into Santa's helpers
The first tool I tried was Elf Enrollment, which transforms a regular photo into a festive elf portrait. After trying it myself and seeing the result, I realized my kids would make much cuter elves.
You can think of it as a holiday card meets character generator. You can try this by uploading a selfie and allowing ChatGPT to magically AI-power you to look like Santa's helper.
My kids loved it and if your expectations are low, you will, too. Let's just say, adults don't look as adorable as Santa's elves as kids. But, this is prime holiday social post material, or at the very least, a fun way to embarrass your spouse.
Pro tip: Try it with your pet. A tabby cat in Elf attire is pretty cute.
Santa’s Toy Lab turns wild kid ideas into printable coloring pages
Next up: Santa’s Toy Lab. This tool lets kids (or adults, seriously, no judgment here) describe a dream toy, and ChatGPT turns it into a coloring-book-style image.
For parents trying to keep kids busy during winter break, this could be just the thing (with adult oversight, of course). It’s creative and hands-on way to explore the holidays through the imagination of a child. The worst part is getting a printer involved. Just don't be surprised if your fridge is covered in these drawings by New Year’s.
Christmas Story Creator for personalized holiday storytime
The last tool, Christmas Story Creator, is pure cozy fun. Think Mad Libs but with sentimental holiday energy that is kid-friendly. Just plug in your family members, your hometown and maybe a mischievous elf or two, and ChatGPT generates a personalized holiday story.
Ours featured my kids flying to the North Pole in a glitter-powered sleigh, saving Santa from a tinsel-related mishap, and returning home just in time for hot chocolate. The kids made me read it out loud three times and demanded a sequel, which the tool happily wrote.
This one is sure to be a hit, especially if your kids are already reading.
The takeaway
Elf Enrollment, Santa’s Toy Lab and Christmas Story Creator are all available directly through ChatGPT’s holiday portal or by visiting NORAD’s official site.Everything runs inside ChatGPT, so there’s nothing to download or install.
The OpenAI × NORAD collab is a fun way to keep the kids busy during the moments they aren't actively tracking Santa. This simple and sweet way to bring a little extra magic into the holidays is worth a try this season.
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