Kids usually don’t need much encouragement to get into the spirit of Christmas. But if you’re looking for a way to keep them occupied ahead of the big day, you can try these apps.
We have a couple of classic Santa trackers, a must-try for Christmas Eve, plus a few Santa-themed extras that attempt to top-up young minds’ belief in the magic of the season.
Some are completely free to use, others will charge for certain bits and bobs, which we’ll mention.
The best Santa tracker: Norad Santa Tracker
You know following Saint Nick’s whereabouts has become serious business when the military gets involved. The North American Aerospace Defense Command, or NORAD for short, has been tracking Santa since the ‘50s by fielding phone calls from the public.
These days, it also offers a website and app that kids can use to track Santa starting on Christmas Eve. According to the Department of Defense, it gets the lowdown on Saint Nick’s coordinates by using satellites that can detect Rudolph’s nose, which gives off an infrared signature similar to that of a missile, and through US and Canadian Air Force fighter jets.
You can’t get more precise than that.
The best santa app for kids: Google Santa Tracker
Google’s annual Santa tracker revs up on Xmas eve, but before then you can use it to play tons of festive multiplayer and educational mini-games, including a coding game starring an elf hunting for presents in a forest, read stories and watch seasonal videos, learn about holiday traditions around the world, and even groom an animated Santa for a selfie.
The site runs all December, so there’s still plenty of time to get involved. With dozens of activities, it’s sure to keep your tykes busy while you finish your gift wrapping.
The best Santa app for video messages: Portable North Pole
The Portable North Pole app lets you create customisable videos from Santa by uploading pictures and other details about your little festive goblins. For instance, you can get Santa to say their names or most desired presents. The app will then create a personal video that’s great fun to watch on Xmas Eve as everyone gets in the mood. However, although the app itself is free, you must pay from £4.99 for each video, or extra for “calls from Santa” – and then again to keep these videos. It all adds up.
The best Santa app for photos: Catch a Character
Catch a Character could help parents to convince younger kids that Santa really did visit them over Xmas. The app essentially lets you take a pic around your home with Father Christmas photoshopped in. You can choose from photo stickers of Santa in different poses to make him appear as if he’s standing by the tree, heading back up the chimney or just emerging from it.
While it offers a large array of stickers, including of other characters like the Tooth Fairy and Easter Bunny, the app asks for £1.59 to unlock the full 60. Alas, it may not fool savvy, older kids, but you can still get a kick out of trying.
