Christmas is fast approaching and it’s high time that you and your kids got in touch with the big man in red. While you probably remember the handwritten letters you sent off to the North Pole as a child or posing with Santa at your local shopping centre, today’s technology has given children a number of different ways to communicate with and check up on Santa.

Here are our top 4 recommendations for getting in touch with Santa this Christmas. Don’t forget to supervise your kids when using the below tech so you can ensure responsible usage and avoid any unexpected in-app purchases!

Portable North Pole

You can access Portable North Pole, or PNP, via their website or mobile app (available on the App store and Google Play). The platform sends personalised video messages and calls from Santa to your chosen loved ones around the world based on the information you provide. For those using the mobile app, make use of the ‘Reaction Recorder’, which will let you capture your child’s face as they watch their very own video from Santa. PNP also allows you to give back this Christmas through the Portable North Pole Children’s Hospital Program. While the app itself is free, a portion of the sale when you purchase a personalised call or video message will be donated to a participating children’s hospital near you.

Message from Santa

Try ‘calling’ Santa or contact him via his automated voicemail through the app Message from Santa, available on the App store, Google Play and the Amazon Appstore for Android (all calls and text messages within the app are simulated). You can send through wish lists and even use it to report a naughty child’s antics. You may be surprised with the effect a call from Santa has on a misbehaving child! The app gives you unlimited personalised calls from Santa which are completely free of charge without using any cellular or data traffic. For an instant reply from Santa, try shooting him a text message in the app.

Google Santa Tracker

From 24 December this year, you can follow Santa’s progress across the globe with the Google Santa Tracker. The program can be used through a web browser or, if you’re an Android user, through the Google Santa Tracker app. The tracker is a great way to get the kids invested in Christmas with a little bit of geography education on the side. Up until Christmas Eve, enjoy the many interactive games Google has designed to both educate and entertain your children.

emailSanta.com

If you want your kids to practice their reading and writing skills while getting in touch with Santa, you should take a look at emailSanta.com. Your kids can draft out a letter to Santa online and receive an almost instant response onscreen with no need to disclose an address, email or phone number. You can opt for either a letter or video response from Santa — plus it’s completely free, so the kids can write up as many letters as they’d like!