Leave signs of Santa's visit!
Believing in Santa is a very special time in a child's life - one that doesn't come around again. There's no bigger Christmas mystery than Santa's existence, so drop enough clues to help your children keep the faith. When your child becomes a parent, they will be sure to remember some of these ideas to use for their own children.
Leaves crumb everywhere, even on the gifts — Santa loves his cookies, after all! Santa's cookies should never be eaten neatly or completely. Explain how many cookies Santa has already eaten and how his suit is probably getting tight!
To further illustrate this point, leave a torn piece of Santa's "suit" (red felt or red fabric) near the tree or fireplace, or anywhere he could have gotten stuck.
Purchase an old white glove or pair of glasses from a thrift store and "leave them behind" as evidence.
Drop a large coat button near the fireplace, or or near the cookie plate.
Leave behind a large sleigh bell outside and easily spotted, that must have fallen from Santa's sleigh!
To further illustrate this point, leave a torn piece of Santa's "suit" (red felt or red fabric) near the tree or fireplace, or anywhere he could have gotten stuck.
Purchase an old white glove or pair of glasses from a thrift store and "leave them behind" as evidence.
Drop a large coat button near the fireplace, or or near the cookie plate.
Leave behind a large sleigh bell outside and easily spotted, that must have fallen from Santa's sleigh!
Using baking soda or flour, dust the bottoms of the biggest shoes you can find and make "footprints" from the chimney (or front door) to the tree! It looks like snow, and vacuums up easily.
If snow seems just too unreasonable, leave sand or dirt by the door outside, as if Santa tracked it there.
If snow seems just too unreasonable, leave sand or dirt by the door outside, as if Santa tracked it there.
Leave behind the letter the child wrote to Santa near the presents or fireplace. Put big checkmarks next to the items Santa left.
Convince a neighbor to ring the doorbell just as bedtime nears, leaving a new pair of wrapped pajamas and a note that says, "Put these on and get ready to go to bed. I'll visit your home when you're fast asleep." It builds excitement and then, of course, it's easier to get them into their jammies and bed!
Sneak outside after the kids are in bed (or convince the same neighbor) and shake jingle bells outside the window.
Leave a thank you note in Santa's (not yours!) own hand writing thanking the child for the cookies and milk. A slight twist, and my favorite, was to leave a note in scrawled writing and dirt on the paper from the reindeer in thanks for the carrots. Put a few carrots with the greens attached, and leave the gnawed ends on the plate for morning.
