In Advance of Santa's Visit

Things To Do In Advance Of Santa's Arrival

HAVE YOUR CAMERA READY

Be sure to have all cameras, camcorders and batteries necessary to take the photos you want. Be sure to recharge or have fresh batteries.

RESERVE A SPECIAL PARKING PLACE FOR SANTA

It should be right where he is visiting. If he parks down the street or around the corner and has to walk all the way to your home or office, he may be winded and exhausted when he gets there. Remember, he's a Senior Citizen wearing a heavy velvet suit that gets very hot. He always budgets about five minutes for parking. Any more time than that is part of your allotted time. If the visit is at your home, leave an opening at the end of your driveway. Put a temporary barrier in the space. Have some fun and put a sign out "Reserved for Santa!" or back one car down the driveway with a space in front. When Santa calls that he is there, whoever greets him outside can pull the car up in the driveway and Santa can park right behind. If your event is at a company facility, office building or hotel, try to make arrangements for Santa to park in a valet or loading area. Again, you can mark the area with a fun sign. This makes it easier for him to be fresh and ready to bring joy to your guests.

HAVE YOUR GIFTS READY

Santa does not bring any candy canes or gifts with him. He will hand out your candy and gifts and can carry in one bag of presents (40 lbs. or less) for children or guests. They should be well labeled. I suggest a large black marking pen and writing directly on the gift, as tags can easily fall off. All packages should fit into one 35-gallon trash bag. He will then transfer the gifts to his "Santa" bag. If you have more gifts, Santa will usually ask a couple of the 'big kids' (adults) to be honorary Elves and instruct them to bring in the extra gifts. You may also consider having someone assist Santa by picking the present from the bag and handing it to Santa.

HAVE A SPECIAL CHAIR FOR SANTA

Folding chairs, plastic chairs, and low chairs (the one's you sink into) are not good. Santa likes a chair that is sturdy and stable. A good, sturdy straight-back dining chair with no arms works well. If you have children that may not want to sit on Santa's lap, or if you are also having Ms. Claus visit, you may want to have a solid bench instead of a chair. Santa and/or Ms. Claus should be able to sit comfortably with the chair supporting him plus a child on each knee.

PLACE THE CHAIR IN A HOLIDAY SETTING

Maybe in front of a decorated wall or any festive type of backdrop, and your photos will have more impact. Place a wreath, a few Christmas cards or your children's drawings on the wall to make a wonderful difference. Leave a foot or two between the chair and the tree or wall. This will allow room for others to gather around and behind Santa's chair for group photos. Fireplaces do look nice but remember putting Santa too close to a real fire is not good for his comfort or health.