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Technology
Karen S Freeman

How to track Santa this Christmas on your iPhone, iPad, and Mac

Santa talking to child.

On Christmas Eve, you and your children can track Santa's journey towards your home with the help of modern technology. No more guessing when Santa might arrive! You'll be sure to have the milk and cookies for Santa, plus some carrots for his hard-working reindeer, in time for his arrival. You can start even earlier than Christmas Eve to play games, talk to Santa, and other fun features that get everyone into the Christmas spirit. Use your Mac, iPhone, iPad, or even your Apple TV to enjoy some Christmas magic with the whole family.

Google Santa Tracker

(Image credit: Google)

Use Google's Santa Tracker on the device of your choice. It's free to use and it includes a ton of fun interactive and educational games for your child to play leading up to the big day. During the entire month of December, your child can learn to code with games like "Code Boogie," learn about holiday traditions around the world, get creative with games like "Elf Maker," read interactive story books, watch videos, and more. On Christmas Eve, the Santa Tracker kicks into gear and your child can follow Santa on his journey around the world.

NORAD Tracks Santa Claus

(Image credit: NORAD)

NORAD, or North American Aerospace Defense Command, is "a United States and Canada bi-national organization which defends the homeland through aerospace warning, aerospace control, and maritime warning for North America." Despite NORAD's rather serious mission, it has a light-hearted Santa tracker that you can access via iPhone/iPad app or on your Mac using Safari or your browser of choice. Leading up to the big day, you can learn more about NORAD and about Santa on the site or app. Listen to Christmas music, read stories, play games, watch movies, and even buy NORAD Christmas merch. On Christmas Eve, you can follow along as NORAD uses its radar systems to track Santa with maximum accuracy.

Santa Claus Call - Tracker

(Image credit: Ekta Hirpara)

This iPhone app does include a Santa Tracker, but its headline feature is that you can have a phone call with Santa. You enter your child's name and choose how long you'd like the call to be. You'll get an incoming "call" from Santa Claus. You can also have a simulated text conversation with Santa. The app has other fun Christmas features, such as a photo booth that lets you and your child create personalized holiday greetings with frames, stickers, text, and borders. You can also create fun Christmas videos that you can upload straight to your social media of choice.

Santa Tracker & Wishlist Maker

(Image credit: Sunil Zalavadiya)

Unlike many Santa tracking apps, this one lets you track Santa all year round, not just on Christmas Eve. The iPhone app also includes a Christmas countdown. A major feature that sets this app apart from other trackers is the detailed gifting list. You can sort it by people or by gift items. I'm sure that your child will enjoy filling out their own gift wish list, so that you can share it with Santa. 

Santa Tracker and Status Check

(Image credit: First Class Media B.V.)

Here's an app that lets you track Santa Claus on your iPhone, iPad, or Apple TV. The app has three features. The first is a Santa Tracker, which allows you to see where Santa is in relation to your home on Christmas Eve. The second is a real time Christmas countdown, so you know exactly how long until the big day. Finally, Santa's Status Check. This lets you see what Santa's up to at any given time, such as how many letters he's received so far or what his last snack was.

Have a Merry Christmas

Childhood is fleeting; make the most of it with holiday fun like this. You have a precious few years while your children are young. These Santa trackers are fun for kids and parents alike. Perhaps they might even help keep the Christmas magic alive for just a bit longer. Knowing where Santa is on his journey builds anticipation and makes it all the more real for your child. 

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