If the kids are a little impatient for presents, you can track the man in red or even get a video call before he jets off.
Tonight’s the night, and it’s going to happen again. We’re not talking about Dexter, but rather Santa taking off to the skies and delivering presents, and if you have kids eager to stay up and make sure they get what’s coming to them, technology to the rescue.
Much like every year, Santa Claus tracking systems are active again, as the likes of Google and NORAD Tracks Santa switch on for the season, ready for folks to log in and use the power of satellites and mapping platforms to spy where Santa is.
How can you track Santa this evening? Well, you have a few ways.
Track Santa using Google
The maker of Android and the world’s most used search engine is the first place you can turn to for tracking Santa, with an online “Santa Tracker” page with games and more available now.
It’s filled with lots of different activities, but the actual Google Maps-powered Santa tracker won’t switch on until it starts ticking over to midnight and becomes Christmas in the world, meaning you likely have some time in between reading this and loading the Google Maps Santa Tracker.
Track Santa using NORAD
The original Santa Claus tracking system, “NORAD Tracks Santa”, is also active again for the holidays, as it is every year, and has been since the 50s.
A story that goes back to 1955 when a child tried reaching Santa and found their way to a military organisation, NORAD Tracks Santa evolved to become a fun Santa Tracker for kids to see and respond to.
These days, it relies on another mapping platform and switches on when Christmas rolls around over the International Date Line, as New Zealand’s midnight rolls over with Australia not long after.
Are you ready for #NORADTracksSanta? To get updates on Santa's location tomorrow make sure to call 1-877-Hi-NORAD or visit https://t.co/NgHFVneAui. You can even ask @amazon Alexa or push the @OnStar button! pic.twitter.com/PF0tAxxEOw
— NORAD Tracks Santa (@NoradSanta) December 23, 2021
Get Santa to video call the kids
Finally, you can always skip the tracking and just phone Santa himself, opting for either the American ho-ho-ho’er, or even the English equivalent, thanks to the Video Call Santa app.
There’s a video message for both Christmas Eve and Christmas Day in the app, allowing the call to seem even more legit, with one call able to be made on the night before and another the next day. Hopefully, you can use that Santa call to keep the kids to be good the rest of the year, as well.
