amyers12345 Posted November 10, 2007 Posted November 10, 2007 I always like to do something different for the kids on Christmas morning, to help put the Santa Magic in it. We are so busy that day, that they barely have time to open their presents and get dressed to leave. Then, they forget a lot of what they have gotten. But, when Santa does something cool, they will talk about it all day. Last year, I made Rudolph stockings. I bought huge stockings at the dollar tree and stuffed them to the top. A lot of it was things I had gotten at the Target $ spot for 75% off. I also got giant pens, pencils/sharpeners, and everything super-sized I could find. Then I wrote them a letter saying that they had gotten the Rudolph award for being so good that year, and were some of the few kids selected for a special stocking (so their friends wouldn't blow my cover). It also said to fold them up and leave them out, so he could pick them up to take to another child next year (in case I didn't get as many deals this year). I need more ideas on something to do... We got DS a wii, but we may turn that into a family gift and get him something else. What are some of Santa's wacky traditions?
shar6576 Posted November 10, 2007 Posted November 10, 2007 last year we put baby powder outside the door,and when santa came in he left a trail all the way to the tree,the kids talked about it all day,that would be cute in front of a fire place.
jbrawn26 Posted November 10, 2007 Posted November 10, 2007 this is kinda gross lol but one year after my dad had shot a deer he kept the feet and he went and made deer tracks in the snow on christmas eve after we had gone to bed to prove santa and the reindeer were there.
pappadp Posted November 10, 2007 Posted November 10, 2007 eewww! but that is pretty cool:) I usually put the usual glass of milk that is half empty now and the half eaten cookies, but I also put some ashes from the fireplace on the hearth and part of the floor with tracks in it (we have laminate flooring so I don't recommend it if you have carpet...:)) I also do the send the Santa a letter deal and use one of the "Santa sends a letter back" companies so she can be unique since her friends are at the doubting stage (9-10). LOVE the big stocking though! We might be getting her a Wii also, but may make it a family item too.
EmConMom Posted November 10, 2007 Posted November 10, 2007 Since we don't have a fireplace, we make a 'magic fireplace' (see avatar) here is the link to the directions. http://www.enchantedlearning.com/crafts/christmas/fireplace/ I put Dhs workboots on, press the bottoms in flour and make footsteps to the tree. (Santas footprints are always white b/c of his magic snow from the North Pole.) We do the cookies, milk, carrots and reindeer food. I also write each child a letter from Santa that says alot of personal things, things they asked for, etc. It lays on top of their "WOW" gift. We always read our letters before opening the presents. We have the children make thank you cards that they leave out for santa, thanking him for the gifts. The card is mentioned in his letter. Oh yeah, the one that gets them every year. We set up the digital camera, and 'try to get a pic of him', Dh then waves something red in front of the camera and setting we have it on just makes a blur of red and you can see the 'magic fireplace in the background. But that blur is Santa b/c he moves so quickly.
ilgetumipretty Posted November 11, 2007 Posted November 11, 2007 One year my daughter left a note with the camera for Santa with the cookies & milk asking him to take a picture of himself. You can imagine her reaction when the pictures came back and when he had taken the pictures of himself he "accidently" cut off his face - leaving only the hat visible (of course with the tree in the background). He also mistakenly snapped a picture of his boots as he was leaving the presents under the tree!
bluebear Posted November 11, 2007 Posted November 11, 2007 One year the kids got a big game table, and we weren't sure if it would fit in the "Christmas room" with the rest of the stuff. And, if we really wanted to move it downstairs later. We were considering putting it where it would eventually go, and leaving a trail of those little wrapped candy canes. DH ended not going for that, wanted it under the tree. Okay with me, he had to move it. I think it would have been cute, though, to see who thought to follow the trail first!
Gray04 Posted November 11, 2007 Posted November 11, 2007 You guys are so creative! Our kids are now 13 and 15 so our Santa kicks are a little different. Last year Santa gave the boys a $50.00 bill in one of those puzzle boxes , they had to figure out the maze to get their cash. The year before Santa pappered off the living room so they could not sneak out and see their gifts. So many years we have missed the initial wow look This year our oldest is getting a new digital camera. So we went to the Disney store and found a view finder type of camera and will put that out "from" Santa. But then in a Chinese takeout container we will put the first clue to a scanvenger hunt. Then they will have the hunt to prolong a Christmas where there are few gifts to the $$$ of the gifts. Love the cute ideas for the younger crowd!
abentley Posted November 11, 2007 Posted November 11, 2007 My dh sneeks out of our bedroom window and ring sleigh bells up to our kids window. We make all of our kids camp out in one room that night. My DD is 19 and loves to come home and spend the night with her little bros. Anyway, he will yell"ho ho ho" and bang the sleigh bells until I can here a little movement in there, and he will hurry back into our window, and bed.
PerkynPunctual Posted November 12, 2007 Posted November 12, 2007 Santa tracks glitter everywhere at our house. One year, he had to make a *pit stop*. The kids love chasing the trail to see where all Santa checks out. And they never question why everything has to be clean and tidy prior to the big night, because you never know where Santa may poke his head into!!!
momofahn Posted November 12, 2007 Posted November 12, 2007 Each of my children has a small tree in their room. Santa leaves one or two gifts under their trees.
Kat07 Posted November 12, 2007 Posted November 12, 2007 These aren't exactly for Christmas morning~ *I got a "special" silver key on a red ribbon that we hang on the back door so Santa can get in when the door is locked. A question I would get all the time since we lack a chimney. *I find a website where you can customize a letter from Santa and print it out and mail it to your child. DD is so thrilled at getting that. *The kids(DS12 and DD5) sleep in our room Christmas Eve.....so no sneaking downstairs. I love getting the 1st look in a picture...I do feel a bit bad though because I always snuck downstairs as a child and loved the magic of that.
doublehsmom Posted November 12, 2007 Posted November 12, 2007 this is kinda gross lol but one year after my dad had shot a deer he kept the feet and he went and made deer tracks in the snow on christmas eve after we had gone to bed to prove santa and the reindeer were there.My dad did the same thing for us and we do the same thing for our kids..if we have snow...lol..
jarerice Posted November 12, 2007 Posted November 12, 2007 We do milk and cookies. And we ask if they heard Santa last night? Thats about it for us.
Guest mldepalma Posted November 12, 2007 Posted November 12, 2007 We sprinkle reindeer food (mixture of oats, raisins, M&M's and glitter) and baby carrots outside on our snow-covered lawn. (We have lots of deer and other animals that live in the area.) In the morning, the kids will always go out to see if the "reindeer" ate the food and it is ALWAYS gone by morning with plenty of tracks to see too. (I'm not sure if they're all deer tracks, in fact I assume they aren't, but since the kids don't know one animal footprint from another, it doesn't really matter.)
jbritneybug Posted November 12, 2007 Posted November 12, 2007 This is something my boyfriend's parents did when he was a kid. It worked too ;-) His parents had a neighbor sneak up behind the house on christmas eve and ring bells (to sound like the reindeer/sleigh). That way he knew it wasn't his parents doing it because they were right there. Also it got him into bed Quick!
BF in Iowa Posted November 12, 2007 Posted November 12, 2007 All this bell ringing - we are fortunate: on our local TV news at 6 pm and 10 pm, the weather forecaster shows the world and local radar. There is always a visible path of the progress of Santa's sleigh and reindeer. That always got our younger girls off to bed (and pretending to be asleep) quickly!
jeninpa Posted November 13, 2007 Posted November 13, 2007 All this bell ringing - we are fortunate: on our local TV news at 6 pm and 10 pm, the weather forecaster shows the world and local radar. There is always a visible path of the progress of Santa's sleigh and reindeer. That always got our younger girls off to bed (and pretending to be asleep) quickly!We have this too,lol. I don't do anything extra except the cookies and milk. It's bad enough just having the nightmares for a week before Christmas that I forgot to put the gifts out and the kids came down in the morning,lol. I actually spend a good 2 hrs or more putting gifts out , arranging them and putting the bows on,lol. I also dread forgetting a box full of gifts since I hide them everywhere,lmao. I know, I'm very paranoid,lol.
mudechevy Posted November 13, 2007 Posted November 13, 2007 We track Santa every year at http://www.norad.com/ They know when he's getting close it's time for bed. We've done it for years. The youngest is 12 and they all still want to go to that site. Especially 14 yr old DD. We also have to put our jammies on early (around 7pm) and drive around looking at all of the Christmas lights on Christmas Eve. This started when they were really little to get them to calm down and try to be tired. Now we go visit 1 house about 30 minutes away that is so decorated that they are required to have traffic patrols out to keep people moving.
princez916 Posted November 13, 2007 Posted November 13, 2007 I also dread forgetting a box full of gifts since I hide them everywhere,lmao. I know, I'm very paranoid,lol.I'm with you here, I have stuff hidden all over the place and am worried that I will forget something.
pogiporkchop Posted November 13, 2007 Posted November 13, 2007 I'm always the one staying up until 4am finishing wrapping and making everything look nice but it's worth it. If the kids see a wrapped present ahead of time I tell them that Santa asked me if he could store some gifts with us since he has so many to deliver I think this year we'll try the cookies and milk and reindeer food thing.
jax81772 Posted November 13, 2007 Posted November 13, 2007 Two years ago.... the week before Christmas...we had all 4 kids sent to grandmas.... and we changed their rooms around and did make overs on all of them. On Christmas Eve after we got home from the family party... everyone went to the master bedroom with out going to their end of the house.... they woke up Christmas morning.. and there were unwrapped tv boxes.... with clothes in them. We told the kids before they could open the rest of the presents they had to put up there new clothes... it was priceless.... they all went to the wrong rooms.... and my dd 13 went to her "own" room... she had been sharing with her little sister forever... it was classic... she cried and cried... so...we do domething funky with the presents every year....
RaineeDay1 Posted November 14, 2007 Posted November 14, 2007 My family has always had a party Christmas eve. We have a Santa suit and one of the men dresses up and walks down the road to bring gifts for all the kids. He walks down the road because The reindeer are busy eating Carrots at so and so house. ALL the kids get a small dollar gift and Santa tells them to all go home and get right to sleep so he can stop at thier house in a while. Everyone goes home and goes to bed. my kids are too big now but I will make sure that I go to my sisters house and ring my bells late at night so her girls can "hear" santa
Jorsgirl Posted November 14, 2007 Posted November 14, 2007 We go to my in-laws on Christmas Eve. When we are heading out to go I always "forget something" and sneak into the boys room and leave a gift and a note from Mrs. Clause. The note telling them that she left this gift to help them get to sleep before Santa gets here. I will usually get stuffed animals or new blankets or pillows, things like that. Now they are ready to head home as soon as I say its time and rush right into their room when we get home. It sure makes it easier to get them into bed. Also, the in-laws always give them new pajamas and we have them put them on and model them for us while we are still at their house, that way they are already in their pajamas when we get home.
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