When Christmas time rolls around, the best way to answer your kids questions regarding whether or not Santa is real is to provide proof that he is. There are a number of ways to do this, from commercial products to things you can easily make at home. Here are a few suggestions to help you create a memorable scene on Christmas morning:

  • Make reindeer prints in the snow in the backyard. You can do this by cutting stiff sponges into the shape of reindeer tracks and gluing them to a piece of wood that you can use to make tracks outside your house. If you’re really brave, you could even make some on the roof.
  • Leave snowy boot prints on the carpet around the fireplace and the Christmas tree. There are commercial Santa Boot Print Kits available that provide you with all of the pieces to do this, or you can make your own stencils and use baking powder for snow.
  • Make “sleigh tracks” in the front yard with a stick to show where Santa’s sleigh landed or took off. You could do this on the roof as well.
  • If you’re Photoshop-savvy, you could superimpose Santa into a picture taken in your home just after the Christmas presents have been placed under the tree, then show the kids the photographic evidence on Christmas morning.
  • Let Santa leave something behind, like his glasses or a glove.
  • Send your kids a personalized letter from Santa that congratulates them on their accomplishments for the year and makes them feel like Santa knows they’re special.