There is a lot of work that goes into preparing for Christmas Day: buying gifts, spending time with family, decorating, and baking. Take some time to slow down, enjoy the holiday, and track Santa’s travels using your smartphone. Apps for tracking Santa provide a fun way to help build anticipation for Christmas morning, helping you get your kids to bed faster the night before.
Where’s Santa? (iOS, free)
If your kids’ anticipation levels are reaching fever pitch, they may need something to keep them occupied while they wait for Santa on Christmas Eve. Not only does Where’s Santa offer a map-based tracker, there’s also a full menu of games. With a Santa calendar, puzzles, and facts about Santa’s reindeer, this app can help pass the time until visions of sugar plums lull your kids to sleep.
Google Santa Tracker (Android, free)
What do you get when you combine the functionality of Google Maps with a dash of Christmas cheer? The Google Santa Tracker. Beyond simply showing Santa’s exact location, this app allows kids to zoom in and check out what Santa is up to, whether he is feeding his reindeer or heading to the North Pole for supplies. Your kids will know exactly when Santa is set to appear in your home, and they can watch as he makes his way around the world, providing a fun geography lesson while building excitement.
NORAD Tracks Santa (iOS, Android, free)
The Northern American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) began tracking Santa via radio and over the phone in the 1950s as children listened intently. Today, NORAD’s app will pinpoint Santa’s location, provide location flags on a map to monitor his progress, and show where the Jolly Elf was last spotted. The app also lets your kids explore a 3-D model of the North Pole and play a few games. No smartphone? No problem. NORAD still offers its phone-based Santa status service if kids call 877-HI-NORAD.
Apps for tracking Santa may reassure your kids that Santa’s on his way, but they can also usher in a new modern tradition for your family.
What apps do you use during the holidays?
Photo courtesy of stock.xchng
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