With just a few days to go until Christmas the kids are probably beside themselves with excitement about the presents Santa is going to bring. Make the most of their desire to be on the nice list and encourage them to be well-behaved with a call to or from Santa! In this article we look at a few ways you can get Father Christmas to call your kids.
Message From Santa!
You can use the Message From Santa app to record a video message for the kids.
Download the Message From Santa app here.
Open the app and you have the choice to call Santa’s voicemail, get a call from Santa, send Santa messages or even set up a video call!
As is usually the case with free apps there are lots of ads, so you’ll find yourself closing a lot of pop-ups, but there is also a paid version that adds a lot of functionality. So just wait and close any ads that appear – we promise it’s worth it!
We started by calling Santa’s voicemail. You get a message from Santa but also various options, such as the ability to add a misbehaving child onto the naughty list and find out how many sleeps until Christmas.
Get a Call is impressive although some of the best features are only available to Premium users. There’s plenty for those using the free version of the app though. Start by adding your recipient’s name (if you want to add more recipients you need the Premium version.) You can even check it’s pronounced correctly.
Next add their birthday so that Santa knows how old they are. You can also add interests – but you have to enable the premium version to enable. The Premium version is only £1.99 a year which is actually pretty good value.
Finally schedule the call. You can schedule it Immediately, in one minute or up to 30 minutes in the future. The app suggests that you have a listen first before scheduling the call for your child. But once you are ready you’ll get a call that interacts with your child.
You’ll see a count down before the call starts, and then your phone will ring.
You can also send text messages to Santa. There are a few suggestions such as am I on the naughty list, what are the names of your reindeer, how old are you and when are you coming to my house. We sent the message and then waited while Santa responded. This probably more suited to the kids who are reading and writing – but still fun. If you ask a question that isn’t in the set list it won’t give a relevant answer though.
Finally you can get a video call from Santa. There are videos to say Santa has received your letter, and to find out if the kids were naughty or nice.
We think this is a great app. There is a premium version that does mean you need to be signed up for 90 days, but as usual you can always cancel at the end of the period.
PNP – Portable North Pole
Here’s another app that will allow you to get in touch with Santa himself.
PNP – Portable North Pole, which you can download here, is another option if you want to surprise your children with a message from Santa.
The videos are personalised through the parents selecting various options from menus that describe likes, dislikes, hobbies, friend’s names, and other factors that will convince the child that Santa is talking directly to them.
The app is easy to use. To begin you can sign in with Apple (the first time we have seen this!)
You can create a free video as part of a time limited free trial. Add their name, date of birth and then details like what they do (e.g go to nursery). You can also add a photo. Once the video is ready you’ll see it in the My Videos section of the app. You can make multiple videos without having to pay anything.
The app also includes the option to call Santa, but it’s a premium feature that you would need to pay £3.99 for one call, or £11.99 for a Yearly Magic Pass and £31.99 for an Ultimate Magic Pass.
The app is free, but for the personalised video to have all the features available you’ll need to make the Premium in-app purchases which start at £1.99/$2.99. Install here.
We also have this article on how to make a Christmas video – including how to use the Elf Yourself app. And here’s our guide to where to watch the best Christmas movies for free.
Author: Karen Haslam, Editor
Macworld editor since 2008, Karen has worked on both sides of the Apple divide, clocking up a number of years at Apple's PR agency prior to joining Macworld two decades ago.
Karen's career highlights include interviewing Apple's Steve Wozniak and discussing Steve Jobs’ legacy on the BBC. Her focus is Mac, but she lives and breathes Apple.