With the Christmas season fast approaching many of you will undoubtedly be planning a Santa visit.
Whether it’s your office Christmas do, a children’s party, or even a Christmas wedding, having Santa attend your event in person is a fabulous experience for adults and children alike – assuming of course that you’re not on the naughty list!
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When he’s in residence at the North Pole, Santa is pretty clued up on making lists, checking them twice and generally keeping abreast of things. However, when he’s out visiting, it’s a completely different story; he really does need an efficient assistant to keep him on track!
So, if you are planning a visit from the man in red, keep reading; this blog post is all about preparing for Santa’s visit to ensure everything runs smoothly.
Booking Santa for a corporate / office party visit
Well before Santa arrives, there are several things you will need to plan, organise, or set up.
Before booking.
Before you book a Santa visit, make sure you check the website for photos, videos and reviews. You should also check that Santa is able to fulfil any specific requirements you may have.
Photographs
Individuals and teams will want to have their photo taken with Santa, so it’s a good idea to set up an area for taking pictures. Try to avoid anywhere with large mirrors or polished glass as this could reflect during flash photography. A plain wall with a ‘Merry Christmas’ banner or other festive decoration is ideal.
Make sure there is a suitable chair available for Santa to sit comfortably during the photo session and remember to leave sufficient room behind his seat for group photos.
If the area you’ve chosen is not near the venue’s facilities, you may also wish to provide a small mirror for guests to check they’re camera ready. In fact, if you’re providing photo props, a mirror is essential. On that note, how about elf hats, naughty / nice placards, reindeer antlers and silly glasses?
Finally, don’t forget a small table for guests to place drinks or nibbles on while they’re having their picture taken.
Travel and arrival
Ensure Santa has the correct postcode for your venue, and warn him about any potential problems, such as roadworks or one-way systems. You should also provide Santa with your mobile number just in case he needs to contact you; he doesn’t always cope well with a satnav as he’s so used to Rudolph leading the way!
Ideally, you should reserve a parking space for Santa, close to your venue’s entrance, and assign someone to meet and escort him into the venue. If the weather is wet, a large umbrella is required – a saturated Santa won’t look good in your photos!
Gifts
If you want Santa to hand out gifts, make sure they are clearly marked with the recipient’s name; plain white sticky labels are better than tags as they are less easily detached.
Assistant
Depending on what activities Santa will be hosting at your party, you may need to assign someone to be his assistant.
Children
It’s common practice for some companies to invite employees’ children to a corporate event where Santa is present. If this applies to your party, it’s essential that you let Santa know beforehand, especially if he needs to hand out gifts. In this instance, an assistant will definitely be needed to help organise the children and introduce them to Santa by name.
With children present, you’ll also want to ensure Santa has a basic DBS check in place. If you book through an agency this is unlikely to be a problem as they will insist that everyone on their books has an up-to-date background check and appropriate insurance. If you’re not booking through an agency, you’ll need to ask the person you book with directly.
Booking Santa for a Home Visit
Whether you’re five or fifty-five, everyone gets excited by a visit to Santa. But what if you could bring the North Pole to your living room? That’s where booking Santa for a home visit comes in.
Having Santa come to visit is a great way to get everyone in the festive spirit. And seeing the joy on the kids’ faces as they sit on Santa’s lap and tell him what they want for Christmas is priceless.
So, if you’re thinking of hosting a Santa visit at home, here are a few tips to make sure it goes off without a hitch:
Before the day
Purchase, wrap and label suitable gifts for Santa to hand to each child; as with adults, white sticky labels are ideal as they have greater sticking power – tags may fall off in Santa’s sack. Have a couple of spare gifts in case of unexpected guests – parents sometimes assume a child’s sibling will be welcome too!
Santa’s arrival
Santa’s arrival will need to be carefully managed to avoid the children seeing him. When he’s expected, keep them away from windows by distracting them with a party game, and if it’s dark, close the curtains.
Get Santa to text you as soon as he arrives so a designated adult can meet him outside and take him to your garage, a neighbour’s house, or even your shed, to fill his sack with gifts. Santa can then arrive at your front door ready to greet everyone.
Heating
Turn the heating down; a small living room can quickly get very warm when it’s filled with people; Santa is used to much cooler temperatures at the North Pole, and he can’t remove his suit!
Refreshments
Although Santa doesn’t usually eat or drink anything at parties, it’s a good idea to provide a bottle of water just in case he gets a tickly throat.
Pets
Pets, especially dogs, may become disconcerted by Santa’s presence, and Santa may have allergies, so it’s best to put animals in another room for the duration of the visit.
Santa’s assistant/s
If you have a large group of children, you’ll need to assign an adult to act as Santa’s assistant. Your helper can wipe sticky hands, introduce children to Santa by name, get them ready for photos and help to quell any nerves.
You may also want another adult on hand to deal with any upset or nervous children – little ones can sometimes become scared.
Timekeeping
Santa may have other visits to make, so help him stay on track by ensuring the children are ready in one place waiting to see him, and by giving Santa a code word or signal if a child is chatting with him for too long.
Storytime
Small children can be frightened of the dark, and if you’ve set up Santa’s grotto in a small space with low lighting they may panic. An alternative way to host Santa’s visit is to have him read a story or poem to the children before he hands out gifts. Place some beanbags and cushions on the floor, provide gingerbread cookies and drinks and watch as the little ones hang on Santa’s every word!
You will need to check that Santa can accommodate this request well before the party. And don’t forget to tell him which story you’d like as it may need to be shortened to fit in with his visit.
Departure
As with Santa’s arrival, you want to avoid the children seeing him leave in case they spot his car, so now is probably a good time for them to open their gifts from Santa! Otherwise, distract them with another game. If things do go pear shaped, you can always explain that Santa’s sleigh is being serviced ready for Christmas Eve!
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That’s it! We hope this post has helped you plan your Santa Claus visit, and that everything runs as smoothly as Santa’s sleigh on an icy road!
PartyWizz helps you book the best kid’s entertainers and party services in UK and Ireland. From magicians and face painters to party packages and photographers, you’ll find those in your area on our easy-to-use platform. Whether you’re planning a birthday party, christening, communion or a corporate family day, go to PartyWizz to find the perfect service providers hassle-free!
