Ways to get a phone call from Santa
A call from Santa can mean a volunteer from your local parks department, a recorded message from an app, or a personal call booked for a time you choose. They are not the same thing, and each has a place.
| Option | Cost | Personal to your child | Santa answers back | When |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Local Santa call programs | Usually free | Often, from a short sign-up form | Yes, a volunteer | Set dates in December |
| NORAD Tracks Santa phone line | Free | No, it is about Santa's route | Yes, a volunteer | Christmas Eve, and you make the call |
| Pretend call apps | Free to low | A name, sometimes | No, it is a recording | Any time |
| A booked call from our Santa | $19.95, one time | Yes, from the details you share | Yes, an AI voice | The time you pick |
Local programs
Many towns, parks and recreation departments, libraries and community groups run Santa call programs each December, with volunteers calling children at a set time. They are often free and full of local charm. Spots can be limited, some are for younger children only, and sign-up usually opens in late November or early December, so check your city's website early.
NORAD Tracks Santa
On Christmas Eve, NORAD Tracks Santa runs a phone line where volunteers tell callers where Santa is on his route. It is a fun family tradition, but you call them, and it is about the big night rather than a personal chat with your child.
Pretend call apps
Some apps play a recorded Santa call on your phone, sometimes with your child's name dropped in. They are easy and cheap, but because it is a recording, Santa cannot answer when your child asks about the reindeer.
A booked personal call
This is what we offer. Santa calls the number you give us at the time you pick, greets your child by name and has a real back and forth conversation, using the things you told him. Santa's voice is AI-generated, and the call says so to the grown-up who answers. You can read more on the call from Santa page, or the grandparent version.
How a call from our Santa works
- Tell Santa about them. Their name, five things about them, what is on their list, and anything else Santa should know, like a new puppy or great marks at school. Then the phone number and a time for the call.
- Save Santa's contact card. We email you the Santa Magic contact card, so your phone shows "Santa Magic" when he rings.
- A grown-up answers first. The call starts with a short message for the grown-up: it is the call booked through A Little Santa Magic, Santa's voice is AI-generated, and is your child ready?
- Santa takes it from there. He greets your child by name, asks what they are hoping for and talks about their list, warmly, without promising any particular gift.
Calls are never recorded, and nothing your child says is kept. If the call cannot connect, Santa tries again a few minutes later, then we email you a link to pick a new time, and if we still cannot complete it, we refund it.
Getting your child ready for Santa's call
Some children grab the phone and talk for ages. Others go completely silent the second they hear "Ho ho ho". Both are normal, and a little preparation helps either way.
- Surprise or heads-up? Confident talkers love a surprise. Shy children usually do better if you mention that Santa might call tonight.
- Find a quiet spot. Turn off the TV, settle somewhere cozy, and keep siblings close but calm.
- Use speakerphone. You can hear what Santa says, help if your child gets stuck, and share the moment.
- Have a few ideas ready. "Tell Santa about your new bike" or "Ask Santa how Rudolph is doing" can unlock a frozen talker.
- Let silence be fine. If your child just giggles or nods, Santa keeps going warmly. Hearing him say their name is the magic, even if they say very little back.
- Siblings take turns. Each child gets their own call, so place one order per child and let each one have the phone.
Very young children may be happier with something they can watch or hold. A personalized video from Santa or a free letter from Santa can be a gentler first step.
What Santa will and will not do on the call
A call is live, so it matters that you know the rules Santa follows before you hand the phone over:
- Santa greets your child by first name and uses only the details you gave us.
- He will not promise specific gifts, so Christmas morning stays yours.
- He will not ask for personal information like last names, addresses or schools.
- He will not ask your child to keep secrets, and he will not mention anything for sale.
- If your child raises something worrying, Santa responds gently and suggests talking to a grown-up.
- If a grown-up asks whether Santa is a real person, the call says truthfully that Santa's voice is AI-generated.
A grown-up should be there for the call. Our AI disclosure has the full list, and how AI Santa works explains it in plain words.
Picking the right time for the call
Most families book Santa's call for December. A few times that tend to work well:
- The night you put up the tree. The excitement is already high and everyone is home.
- An evening the week before Christmas, after dinner and before the bedtime rush.
- Christmas Eve, early in the evening. Remember calls happen between 9 a.m. and 8 p.m. in the phone's local time.
Avoid nap time and the school run, and pick a time when a grown-up can answer. If you are booking for a grandchild in another state, choose the time in the child's time zone. The call follows the stricter of the time zone you chose and the phone number's area code, and you can change the time or the number up to 1 hour before.
Start with a free letter from Santa
Many families start with a letter. It is free, it comes by email in minutes, and it gives your child something to hold and reread. When the phone rings later in the season, they already feel that Santa has been paying attention.
The letter and the call are separate: the call uses the details you share when you book it, and the free letter uses the details you share on its own form. Use the box below to get the free letter, or read our guide to the free letter from Santa first.
Phone call from Santa questions
Can I get a free phone call from Santa?
Our Santa call is paid, $19.95 as a one-time payment. Free options exist too: many towns, parks departments and libraries run volunteer Santa call programs in December, and NORAD Tracks Santa runs a phone line on Christmas Eve that you call. Our free letter from Santa costs nothing and comes by email in minutes.
Is it a real person on the phone?
No. Santa's voice on our call is AI-generated. A grown-up answers first and hears a short message saying so before handing the phone over.
Is the Santa call recorded?
No. Calls are never recorded, and we do not keep a transcript or anything your child says.
What time can Santa call?
At the time you pick, between 9 a.m. and 8 p.m. in the called phone's local time, using the stricter of the time zone you chose and the phone number's area code. You can change the time or the number up to 1 hour before the call.
What will show on our phone when Santa calls?
We email you the Santa Magic contact card before the call. Save it, and your phone shows "Santa Magic" when he rings.
What if we miss the call?
Santa tries again a few minutes later, then we email you a link to pick a new time. If we still cannot complete the call, we refund it. That is the Santa Promise.
Will Santa ask my child for personal information?
No. Santa greets your child by first name and uses only the details you gave us. He will not ask for a last name, address or school, will not ask your child to keep secrets and will not mention anything for sale.
Can Santa call more than one child?
Each child gets their own call, so place one order per child. Brothers and sisters can of course take turns on the same phone.
Can grandparents book a call from Santa?
Yes. The grandparent version of the call page is made for booking a call to a grandchild. Pick the time in the child's time zone, and make sure a grown-up will be there to answer.