I am looking for ideas on ‘Xmas Magic’ for kids…here’s what we already do (looking to try some different things)…

Keep the Magic of Christmas alive with your kids by doing the following:

Starting December 1st…

Read the story of Elf on a Shelf (can be found online). Set up a miniature elf doll or figurine somewhere in your home. (the elf travels to and from the North Pole to report on your naughty or niceness each and every night. each morning he is magically in a new spot of the house and usually leaves a trail of glitter or glittery footsteps in his path, its fun looking for him in the mornings before school).

Set up a magical elf door. You can buy these online pre-made or make your own. We usually set ours up on the baseboard near the tree. Magical elves come and check in on the kids and also visit with your Elf on a Shelf (the door doubles as a portal for him). They also leave glittery footprints, sometimes tiny bells fall off their clothes, etc. they also are known to leave tiny surprises each morning for the kids in tiny wrapped boxes. In lieu of tiny gifts, sometimes they just leave decoration on or near their magical elf door—things like tiny wreaths, tiny xmas cards on string, tiny stockings, etc..—all of which can be found at your local Michaels or Hobby Lobby. (look in the dollhouse miniatures section or make your own with free online printables).

On Christmas Eve before the kids go to bed…

Make sure you have set up a landing strip for Santa and his reindeer. You can do this in your yard or on your roof by lining up 2 strings of lights long enough and far enough apart to simulate a landing strip. You can invest in specialty lights that actually have a runway lighting pattern effect, which are very cool. You can even make a sign that reads ‘Santa Land Here” with a big arrow. (make sure you use glow paint for the sign).

Make sure to leave the reindeer a snack near the landing strip. A plate of carrots and sprinkle some dry oats with glow in the dark glitter (so they can see it).

Set up your Santa Trap and video recorder to catch Santa on tape! The Santa Trap consists of leaving him his snack along with a note. Attached to the note you want to run some yarn discreetly to a bell. When Santa picks up the note, the bell will ring. For the Santa video, you want to make a nicely wrapped gift box with a hole just large enough for your camcorder lens. You set up your camcorder inside, on night vision mode, and record the entire night. Its fun to watch the video the next morning and see Santa.
** a note on Santa’s snack…we leave him traditional cookies, however, we leave him a very nice drink to get him thru the night, either some hot coco with a shot of crème de menthe or a Grinch cocktail (midori melon, vodka, cointreau, sweet and sour).

Before the kids go off to bed, read the Santa Key poem (can find online), and put the magical Santa key on your doorknob (any old key will do with a bit of glitter to jazz it up or you can make your own from glittery foiled foam board).

On Christmas Eve after the kids are fast asleep…

After the kids fall asleep is when the real magic happens…LOL.

First, you want to go outside and break all the carrots off except the ends and throw away somewhere the kids won’t find them. You want to toss a nice sleigh bell in the yard (one must have fallen off Santa’s sleigh) and you want to make lots of hoof prints in the snow. Sprinkle some glitter—glow in the dark works good- inside the hoof prints.

Next, you will need a Santa suit and sack for this or borrow one if you can, you are going to enter the house with the magic Santa key and place the gifts under the tree. While doing so you are going to snag a piece of your suit on or near the tree and also lose a button in the process (these items can be loose in your pocket–just simulate the actions and leave the evidence). You are going to slam your drink, eat your cookies, and lastly, pick up the note. The bell will ring at this point from the Santa Trap and you will need to run on out of there.

The kids may or may not wake up at this point.

If they DO wake up—they are most likely up now until those gifts are opened and the video is watched! So, why not? Take them outside to see if you can see Santa in the night sky and they will find the carrots have been eaten, there are tons of hoof prints with glowing magic dust, and a pretty bell which fell off his sleigh. They will also find in the house the button and red velvet which snagged off his suit, the drink and cookies are gone, and you can watch the video of Santa too since he was caught on tape!!

If they DO NOT wake up—time for some more evidence planting, LOL. At this point, you are going to stop the video recorder long enough to leave some Santa tracks in the house. You basically are just going to alternate left and right foot stencils to and from the tree from whichever entry point Santa used. You will use glittery gl