How do I get a call from Santa for my child?
Checked October 22, 2026
The short answer
There are three good ways. A grandparent or friend can call as Santa for free, using the script below. Some Santa apps offer a call. Or the North Pole Bureau's Santa video can arrive as a video call on your phone: it rings, your child taps Answer, and Santa says their name and one true thing from their year. It is recorded, comes with a letter and Santa's voice, and costs $19.95.
Which kind of Santa call is right for you?
| Option | Cost | Knows real things about your child | Can be replayed |
|---|---|---|---|
| A call from someone you trust | Free | Yes, if you give them the details | No |
| A Santa call app | Free and paid options vary | Only what you type in | Depends on the app |
| Santa's video call (recorded) | $19.95 with letter and voice | Yes, from what you tell Santa | Yes, it rings again whenever you like |
Free: a call from someone you trust
This is the warmest free option. Pick a grown-up your child will not recognize on the phone. Give them three facts: your child’s name, one thing they did this year, and one thing they love. Then hand them this script.
A Santa phone call script
Santa: Ho ho ho! Is this [name]? This is Santa Claus, calling from the North Pole.
Santa: I had to call. Mrs. Claus told me you [one true thing, like “learned to swim this summer”]. That is wonderful.
Santa: And I hear you love [thing they love]. The elves love that too.
Santa: Keep being kind, and get some good sleep. The reindeer and I are getting ready. Merry Christmas, [name]! Ho ho ho!
Keep it short. Two minutes is plenty. Let Santa say goodbye first, and let your child do most of the talking if they want to.
A Santa call app
Some apps, like Portable North Pole, offer a call or a message from Santa. They are quick to set up. What Santa knows is limited to what you type in, so add a real detail if the app lets you. Check each app for what is free this year.
On Christmas Eve: the NORAD Santa line
Every December 24, NORAD Tracks Santa answers calls from children asking where Santa is. It is free and a lovely tradition. It tracks Santa’s trip; it will not know anything about your child.
No phone line needed: Santa’s video call
A real call has to happen at the right moment. This one waits for you. The North Pole Bureau makes a short video where Santa says your child’s name the way you say it and tells them one true thing from their year. Open it on your phone and tap Start. A few seconds later the phone rings, your child taps Answer, and there is Santa. It is recorded and made with AI tools, and it never uses the camera or the microphone.
It comes with a letter written about them and a recording of Santa reading it aloud, and you read the letter free before you pay. Try a sample call, made for a pretend child named Maya, or see how Santa’s video works.
Santa’s video, his voice and his letter
The phone rings, they tap Answer, and Santa says their name and one true thing from their year. Ring it again on Christmas Eve.
Questions parents ask
- Is there a real free call from Santa?
- Yes. The simplest free call is one you set up: a grandparent, aunt or friend calls your child as Santa, using a script like the one on this page. Some Santa apps also offer a call. Check what each one includes for free this year.
- What should Santa say on the phone?
- Their name, one true thing from their year, and a warm goodbye. One real detail, like a lost tooth or a new puppy, is what makes a child believe it. Keep it under two minutes.
- Can my child call Santa on Christmas Eve?
- On December 24, NORAD Tracks Santa answers calls from children about where Santa is on his journey. It is free. It tracks Santa; it does not know your child.
- Does the North Pole Bureau make phone calls?
- Not over the phone network. Santa's video arrives as a video call instead: open the link on your phone and tap Start, and a few seconds later it rings. Your child taps Answer, and Santa says their name and one true thing from their year. It is a recorded video made with AI, so it can ring again whenever you like.
- Is the North Pole Bureau video call live?
- No. It looks and rings like a video call, but Santa's video is recorded. Nothing is live, and the page never uses the camera or the microphone, so nothing of your child is captured.
- How do I make a Santa call believable?
- Use a number your child does not know, put it on speaker, and have Santa mention something real from their year. A little background jingle helps. Let Santa end the call first, because he is very busy.
More answers on the questions page, or see three real letters and Santa’s video.