14 Clever Hacks to Make Sure Your Kid Still Believes in Santa This Year

9. Spare little expense on the costume

If you're venturing out with the family to visit a mall Santa, do a bit of recon to make sure he looks legit. It's worth a longer line (we promise) if the Santa your kids will be whispering their wishes to has a real white beard vs. a fake one and a real belly full of jelly vs. an overstuffed pillow.

10. Track Santa’s flight path online

For 60 years, the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) Santa Tracker has helped families track how far Kris Kringle is from their home, and it's the perfect tool — now an interactive cell phone app — to keep the excitement alive.