How to Track Santa on Christmas Eve With Your Smartphone
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Every Christmas Eve, families gather around the computer to see where Santa Claus is and how far he is from their own home using the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) Santa tracker. The adorable tracking system received an upgrade for its 60th anniversary last year in the form of a handy tracker app so that kids could watch St. Nick fly around the world using a smartphone!
Due to NORAD's success every year, other companies — like Google and Amazon — have also jumped on the Santa-tracking bandwagon in recent years and introduced apps and mobile websites to help their customers follow the big guy around as he delivers Christmas gifts. This shift to mobile means the most for little ones with little hands who can now spend Christmas Eve in their new pajamas with hot cocoa and Santa tracker in hand.
Read through to find out the different ways you and your kids can participate in Santa's big night with your family.
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NORAD App For Smartphones
NORAD keeps the magic of Christmas and St. Nick alive year after year, but it seems like the tracker's diamond anniversary may have been the best year yet due to the release of its adorable smartphone app!
Your child can use the app, check NORAD's website, or follow along with the Santa team on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.
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Google Santa Tracker
The Google Santa Tracker is available on desktop and mobile. In addition to the countdown to Santa's flight and the tracking on Christmas Eve, children can play games and learn with elves each day in December.
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Amazon Santa Tracker For Android
Through the Amazon Santa Tracker app, children can send a letter to Santa, read Santa's blog, learn of recent sightings, and, of course, track Santa on Christmas Eve.
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Kayak and Amazon Alexa
If your family has an Amazon Echo, in addition to the hundreds of other things your kids can ask Alexa for, they can inquire about Santa's location, when he'll hit certain cities, and, most importantly, when he'll arrive at your home. Download the Kayak skill for your Echo and gather around Alexa on Christmas Eve night to track Saint Nick with ease.