Special Christmas Eve surprise from the north pole

[MummaPI]

Over the past few years we've had the following:
Surprise letters from the elves 12 days leading up to Christmas
A boy and girl elf toy arrive on Christmas Eve
Plus one of Santa's buttons fell off his coat and he left it under our tree 😉

This year I am struggling for something new to surprise the kidlets with.

Does anyone do anything? Could you give me some inspiration?

My Grama found Santa’s coat had torn once...red material and everything was found

What about a letter from Santa talking about what he’s been up to all year like the Tolkien ones?

Sooty Foot prints? Only do if you have wooden floors that can be cleaned. Would not recommend if you have cream carpets.

Over the years we’ve had
Red thread snagged on the hearth
Coal scattered on the floor
Sooty finger prints
Baubles brushed off the Christmas tree
Garland askew on the mantle
The mysterious button that doesn’t match anything we own
Half a footprint that didn’t match daddy’s boot
Muddy hoof marks on the patio
Sleigh marks gouged in the lawn
A piece of harness studded with bells caught on a tree branch
A present on the roof that must have fallen out of Santa’s sack as he took off

Have you done the portable North Pole video message from Santa

I made a Sleeping Elf in a bed (soft bath toy with a muslin cloth over the face , sleeping eyes and mouth drawn, cheeks done with blusher , little felt hat with a bell) in a bed made from a cardboard box with a flannel as a blanket

It was in the playhouse, DS and I walked down there on Christmas Eve night to peek at him with a candle lantern. Told DS he was sleeping and FC would collect him en route.

You probably do this anyway but NORAD Santa tracker on Christmas Eve? You can email them and ask for an ETA of Santa in your town and they will reply. Their website leading up to Christmas is really good, a countdown, song and game for everyday. Then on Christmas Eve tracking Santa , where he is and the number of presents delivered. Great for young believers . And they believe so much they go to bed and sleep!!

Some fab ideas, I do Norad (forgot to mention that)
Thank you all

Last year Rudolph made a terrible mess with his carrot on the front path.

This is embarrassingly cheesy I know, but every year on December 1st we have a North Pole Breakfast. It’s the breakfast that the elves have in NP where everything has to be sweet.

I lay Christmas tablecloths and dishes, crackers and their advent calendars out the night before and when we come downstairs it’s always a big surprise to see Buddy the Elf has arrived. The Christmas bedding goes on too.

Ooh what sort of thing do you eat?

A Canadian tradition done by my parents was to put talcum powder on snow boots and walk up and down the house so by Christmas morning it looked just like Father Christmas had been leaving snowy footprints.

It hoovered up really easily although after we moved it was more difficult on cream carpets to see. We loved it though!

We had rudolph poo on the drive once (it was a cow pat I sprinkled with glitter)... We did snowy skid marks on drive... And discussed that santa must have had a hairy landing and poor rudolph had a fright...

It is still remembered 15odd yrs later... Dds loved it... They were 8 and 3 at the time so at that lavatorial stage

portable north pole and send them a personalised video message from santa.

theredjellybean that made me snort a bit. I'm 42 and still at that lavatorial stage

We all still like to discuss poor rudolph losing control of his bowels one Christmas... Usually comes up after we have got stuck into the Christmas drinks

I've seen Rudolphs lost bell/collar/tag in the craft groups. Might be a good alternative to Santas lost button.