Chris Webb

Note: I originally wrote this for Dadomatic

As Christmas draws near, I thought I’d share some fun online sites you might like to share with your children this holiday season. Of course a quick Google search will yield you thousands of results, but here are a few I’ve enjoyed with my kids.

My 4 year old especially likes these. For him as a child that is growing up with on-demand video and the internet, it seems only natural to incorporate some of what Santa does online.

• Countdown to Christmas features a daily video message from Santa, and a chance to ask St. Nick questions in real time.
• Santa Update features daily “press releases” from the North Pole keeping everyone up to date on the days leading up to Christmas Eve.
• Portable North Pole lets you create a custom video greeting from Santa featuring your child’s name, photo, and location, a sneak-peek at the Naughty/Nice List, and even an update on the toy the wished for.
• Santa Live features live webcams from inside Santa’s office, and outside the workshop.
• NORAD Tracks Santa is the granddaddy of them all and features real-time tracking of Santa, with video updates and a Google Earth option. You can also follow the Twitter Stream, Facebook Page, and Picasa Web Album. If you are an On-Star user, you can even get hourly updates in your vehicle on Christmas Eve.
• Track Santa on your mobile device – Google Maps offers NORAD’s Santa Tracking on supported phones.

Merry Christmas!

(CC licensed image via The Sierra Club)