Track Santa’s trek around the world with NORAD
As we count down the days to Christmas, visit the magical Santa’s Village to have some free holiday fun with all the Elves in the North Pole, compliments of Google.
We got the news from Dimplesticks, Google’s chief elf correspondent with Elfwitness News at the North Pole Broadcasting Channel, also known as the Google blog.
Santa’s Village got a big makeover this year, so be sure to visit the new toy factory, Santa’s greenhouse and the reindeer gym. There are more than two dozen educational games to play, coding lessons to take and more at SantaTracker.Google.com. There also is a cool 3D snowbox where you can build your own winter wonderland and download your very own GIF. Or, search Tenor to find cute Santa Tracker GIFs to make your text messages more merry.
On Christmas Eve, the village will transform into a tracking experience where good boys and girls can follow Santa and his reindeer as they make their way around the world. Also, check in with Google Maps at Maps.Google.com.
By the way, get Dimplesticks’ daily newscasts by asking the Google Assistant “Hey Google, what’s new at the North Pole?” You can get Santa jokes, too.
Track Santa’s trek
Another fun option: Track Santa Claus’ journey around the world using the North American Aerospace Defense Command’s NORAD Santa Tracker at at NoradSanta.org.
This will be the 63rd year the agency will track the movements of the jolly big guy in the red suit.
Watch in amazement as cameras capture images and videos of Santa and his eight tiny reindeer making that magical trip on Christmas Eve. Starting at 6 a.m., call the Santa Hotline at 877-446-6723.
In the meantime, there are several fun things to explore on the site.
Visit the North Pole and pop in at the theater to watch movies about Santa. Visit the Library to learn about holiday traditions from around the world and learn interesting facts about Santa’s sleigh (it weighs 75,000 gumdrops at takeoff ). Then, make a stop at the Music Stage to hear Santa’s favorite songs, including “Santa Claus Is Coming to Town,” “Sleigh Ride” and other festive tunes, and play silly reindeer games in the Arcade. A new one is revealed each day.
NORAD is a joint organization of Canada and the United States that provides aerospace warnings to North America.
The Santa Tracker began by accident in 1955 after a Colorado Sears Roebuck & Co. ad misprinted the telephone number for children to call Santa, explains a post on the site. The phone number rang NORAD’s hotline. Rather than disappoint the kids, the operations director, Col. Harry Shoup, had his staff check the radar and give them updates on Santa making his way south from the North Pole. They’ve been at it ever since.