Every December parents face the same small decision: how should Santa get in touch this year? A letter in the letterbox, an emailed message, or the phone ringing at bedtime. They are all lovely. They just suit different children and different families.
A letter from Santa
A letter is something to hold. It can sit on the fridge for a month and come out again next year. It works best for children who can read, or who love being read to, and for families who like to plan ahead: posted letters need ordering weeks before Christmas.
What a letter cannot do is surprise them in the moment. It arrives, it is opened, and the magic is spread out rather than concentrated.
A Santa message by email
An emailed message is a recording that says your child's name, with a screen that looks like Santa is calling. You choose exactly when to play it: in the car, at Grandma's, or first thing on Christmas morning. You can listen to it yourself first, and you can play it again as many times as they ask.
It is the best choice for very young children, who often want to hear it five times in a row, and for anyone who wants control over the moment.
A phone call from Santa
A phone call is the biggest moment of the three. The real phone rings, you look at the screen and say, "It's for you." Santa says their name, tells them what he has heard about them this year, and asks what they would like for Christmas. Then he waits for the answer.
It suits children from about three upwards who will happily talk on the phone. If you tick the box to have it recorded, you also get the whole call afterwards, their answer included. That recording is often the thing families treasure most.
Choosing by age
Under three: the emailed message, played on your knee, as often as they like.
Three to eight: the phone call. This is the age where the surprise of the phone ringing works best.
Nine to twelve: either. A phone call still works on a doubtful ten-year-old, especially when Santa asks them to set an example for the younger ones.
Choosing by budget
A Santa message by email is NZ$1.87 and a phone call is NZ$3.79, with the recording included free if you ask for it. Both are a single payment with nothing to sign up for.
Why not both?
Some families book the phone call for Christmas Eve and keep the emailed recording for Christmas morning. The call creates the moment; the recording lets you relive it.