Breaking: NORAD’s Santa Tracker lit up tonight, and a familiar voice joined the phone bank. Donald Trump answered calls from children on the NORAD Santa line, turning a cozy, apolitical holiday ritual into a headline moment. The sleigh keeps flying, the radar keeps pinging, and families can still make this night their favorite seasonal hobby.
What happened, and why it matters to families
NORAD, the binational U.S. and Canada defense command, has tracked Santa every Christmas Eve since 1955. Volunteers field calls and messages from kids worldwide, while the website and apps show a live map of Santa’s route. This year, Trump took a seat on the hotline and spoke with children and parents. His remarks drew immediate attention, but the mission remains the same. It is about wonder, not politics.
For parents, the mix of a military-linked program and a political figure can feel uneasy. The tradition is designed for kids, full stop. The best move is to keep the experience focused on reindeer sightings, cookie plans, and bedtime countdowns. Santa is still on schedule. The tracker is still the official source of sleigh location, chimney time, and cookie consumption reports.
Keep the Santa line about wonder. Adults should steer clear of political talk when kids are on the phone.
Turn tracking Santa into a family hobby
The tracker is more than a map. It can be the spark for a hands-on, screen-light tradition you repeat every year. Build a little “mission control” on the coffee table. Add cocoa, a globe, and a notepad. Let kids mark each stop as Santa crosses oceans and cities. Map reading becomes a game. Time zones turn into a puzzle. The night turns into a shared ritual.
Start early. Pick a few Santa checkpoints that matter to your family, then set mini alarms. When the alert pings, gather for a quick update, a carol, or a cookie. Between pings, kids can color, craft, or call a grandparent with the latest coordinates. Simple structure keeps the magic moving.
- Open the official tracker on a tablet in map view
- Mark each stop with a sticker on a paper map
- Read a short regional fun fact at each checkpoint
- Celebrate with one carol or a quick stretch break
- Log what Santa “picked up” and “delivered” to your house
Create a simple tracking station. A world map, stickers, cocoa, and a countdown playlist keep kids engaged.
Make it educational without losing the sparkle
Kids love the why behind the map. Use the tracker to teach, softly. Explain that Santa follows nightfall, so he starts near the International Date Line and races the dark. Show how airplanes and sleighs both depend on weather. Ask kids to predict the next stop using the direction of travel. Keep answers short and cheerful. The goal is wonder first, facts second.
Consider a “Santa logbook.” Each child writes the time, the city, and one detail they enjoyed. Maybe it is a landmark, a snack idea, or a carol from that region. Next year, open the log and pick up where you left off. Hobbies thrive on continuity. This one fits neatly on a single page and a warm blanket.
Gear checklist for a calm sleigh watch
- Tablet or laptop with the official NORAD site or app
- A printed world map and dot stickers
- Two books for quiet resets between updates
- A timer to cue check-ins and bedtime
Keep it safe, simple, and kind
The hotline is staffed by volunteers, and the site is built for families. Even so, set boundaries. Keep calls short. Stay near your child when they speak. If a conversation shifts to adult topics, step in, thank the volunteer, and hang up. Make clear house rules for screens, and pick a bedtime before the last leg of Santa’s route. The magic often lands best when the night ends on time.
Use official NORAD sites and apps. Avoid look-alikes that ask for extra permissions or private data.
The bottom line
Tonight’s cameo turned a gentle tradition into a news moment. The tracker, however, still belongs to families. Keep it playful, keep it brief, and keep it focused on the sleigh. The volunteers will do their part. You do yours at the coffee table. When the final dot lands on your town, close the map, tuck in the logbook, and let the bells fade. Santa flies on. The hobby grows with your kids, year after year.
