CHARLOTTE, N.C. — It’s the time of year where children are busy letting Santa know what is on their Christmas wish lists, but with COVID-19 cases back on the rise, it may have some parents wondering how to visit Santa safely.
If you want to squeeze in a last-minute visit with the big man from the North Pole, this year doctors are encouraging parents to take precautions for their little ones.
"Going out to see Santa, traditionally, you think of those long lines where you’re standing in line for 30 to 45 minutes, depending on which way you go," Dr. Gina Robison, MD, pediatrician for Cleveland Clinic Children’s, said. "We really want to avoid a situation like that right now."
Robison recommends social distancing and masking up for visits with St. Nick.
She said parents may want to avoid having a child sit on Santa’s lap and maybe stand near him instead. Virtual visits are also an option.
"That’s also a magical experience that we did thousands of those last year, and we’re anticipating we’ll do a fair number of virtual visits at HireSanta.com again this year," Mitch Allen, the head elf at Hire Santa, said.
Companies like Hire Santa are offering one-on-one experiences with Santa online that can be done from the comfort and safety of your home.
"Some of the Santas who are not going out in public, they’re doing virtual visits, and it’s a great interactive experience that many people last year and already this year think is a great way to still maintain that sense of tradition," Allen said.
If an in-person visit with Santa isn’t an option, Robison also recommends finding other creative ideas to get in the holiday spirit.
"Making reindeer food and scattering that out in the yard is always fun," Robison said. "Arts and crafts and activities and making Christmas ornaments, those kinds of things I think would be a good way to, to take the place of that actual visit with Santa."
If you won’t be doing a visit with Santa, Robison said to try to explain the reason why to children in a way they can understand and that it’s to keep them safe.
Contact Kendall Morris at kmorris2@wcnc.com and follow her on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
