Meeting Santa When you can’t go out | Wonder Adventures Review

*AD – this experience was gifted to our household for this post. All opinions, as always, are our own.

Covid-19, and various other things, have made 2020 a bit of a rollercoaster when it comes to maintaining traditions. Over the last couple of year’s we’ve always made an effort to get the children along to see Santa for Christmas when we can, but what with lockdown, quarantine and more, we’ve not been able to get the children along to see him this year. Thankfully, there seems to almost always be a digital solution available for such things, and so this year – through Wonder Adventures – we still managed to get the kids a chance to chat to the big red fella, and it was fantastic.

Last year we got the kids along to Winter Wonderland, a massive annual fair which normally dominates Hyde Park, London – but this year was understandably absent. They were beaming when they got the chance to speak with Santa and talk about what they wanted for Christmas, and how their year had been, and they continued to talk about it for months and months. As a parent it’s really important to me that I create new memories – and, where possible, traditions – with the kids, and so I’m sure you can imagine how much this year has thrown a spanner into the works for that.

And so, in following the advice required to keep ourselves and other safe, the kids, Jupiter and I have done everything we can to try and translate our habits and traditions to things we can do indoors. Wonder Adventures, as it turns out, is an almost perfect way to emulate that meet and greet with Santa which normally cements the festive season for kids, and it can all be done from home.

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They offer three different Christmas events, one with one of Santa’s reindeer, another with a Snowman and the final one with Saint Nick himself. They’re conducted over the internet, with a live video broadcast into homes via the web.

Of course, you might be thinking, how is this the same as seeing a Santa at a shopping centre or fair? Well, it all comes down to the messaging. Jolly Shivers, Ruby Skip or Santa will, within their broadcast, deliver a specific message to the children watching, mentioning the kids by household, and by name, during the show. While it’s a one-way broadcast it makes (and, indeed, made) for a fantastic broadcast and the sheer fact that it’s personal, as well as the fun and games which are played in the 40-60 minute session, can really emulate – if not exceed – the experience of being there at a grotto. There is a chance to type into a chat box, asking Santa himself questions and interacting with him – and he does reply on livestream. He just cannot see your family themselves, but does a good job of pretending!

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We all tuned in to catch Santa as he spoke about the spirit of Christmas, read a story, performed a singalong and set people up with some games, and it was absolutely brilliant. The kids were completely captivated as he spoke to them directly, and it really, really was amazing and emotional to watch as the kids clamoured about in front of the TV to watch, or solve the little puzzles which appeared on the screen.

Over the last week we’d had an amazingly busy time, from some home-schooling to picking trees and decorating the house, but doing the puzzles and singing Jingle Bells along with Santa was a definite highlight for the kids and us, and it definitely feels like something we’d do again.

From looking around the Wonder Adventures site it looks like they used to be an in-person entertainment company who has deftly pivoted to online events and do more than arrange Christmas events. They seem to also stream/broadcast Halloween events, treasure hunts and – no doubt – more seasonal events. I say, good for them; technology has given more than enough means to communicate, and this is a smart and impressive way to bring events into the home.

This post is a part of our Blogmas series, with each and every post being about Christmas or Winter.