3 Ways to Get a Personalized Message from Santa Claus

Santa Claus is a very busy man, especially as the holidays get closer.

He has to visit a lot of shopping malls, make his list and check it twice and make sure everything is ready for his flight around the world on Christmas Eve.

But he's never too busy to send a message to the kids who believe in him.

Here are three ways to get a personalized message from Santa Claus this Christmas.

One of the easiest ways to get a personalized message from Santa Claus is with a Santa letter. If you want to get your child a letter from Santa, there are plenty of options - full service companies that create elaborate gift boxes to go along with the letter, companies that simply create letters, or do-it-yourself websites that help you print a Santa letter at home.

If you want to go all-out, Package from Santa can't be beat. Their platinum package includes the usual letter from Santa, as well as a Nice List certificate, letter from Rudolph, cookies from Mrs. Claus, Rudolph's sleigh bell, reindeer food, a personalized video greeting and much more.

If you're looking for a budget alternative, Printable Santa Letters.com will help you create great-looking letters from Santa Claus at home. Their gold package includes a Santa letter, a Nice List certificate, an autographed photo of Santa Claus and a letter from Rudolph for less than $10.

Another way to get a personalized message from Santa Claus is by phone. A few companies now offer Santa calls, often recorded, but one of the best services, which has been featured in places such as The New York Times, Parents magazine, USA Today, and on The Today Show and CNN is Santa Speaking. Run by a husband and wife team, Santa Speaking offers live 3-10 minute calls with Santa. You pick the time and date and then provide some details for Santa. Santa Claus will call your child at the scheduled time, and your child will be amazed to discover how much Santa knows about them!

Another service to keep an eye on is sendacallfromsanta.com. At the moment, the site is not live and it looks like it may not be returning, but in 2010 Google operated this free automated Santa phone call service through Google Voice. If they bring it back, it's definitely worth a visit, as it's free and fun.

One of the most fun ways to get a personalized message from Santa Claus is by visiting Portable North Pole. This site is only open for about a month each year before Christmas, but it's one you don't want to miss. PNP allows you to make a free video from Santa for your child, and the quality will amaze you!

Simply provide a few details and an optional photo, and they'll make the magic happen. Santa will actually say your child's name in the video and will tell other things about your child that only Santa would know. Videos are free to view online, or you can pay a small fee to keep your video forever.