5 ways your kid can video chat with Santa

Ho, ho, ho, holy crap — your kid just won't shut up about how excited they are to see Santa this Christmas. And as always, the line for mall Santa is too long, and dressing up as Santa is just ... a lotof work.

Good thing there's the internet. Here are five ways for your kid to video chat with Santa:

1. Welcome Santa

They say seeing is believing. A live video call with Santa this Christmas might just do the trick. For $29.99, your kid can go on a live video chat with Santa for 5-10 minutes. This particular Santa workshop is working extra hard to make it magical for your child. Santa's little helpers will reach out to you ahead of the video chat to gather information about your kids so that they can tailor the experience to them.

You can schedule the call on their website. And all you have to do is log into your account on the day of the chat, and you'll see a button for you to start the chat room. Santa will be waiting for your kid right there. After the call, you'll be able to download the video to keep forever.

2. Talk to Santa

This website will convince your kids they're on Santa's nice list. You can get your kid a nice list certificate and a live video call with Santa for $29.95. Once you schedule a time and date, Santa's little elves will send your child an invitation for the call.

It will let you spread the holiday cheer, too. You can invite up to six children or relatives from four different locations to join in on your call. Plus, you can download the video afterwards to relive the moment. On a budget? You can get a 5-8 minute recorded video call for $19.95 instead. You can just tell your kids they missed Santa's call and that he left them a video voicemail, i guess.

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3. Video Call Santa

The video call is pre-recorded, but the app claims that your kids won't be able to tell the difference. Credit: screenshot/Video Call Santa

This app doesn't offer live video chats, but it claims its pre-recorded videos are so believable that your kids "can't tell at all." The app is great for busy parents who need a last-minute solution, since it doesn't require you to schedule a call time ahead of the chat. If your kid somehow believes that Santa is British, this app's got you too. You can choose between British Santa and American Santa.

The app itself is free, but there are plenty of in-app purchases for you to up your Christmas game. Want Santa to greet your child by name? A $0.99 in-app purchase will allow you to pick from a list of more than 5,000 names. You can purchase "naughty" video calls for $1.99, too, if your kids are giving you a headache — no judgement, it's one way to get them on their best behavior.

Video Call Santa is free on the App Store and Google Play.

4. Santa Video Call and Tracker

Track Santa's progress in real-time. Credit: Screenshot

This app will let your child experience the North Pole from miles away. Not only does the app promise a "dynamic, varied, and realistic" simulated, pre-recorded calls based on information you offer them, it also gives your child the option to message Santa. It come with a Santa tracker that shows your child the sleigh's speed and Santa's progress, too.

Looking to stay updated on all things Christmas? The app lets you read Santa's blog and North Pole news from its digital newsfeed. There's even a social networking site for elves and reindeers for your child look at. The fun part? You can freak your kid out by putting them on the naughty list. If you enter a photo of them in the North Pole database, the naughty/nice face scanner will work its magic.

The app is available on the App Store and on Google Play for $6.99. You can also opt for the free lite version.

5. Portable North Pole

Santa can probably convince your kids not to fight — no child wants to be on the naughty list. Credit: screenshot

Santa from Portable North Pole will let you set the topic of the video call. All you have to do is sign up, fill in a short form, upload of photo of your child, and pick a "scenario" that guides the topic of Santa's conversation with your kid: "Keep up the good work," "Santa is real proud of you,"and "Elves are making your gift." Within just seconds, Santa will call your kid bearing a fully personalized, cinematic video.

The app also includes free games, an advent calendar, and bedtime stories. The app is free on the App Store and Google Play, but you'll need to make in-app purchases for the video calls and to unlock extra scenarios.