How to Call Santa: the Free Hotline, a Pretend Call, and a Real Two-Way Call

The free Santa hotline (it's a voicemail)

The number most families use is +1 (605) 313-4000. It's free from the US and Canada at standard carrier rates. Your child hears a short recorded greeting from Santa and, after the beep, can say what they want for Christmas. Nobody answers — it's one-way — and the line is run by a third party, so it can be busy or change close to Christmas. The number, the caveats and what to say are all on our Santa phone number page.

There's also a Grinch line — +1 (712) 770-4404 — same idea, grumpier message. Some parents use it as a joke for the week a kid has been impossible. Details on the Grinch phone number page.

What the voicemail is good for: the sound of Santa's voice, and the ritual of saying the wish out loud. What it can't do: say your child's name, react to anything, or answer a question. For a three-year-old that doesn't matter. For a six-year-old it usually does.

A pretend call: a relative plays Santa

Ask a grandparent or an uncle whose voice your child doesn't hear every day. Give them three things in advance: something the child did this year, the name of a pet or a sibling, and one thing they've been asking for. That's enough — a call that mentions the cat and the school play feels real; a call that talks about "being good" in general does not.

Keep it under three minutes. Let the child do the talking. If the child goes silent — they often do — Santa can fill it: "I heard you learned to ride a bike this summer." Then say goodbye before it gets awkward. The best pretend calls end early.

A real two-way call: what it actually sounds like

A live call is the one where Santa hears the child and answers. We record demo calls for our own Santa call, so here is a real exchange — the child is six, the family told Santa beforehand that her cat is called Pepper and steals her pillow:

> Santa: Ho ho ho, Emily! It's Santa Claus. I was just thinking about you. Can you hear me? > Emily: Um, yes. Hi, Santa. > Santa: That is a lovely clear voice. Pepper still steals your pillow, doesn't she? > Emily: Wait, how do you know about Pepper? Mom, mom, he knows my cat. > Santa: Santa knows little things, my dear. Cats leave the softest clues.

That "how do you know about Pepper" is the whole point of a two-way call, and it's the thing a voicemail can't do. The practical details, since parents ask: it happens in the browser, it needs internet and a microphone, only the minutes actually spent talking are counted, and if a child goes shy and says nothing you can simply call again later — the minutes stay yours until the end of the season. There's also a video version where the child sees Santa.

Which one for which age

Three to four: the voicemail is plenty. Hearing the voice is the event; they won't notice it doesn't reply.

Five to seven: this is where a two-way call lands hardest. They ask real questions — "how do the reindeer fly", "do you know my teacher" — and they notice when something is a recording.

Eight and up: most kids this age are checking rather than believing. A pretend call with a relative who's in on the family jokes works better than anything scripted, and a letter to Santa gives them something to hold.

How to explain the number to a child

Keep it short: Santa can't take every call himself in December, so his helpers run the phone line and pass every message on. If your child asks why Santa didn't talk back on the voicemail, that's the honest answer — and it's also why the two-way call exists.

If they want to prepare, have them write the wish down first. Saying it into a phone is harder than it looks for a four-year-old, and a piece of paper in their hand helps.