When snow starts to fall on the afternoon of a Santa house call in Denver, a few small jobs around the front of the house keep the evening easy for everyone.
The walk and the steps
Shovel or sweep the front walk and steps clear before Santa comes, and put down ice melt where it is slick. Children in socks should not meet him on a wet stair. A clear path also makes the wave goodbye at the door feel calm instead of cautious. Do the walk while it is still light if you can, so you can see the ice on the steps.
Lights by the door
Switch on the outside lights and the lights by the front door so the walk is easy to see. A snowy evening can hide the edge of a step. Warm light on the wreath also gives the children something cheerful to look at while they wait inside. Leave those lights on until after the goodbye wave at the door.
Inside the front hall
Put a mat down for snowy feet, and put the children’s boots and coats away ahead of time so the front hall is clear when he walks in. Mittens can live in a basket instead of on the floor by the door. Santa comes through that hall in the full red suit, and a clear path is the whole point of the prep. A wet pile of coats is the fastest way to slow the walk-in from the front hall.
The room and a window picture
Have the tree lit and the room cozy, so the children can settle in by the tree once he arrives. If snow is falling, a photo of Santa with the children near a window makes a winter picture to keep. Keep that set short so little ones are not standing in the cold glass draft by the window. Come back to the tree for the rest of the turns after the window picture.
If a big snow is forecast for your evening, call to talk over the plan. If the evening turns out clear and dry, the same plan still works. A real bearded Santa suits close-up photos; a traditional Santa, in the traditional suit with a full styled beard, is the lower-cost choice. The beard choice leaves the shovel, the lights, and the mat unchanged.
Grandparents who would rather not drive on a snowy evening can see Santa at their own senior living community’s holiday party. That indoor afternoon is described in a Santa visit for residents and their families. Families call from Capitol Hill, University Park, Sloan’s Lake, Littleton, and Golden when they want the house visit and that community party in the same week.
If the walk is already clear and the lights are already on, the rest of the evening is the living room. The children still take turns by the tree. The goodbye still happens at the front door. The snow stays outside where it belongs. A dry evening uses the same prep, minus the shovel and the ice melt on the front steps.
Mrs. Claus can join once as an add-on if you want her in the living room; Santa remains the booking. Santa home visits are the house-call booking, and you can call us if writing the date is easier. The walk, the lights, and the mat are the whole prep for a snowy evening. The living room does the rest once he is inside and the tree is lit.