What is a Santa Key?

Just hang it on the front door Christmas Eve, and the big man in the red suit will quietly sneak inside, deposit his gifts and leave the key somewhere easy for you to find, so you can hang it up again next year. (Also: The key is magic and only works for Santa, so no need to worry about security risks.)

If you’re interested in making a Santa Key part of your holiday tradition, here are a few ways to make it extra special for your kids:

• Let your kids tell Santa about it
  To make sure Santa knows where to look for the Santa key, have your kids write him a letter with instructions. They can include what they want for Christmas and how good they’ve been this year, too. (A thank-you note from Santa after he uses the key would only take the magic to the next level.) Find some great (free!) printable Santa letter templates here.
• Put the key in an Advent calendar
  An Advent or countdown calendar is a great way to build anticipation and excitement before Christmas. Put your Santa Key behind one of the doors of your Advent calendar—Christmas Eve would be a great choice—as a reminder Christmas (and Santa!) will be here soon.
• Make hanging the key a special event
  This isn’t just any key—this is Santa’s magic key. Make a big deal out of hanging it up. Gather the whole family around, play Christmas music, drink cocoa and eat cookies while you make sure Santa has a way to leave presents for your good boys and girls.

However you decide to use it, a Santa Key is a great way to make a magical memory this holiday season. Not to mention a salve for the worries of chimney-less children everywhere.