NORAD Santa Tracker 2010 Up and Running

Children around the world are gearing up to track Santa Claus on his magical journey with the NORAD Santa Tracker, which is already posting news and updates from Christmas 2010 at the North Pole.

The NORAD Santa Tracker is something my children have fun with every year, and it's a great, interactive way to both have fun with them and (secretly) teach a little geography as well. Using the website, powered by Google Earth, the kids can follow Santa as he makes his worldwide journey on Christmas Eve.

The addition of Google Earth to the mix has really increased interest in the Santa Tracker for both youngsters and adults. Now when the children and I go online to check out where Santa is, we can get amazingly detailed information on his current location, complete with Google Earth's vivid graphics. One of the things the kids like to do best is chart the distance from Santa's current location to our own.

NORAD is the joint US and Canadian military center in charge of monitoring and defending North American air space. For over 50 years, the military has tracked Santa Claus on his annual flight in a tradition that goes back to a 1955 Sears department store ad that allowed children to make a phone call to the North Pole.

The technology used to track Santa seems to get better every year, as NORAD is continually updating their methods. This year, one big addition is that cell phone users can open Google Maps for mobile and do a search for "Santa" to see his latest location.

Kids can spend the days up to the Christmas flight visiting Santa's village. The Santa-tracking website really kicks into gear in December, as children can go online to watch the clock and get new updates every day. The village area features attractions and games that kids can play while waiting for the day of Santa's flight.

The first update for 2010 suggested that nine reindeer have been chosen to make this year's flight, and that one of them has a bright, shiny nose and answers to the name of Rudolph. Both children and adults can have fun with the NORAD Santa Tracker; it makes a wonderful interactive experience that kids really get excited about on Christmas Eve.