NORAD Santa Tracker 2011 Up and Running

Jeffrey Weeks
Jeffrey Weeks, Yahoo! Contributor Network
Nov 30, 2011 "Share your voice on Yahoo! websites. Start Here."

Get ready for the NORAD Santa Tracker 2011. Children around the world are gearing up to track Santa Claus on his magical journey with the NORAD Santa Tracker, which will post news and updates from Christmas 2011 at the North Pole.

The NORAD Santa Tracker is something 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. One big addition made last year 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.

Both children and adults can have fun with the NORAD Santa Tracker 2011. It makes a wonderful interactive experience that kids really get excited about on Christmas Eve 2011.

DISCLOSURE OF MATERIAL CONNECTION:
The Contributor has no connection to nor was paid by the brand or product described in this content.

Published by Jeffrey Weeks

Jeffrey Weeks is an award-winning NC newspaper columnist who writes about saltwater and freshwater fishing, southern seafood and cooking, hunting, popular entertainment, and sports.  View profile

To comment, please sign in to your Yahoo! account, or sign up for a new account.