As a parent I know how excited my child gets when they see Santa Claus at their school or local shopping centre each year during December! This is why Santa's Grotto is on the list of must-do activities for many PTA groups. A Santa’s Grotto brings in much needed funds and provides a great way to introduce your kids to Christmas traditions. But the question on everyone’s mind is... can you run one that is Covid-Safe this winter?
With the knowledge of how Covid-19 can spread, we need to know how we can keep our children safe when they come face to face with Father Christmas himself.
Read on for some tips to ensure that everyone has a fun and safe experience.
- Make sure you have a plan in place for the event before it begins. It helps massively if you plan ahead so there are no surprises on the day of your event! There’s nothing worse than having something go wrong on an important day like this one, but being prepared will reduce the need for worrying. So ensure you have everything in place for a successful grotto!
- Enlist parent volunteers to help with sanitising in between Santa visits. By setting up a sanitisation station before anyone enters the Grotto and having volunteers clean in between Santa visits, you can lower the risk of anyone getting sick from sharing a high five with Santa!
- Have scheduled appointments for each visit with Santa to eliminate crowds and queues. PTAs are constantly under pressure to make their events more enjoyable and less stressful for parents. Having appointments will reduce the hassle of trying make sure everyone stays socially distanced while waiting to see Santa.
- Have marked spots for Santa and child to sit to ensure social distances are adhered to. Gone are the days where children sat on Jolly Old St. Nick’s lap to tell them what they want for Christmas! This year you can have clearly marked spots for Santa and the children to sit or even stand for their visit and photo.
- Have a designated person with clean hands distributing the gifts from Santa. In the past it may have been fun to have children reach into Santa’s magic gift bag and pull out their special prize. But this winter let’s lower the spread of germs by having 1 person handling the gifts.
- Sell tickets in advance online to eliminate cash handling. Selling tickets for Santa’s Grotto is a pain. You have to collect cash and handle it safely, then you have to deal with the hassle of depositing it into the bank after Christmas. Reduces waiting time by allowing parents/students to purchase tickets online in advance and book a specific timeslot.
Planning is key for a successful Santa's Grotto. Follow the guidelines we’ve outlined and you'll be well on your way to having a fun, safe experience that leaves children with treasured memories of Christmas past.
Christmas season is a time for family, friends and festive cheer so let’s go out and make this year’s Santa’s Grotto one to remember!
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PlanSocial curates resources and educational materials for school parents and their families, focusing on everything from educational support for your children, self-development and career re-entry, to home improvement, family well-being and even where to find the best family holidays.
