Santa Involves Audience with Rhythm Instruments

Sixteen Sanitary (non blowing) Rhythm Band Instruments

One of the most successful techniques I have used over the last 30+ years of "elfing" is an entrance process that ends up involving especially the youngest members of my home audience playing rhythm band instruments and singing "Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer"

My dear friend James Arrington, currently the chairman of the Theater and Cinematic Arts Department at Utah Valley State University once dubbed me the "Mystic Santa" and in a few moments you'll understand why.

When the hostess calls--(and it's almost always the hostess who calls, rather than the host)  to make her first appointment with us, my wife, Rosie explains how I will enter for maximum effect.

1.  At the designated date and time, Santa calls Hostess on his Cell Phone for the "All Clear".  After Santa has driven to the "gig" and parked up the street, a cell phone call to the hostess is essential.  Sometimes an unforseen circumstance makes it better for me to wait a few minutes while tears are dried or someone shows up a bit late.    Its a lot more fun for everyone if Santa makes his entrance at just the right moment.

2.  Clue the Hostess to open the front window drapes early so the kids can see Santa appear.  In Utah there is often four or five lovely inches of snow on the ground and we explain that Santa will "magically appear".  In fact I just park down the street out of "eye shot" and carry my tool bags to a place in the middle of the front yard and stand, playing an old concertina so the music cues the Hostess to call her young guest's attention to the front yard.  The "POOF" happens when they realize, suddenly that Santa is out there.  (If the Hostess has chosen to use little wrapped dollar giifts to help santa with notes about congratulations and things each child can do better, their sack (usually a non descript plastic garbage bag) has been placed outside the front door in a way that I can pick it up as the kids guide me into the house.

3.  Pulling the Frozen Mute Santa into the house.  Often, to enhance the "mystery" I will stand on the lawn with my back to the window just enough so I can see the excitement going on inside.  The Hostess will encourage the older children to go out and bring Santa in--and when I hear the front door open, I freeze.  (The illusion of frozen Santa lends itself to the concept of mute Santa going forward)  I have kids come out into the snow in their bare feet and grab me by the arm, gently turning me around and escorting me up onto the porch and into the house.

4.  The Mute Santa strangely quiets the babies and fascinates the skeptics both old and young.  I discovered early on that energy bounces off energy, but most young rebel kids (who say they don't believe) don't know quite how to deal with a Santa who doesn't speak.  Young children, for whom Santa is a big red and white blur, cower at a too loud and way to jolly HO HO HO.   A Mute Santa invites further investigation--and that curiosity is almost always without a whimper or a scream.   One young grandmother couldn't seem to stand the silence as I slowly made my way to the piano bench and encouraged her grandchildren to sing a Santa carol.   It only happened once,but you would have to know this good woman, ever ready to swoop in and save what might seem to be a lull in the action.  During this process its been fun to listen to what the kids chatter about, often asking--"Is Santa sick?" or "How come you can't talk"

5. I head for the Piano Bench.  Most folks think Santa should sit in the most comfortable chair in the room--and often buy into the seeming incapacities of a mute and frozen Santa--and gently guide me to that chair.  But since I'm going to play piano anyway for the elfin rhythm band, I head there.

6. Removing Santa's Big Coat with the Reindeer Lining.  As though it were a magicians reveal, I stand and slowly unzip my outer coat to reveal a red and white pinstriped shirt, a classy green suede inner vest and a big roomy Santa Workshop outer Vest festooned with big pockets for both travel essentials and secret prizes.  If the room is "into" the mute and frozen Santa, there is usually a hush as little boys and girls snuggle with parents to see what happens next.   Wise parents will coach their youngsters with appropriate oohs and ahhs and reinforce Santa's authentic regalia.

7.  Designate a young coat rack.  Feigning helplessness, I  hold my coat in one hand and invite one of the older kids in the group (often the one who braved the snow to invite me inside) to come and stand by me.  Often these courteous folks will offer to hang up the coat, but instead I offer a sleeve and with a grin they put it on.  The crowd often chuckles as I try to make it fit, wrapping the ample fabric around the skinny torso of the kid.  (This gesture in silence becomes Santa's new method of communication and most crowds, even the unruly ones buy in and play along)

8. "You need a hat"  Once appropriately dressed in Santa's big red coat, Santa gestures with raised eyebrows  pointing to his hat and pointing to the youth's head.  Often gesturing generates another gesture--nod of the head and another grin...and Santa is ready with a hat from his red bag.

9.  Rhythm Band in Elf Hats.  The junior Santa hat from the bag contains one of the sixteen sanitary (non blowing) rhythm band instruments illustrated in the picture above.  Santa goes through the crowd choosing with a look or a pointed finger the members of the rag tag Elfin band.  My collection of hats includes a battered old Frosty Top Hat, a tall Cat in the Hat Hat, a wonderful Jester cap and tiny bells and more than a dozen of Santa Hats I picked up through the years at dollar stores and Walmart Sales.  With each choice who lines up with his buddies, there's some experimentation--and that's fine.   I often include adults, especially with the non-Santa Hats.   When we sing Frosty the Snowman the one with the Frosty Hat is supposed to dance around on the chorus---(Which I play very fast, just for the fun of it)

10.  The Elfin Band as Photo Op!  Most parents who are saavy with digital or video cameras know a photo opportunity when they see it.   The Elfin Rhythm Band is a great way to include all the cute kids and some of the cute adults in a shot that will live for ever--making this Christmas something very special.

11.  Santa Speaks! When all the players have been appropriately hatted and equipped, Santa speaks!  "So, do you sing?" Santa asks.  (Some kids even marvel out loud that he CAN talk!)   "Do you know the Hallelujah Chorus?"   Santa pounds out the first several notes--and gets them singing, however reluctantly.  "Do you know any Russian Weatherman predicting Precipitation songs?"   "What?" they shout.  "You know--Russian Weatherman predicting Precipitation songs?  Oh, c'mon!  Everybody knows, 'Rudolph, the Red Knows Rain, Dear!"   And Santa plays the introduction and gets everybody singing.

12.  Singing and Dancing Elves!  To vary the action, I will stop after five or six bars of music and say, "Oh, I forgot to tell you--this is a singing and dancing Elfin Band."  Then I teach them a simple step kick, step kick--and they always get it wrong---making the videos fun to watch.  Once they get the dancing somewhat in line , I often speed up the piano.  The speed dancing is pretty fun to watch.    On the line, " Won't you guide my sleigh tonight?"  I stop and loudly ask, "Well, what did he say?"   Most kids have been singing from memory and the meaning of the song hasn't passed their brain--just gone from the memory to their mouth...and they're confused again. So Santa says, "What did he say-- you know..and I speak the lyrics, Rudolph with your nose so bright, won't you guide my sleigh tonight?    And......."   Generally somebody will guess the right answer and shout out, "YES!!!"  and I play on the rest of the song to the end. 

13.   Re-stocking the Elf Hats with Instruments:  When the fun has reached the climax-- I usually designate a bag holder among the adults or older kids and invite the kids in the rhythm band to take off their hats, put their instruments in their hat and stuff them in the bag.  That frees me up to sit on the piano bench--or a good stout chair near the Christmas Tree and begin the ritual of handing out the dollar gifts.

14.  Explaining the Rules of the Dollar Gifts:  I invite the kids to go sit with their parents.  This encourages family closenss, but for Santa it keeps the mob from forming quite so quickly.  When everybody has snuggled in, I announce that, "It's time for the PRE CHRISTMAS EVALUATION!  I think you all know that the Elves have been watching you this last year and taking very good notes.  If you get to bed early on Christmas Eve I'll be bringing filled stockings and all the big presents your hearts desire --  but tonight I brought you a few little things in exchange for your honest answers to my questions.    Before we get started, I have one ground rule---we don't open any presesnt until everybody gets them!  Is everybody good with that?"

15.  Distribution of the Dollar Gifts.  The little yo yos, brush and comb sets and model cars are wrapped for a purpose (See 16. EXIT STRATEGY below)  Each one has a little card taped to it to prompt Santa.   My wife, Rosie explains to the Hostess that the first item on the card should merit congratulations--an award at school, a championship little league team record--The best helper Mom has in the kitchen--things that Santa can encourage and elicit applause for.  The second thing on the card should be an area of improvement--over the years I've had favorites-- leaving several wet towels on the bathroom floor after a shower is one of my favorite.  On stage at the Music Fair with the Osmonds in Valley Forge Pennsylvania, a little girl's mom told me that she had terrible problems eating beans.  The resulting "mini-explosions" were embarrassing.  It was all I could do to ask the sweet little 9 year old about it without either one of us using the other F-word.!  These hints should be light and fun--but allow Santa to get the child to raise his hand and promise to improve in some way.  Often, to free me up, I'll ask an older child to reach into the garbage sack and give Santa the present.  (Sometimes the little guy or gal will telegraph the name of the next child on Santa's Lap--and that can be fun, too.   This is a photo op for each individual child.  It doesn't hurt for Rosie to encourage parents to pass the word that new batteries are a good investment for this evening as a family

16.  The Exit Strategy. With everyone shaking their little dollar gifts excitement to open them has built and built.  This is the perfect time for Santa to "disappear"   Here's how it's done:  Santa stands (and checks all his gear. The coat has been retrieved.  Everything is in it's appropriate bag--and he gets ready to quickly gather his gear and beat it out the door.  "It's time now to open the gifts you got tonight.  Please form a circle. (This gives Santa time to pick up his gear and head toward the door with the kids' attention involved in the circle.) For some reason forming a circle takes a while, but when it is accomplished Santa has a chance to teach a little about gift giving with words like these:  "Now, please place your gifts on the floor in front of you.  With every gift you should know that someone who cares a lot about you took the time and trouble to wrap something very special up for you.  I hope you're thinking much less about what you're getting and much more about what you're planning on giving to your special someones.  At your age you don't have a lot of money, but you could save a little of your allowance and buy your mom a little perfume.  They make these tiny bottles of shaving lotion for your dad.  What matters is that you become a GIVER not just a GIMME--and that's the lesson of every Christmas gift you ever get.  NOW--pick up your gift and we'll all count down 1, 2, 3 and open them!  Ready?  Count with me now, ONE TWO THREE.   On Three every attention is focused on the circle and the gifts and Santa can slip away.  When the fun of the gift opening has faded, I've been told some little ones will wonder where Santa went--how he disappeared.  Simple misdirection, yes?   Attentive Hostesses will chide the children to say good by to Santa as a courteous gesture, but Rosie will encourage them to focus instead on their children and let Santa leave undetected.

Over the years, I've developed this FIRST VISIT with all it's ins and outs and "magic" built in.  I find myself trying new things--but these sixteen steps are the main structure.  

As children get used to me as more of a familiar presence and older friend, I've developed other techniques to bring back the magic of this first visit.

GOLD FRANKENSENSE AND MYRRH utilizes an ancient looking box and guilded containers with lotion made to smell like the bitter Frankensense and sweet Myrrh.  Little children especially like having these two lotions dabbed on the back of their hands and smelling them, sharing them with their parents and family as I describe what each one was for and why it was so valuable.   In a dollar store I picked up plastic gold coins and give one to each child to put in his "collection"  As a teacher, Santa can ask the question, what did Mary and Joseph do with these gifts from the three kings etc.   I conclude with a rephrase of the lesson in step 16 above about becoming a GIVER and not just a GIMME.

THE PEPPERMINT NOODLE TOSS Rosie sewed some red and white striped material on the bias (Diagonally) that yielded three long sacks about 4 inches across and 3 feet long.   Into these sacks we stuffed dozens of plastic grocery sacks.  They became straight giant candy canes that when held just so resembled giant canes with their crook.  I read that a candy maker in Chicago invted candy canes in the form of the letter J in honor of the Savior of the World.  Most people turn them upside down so they resemble the shepherd's crooks.  In function they be become a big muscle game that Santa can draft athletic adults (either men or women) to stand opposite each other and toss two of the peppermint noodles back and forth at the same time.   After each successful toss and release, Santa encourages each contestant to step back one pace and try again.   A large room or hallway without breakable nick nacks is necessary.  When one contestant drops the noodle, another is chosen to take his/her place.   This continues as long as there is energy for it.

JINGLE STICKS  Two fairly wide PVC Pipe pieces filled with jingle bells of several sizes and room for them to slide up and down are capped with PVC end caps.   Santa chooses two contestants and they are invited to sing a familiar Santa Song and bang and twirl the Jingle Sticks in time to their own music.  The crowd can be enlisted to help sing.  At the end of the song, Santa can hold his hand over each head and solicit applause to determine the winner.  This an also determine the winner.

SANTA SUMO  Of all the Santa Stunts that Santa as Cruise Director provides is breaking out the two pairs of 4X Red Long Underwear we bought several years ago at Intermountain Farmers.  At the appropriate time in a visit, Santa will produce the two Santa Sumo suits and plastic baggies filled with Twenty 12" multi colored balloons.  Santa chooses two Champions (young enough to do some rough and tumble without causing shortness of breath or heart palpatations)  Young fathers are great for this.  If you can search out the rivalries or ask the hostess this will work even better.  Each Champion can pick his own team of four or five folks (kids and adults) to help him blow up the baloons and stuff them inside the red underwear that they have each climbed into.   Be prepared for some fun when someone discovers the trap door on the bottom.   Santa encourages blow up teams to fill up the balloons as much as they can.    Little balloons simply prolong the agony.    When the combatants are fully stuffed, bike helmets to protect their heads are strapped on.  I use one red helmet and one greet helmet to tell the players apart somewhat--and the challenge is given.   The first champion to pop all the balloons in his opponent's suit wins the challenge.   Everyone cheers, "On your MARK, get SET, GO! And they're off!  Often they run at each other from the far ends of the room.  The collision often does not pop anything--and they go at it, rolling and pinching baloons until the job is done  .A family I know bought two pair of their own giant red underwear and a gross of big balloons,  they liked this gag so much.  It's become a funny grudge match at family reunions.  My experience is that everyone laughs and smiles so much their faces hurt!  Even in small living rooms, families have a good time with this stunt.   Marie Osmond's Road Manager and I have been good friends for many years--and his two teen age boys dived in to try this when I first came up with it.  He grinned and said he couldn't wait for the next Christmas to have a rematch!

Santa is a teacher, a song leader, a cruise director and an inspirational friend in turns as the activity changes and the needs of the different adiences demand.  These are a few of my best ones.  You're most welcome to use them with my full permission at no charge.  It's the kind of gift that good Santas make to one another.