Last-minute Saint Nicholas presents

First, the presents money can't buy

What a child remembers for a long time is rarely what was in the parcel. It is the thrill of searching, the joy of finding, and the certainty that someone really came by in the night. And it takes a quarter of an hour to set up, without buying anything.

• A little treasure hunt. Three or four clues drawn on scraps of paper, from the bed to the shoe. Even a mandarin becomes treasure when you had to hunt for it.
• Signs of the visit. The carrot left out in the evening, half-eaten by morning. A little flour on the floor, shaped like footprints or hoofprints. A door that was closed, now found ajar.
• A note from Saint Nicholas. Three handwritten lines, dashed off at the kitchen table, mentioning something they can be proud of this year: riding without stabilisers, comforting their little sister, tying their laces. If you'd rather use a template: our printable letter.
• A voucher to give. A trip to the park, just the two of you, pancakes on Sunday, choosing dessert, or an extra bedtime story every night for a week.
• Breakfast on the 6th. A tablecloth, a candle, a hot chocolate, and the story of Saint Nicholas told at the table. It costs nothing, and you can do it again every year.
• More ideas to do together, without screens: our activities.

Then, what the shops still have tonight

The corner shop, the supermarket or the bookshop are more than enough to fill a shoe. A little tip: what matters is that the shoe overflows a bit, not what is in it.

• Speculoos biscuits, a chocolate Saint Nicholas, chocolate coins, marzipan
• Mandarins or clementines, and a nut or two for tradition
• A book or a comic, from the bookshop or the magazine aisle
• Crayons and a notebook, play dough, a pack of cards, stickers
• For toddlers, a board book or bubbles. And nothing small enough to be swallowed
• More ideas by age, and how the shoe tradition works: what goes in the shoe.

What if Saint Nicholas spoke to them himself?

This is what we have made, so we will simply introduce it. Saint Nicholas can talk to your child, using their name and what mattered to them this year. There are two ways to do it, and each takes a few minutes to prepare, on your phone, tablet or computer.

The video message. Saint Nicholas records a short message just for your child, with their name and their achievements of the year. It stays with you, on your device: to show them when they wake up on 6 December, then to watch as many times as you like. See our offers

The live video call. Saint Nicholas calls your child and really talks with them: he listens, answers and picks up on what they tell him. Before the call, you hide a little surprise in the house, by their shoe, by the fireplace, under their pillow or in the living room, and you tell Saint Nicholas the hiding place when you prepare the call. When it is time to say goodbye, Saint Nicholas tells them his little messengers may have stopped by… and sends them off to look, with mum or dad, in the place you chose. Prepare the call

We keep nothing of this moment: Saint Nicholas never sees your child, the call is not recorded, and we have no copy of the message. We wanted it that way, to fully respect your privacy and your child's. But this moment deserves to be kept: their eyes when Saint Nicholas says their name, their voice when they answer him.

Set up a second phone beside you to film their reaction: the memory is yours, and nobody else's.

And on the morning of the 6th, it isn't too late: when you prepare the call, note in the form the present they received, and Saint Nicholas calls to ask whether they like it. It is often the happiest call of all.

Giving from afar, with a word from you

Do you live far away, or won't you be there on the 6th? Give the call with Saint Nicholas as a present. You receive a link to pass on to the parents. They prepare the call whenever it suits them: the link stays valid for 60 days.

And you can add a word of your own. Right after paying, write down what the child calls you and what Saint Nicholas may tell them from you. During the call, he passes it on himself: “Your granny told me she was very proud of you at swimming.” Just imagine their face.

The parents read your word and approve it before the call, and Saint Nicholas never says anything that isn't right for a child. Your word travels only inside the link you send: we keep no trace of it. Give a call

A few questions

• It's the evening of 5 December: is it still possible? Yes. The call and the video message take a few minutes to prepare, on your phone, tablet or computer, and Saint Nicholas can call your child that same evening.
• Do I need to install an app? No. Everything happens in the browser of a phone, tablet or computer, with no account to create.
• I want to give it to my grandchild: how does it work? You give the call and receive a link to pass on to their parents, who prepare the call whenever it suits them, within 60 days. Right after paying, you can add a word of your own: Saint Nicholas will pass it on, once the parents have read and approved it.
• What if the call can't take place? A link that was never used is refunded on simple request. If the call could not take place because of us, we offer you a new call or a refund, whichever you prefer.