As children get older, they eventually reach an age where they begin to wonder if Santa Claus is real or not. For some, this age comes earlier than others. Sometimes, younger children hear the older ones talking about it at school. Others stumble across the gifts that were bought and hidden to be placed under the tree from Santa. Sometimes, it is possible for a parent to convince the children that Santa is real despite their questions. This usually requires some props for assistance. A couple of examples of props that can help reinforce a child's belief in Santa are Santa gifts and a Santa evidence kit.

When people think Santa gifts, they usually envision a pile of presents under a Christmas tree on Christmas morning that Santa is supposed to have brought the night before. In this particular case, Santa gifts means, any category of gifts that commemorate Santa Claus. Craft kits that are based on the image of Santa Claus, activity pads centered on the Santa Claus and the North Pole workshop theme, and other Santa centric items fall into this category. Having several different Santa gifts on hand will help to convince the children of the reality of Santa Claus by virtue of the amount of imagery that has sprung up that is based on his image. The craft kits also provide an opportunity for the adults to work with the children and discuss the issue if the children desire.

A Santa evidence kit can be a very effective prop if used properly. These kits can be put together at home or bought commercially. The commercial versions are probably better simply by virtue of what items are included. A good Santa evidence kit will include several personally identifiable items that could only belong to Santa Claus. Perhaps a single black glove, a pair of spectacles of the type most Santas have been seen wearing, an ornate thank you card for the cookies, Santa's sleigh driver's license, and an award for the best decorated tree would make a good kit. Of course, the placement of the evidence for the children to find is more important than the exact contents of the Santa evidence kit. Taking great care to place the "evidence" in a manner that makes it appear that Santa has dropped these things can be strong reinforcing of a child's belief in the jolly old elf.

Children are growing up so fast these days it can be frightening to adults. They often begin to question the existence of Santa Claus at earlier ages than parents are prepared for. In many cases, these questions are prompted by something seen or heard and not by any actual loss of belief. Yet, at these times, parents may feel a need to reinforce the child's belief. This usually requires the use of some kind of props. Two things that make good props for this type of mission are Santa gifts and a Santa evidence kit.