The idea is to move youngsters from receiving gifts from Santa to "being" Santa. "In this sense, the Santa construct is not a found deception, but rather an expanding succession of good actions and Christmas enthusiasm," the parent's article reads. The Santa Claus Board has more than 9,000 volunteers across six continents who work with thousands of children each year by playing Santa Claus at holiday parties, school events, and community gatherings. Kids can be any age as long as they understand that "Santa" is a nickname for someone who brings them gifts in December. But most children are between the ages of 3 and 10 when they meet Santa first-hand at a holiday party or event. Parents send letters to Santa asking for items to give to their kids. These can be anything from requests for toys to food items to personal items like music players or phones. Kids then create handmade cards telling Santa what they would like for Christmas. The parents send these cards along with the requested items to help Santa keep track of who has been nice this year. Children also have the opportunity to write their own letters to Santa. They are asked to think about what they want for Christmas and what things they have done this year that make them deserving of some gift material. Then they use the Letters to Santa page to write their messages directly on the website.