5 ways to know Santa visited on Christmas Eve

While children will undoubtedly be excited to wake up Christmas morning and open presents, a great way to add some extra delight is to make it seem like Santa has actually visited your home. For some surefire ways to make it seem like Santa's stopped by, check out the list below.

One of the most traditional Santa customs is leaving a plate of cookies and a glass of milk out for Santa before children go to bed. Help your children set up the plate and the cup before bedtime, and leave a note telling Santa that the cookies are for him. Once your children are fast asleep, drink the milk and take a few bites out of the cookies.

Some extra creative touches include sprinkling crumbs on top of Christmas presents and leaving a thank you note in Santa's handwriting.

Everyone knows that reindeer eat carrots, so you can leave a plate of these veggies out for Santa's reindeer. Rather than emptying the plate after the kids go to bed, consider leaving carrot pieces with bite marks in them on the floor or near the fireplace.

For some extra fun, consider putting carrot pieces in the yard to make it seem like the reindeer dropped them along the way.

It's simple to create a trail the reindeer and Santa's sleigh left behind by using glitter. Try sprinkling glitter in a path from the fireplace to the tree. If you don't want to make a mess in your home, you can sprinkle glitter in a path on your lawn to make it seem like Santa has flown overhead. This works particularly well if it has snowed.

You can make your children believe that Santa has come by filling the stockings that hang on your mantle. Fill them with small gifts and treats, and lay them on the floor as if Santa has stuffed them and knocked them down as he went up the chimney.

In addition to simply leaving behind Santa's snacks, plant some other clues around the house that suggest Santa might have been there. Consider putting a piece of red, velvety cloth on the fireplace or tree as if Santa's suit got snagged. You could also get a large boot dirty and make some prints on the floor by the tree or fireplace.