Tripwires, bags of flour, bells and mince pies might not occur to an adult as essential supplies for Christmas Eve. But for your child, they are a must-have – as bait for a Santa trap.
It seems they're no longer satisfied with just listening out for the clip-clopping of reindeer hooves on the roof. Because IKEA reveals that 74 per cent of children have set a Santa trap.
Kids eager to get a glimpse of Santa Claus have admitted to leaving out treats as bait, and hope to catch him eating them.
However, a few kids have taken a leaf out of the Home Alone playbook, setting tripwire and flour traps. 13 per cent sprinkle flour by the fireplace to see if Santa leaves a boot mark. And 5 per cent set up bells to alert them to Father Christmas' presence.
IKEA Santa trap
But if you're not keen on your kid planning a Kevin McCallister-style heist on the bigred guy, you're in luck. IKEA has launched its own IKEA Santa Trap.
Outside of the festive season, the IKEA Santa Trap is more commonly known as the TRÅDFRI motion light sensor. The sensor detects movement and will automatically turn on up to ten light sources from a maximum range of ten metres.
Buy now: Santa trap, £15, IKEA
If your little one hopes to see Santa this year, pop one up by the fireplace or Christmas tree. If it senses anyone filling stockings or popping presents under the tree, the synced-up lights will turn on.
Father Christmas will have to be extra speedy this year to avoid being caught out by the IKEA Santa Trap.
'Christmas is a truly magical time of year, and even more so when Santa finally comes to visit!' says Evanthia Nikoglou, Expert Santa Catcher at IKEA UK and Ireland. 'As he travels at tremendous speed all around the globe to deliver his presents in time, it's not surprising that he can be very tricky to spot!'
'Our nifty 'Santa Traps' use motion sensor technology to detect the slightest movements in the home, turning on the lights using IKEA's TRÅDFRI Smart Bulbs,' Evanthia adds.
'We're excited that children all over the UK will now be in with a better chance of catching a glimpse of Santa this year, bringing Christmas joy to homes this festive season.'
Related: Love them or loath them? Have Christmas decorations gone too far with these Santa curtains?
If you do catch a glimpse of Santa, please keep the small talk brief. He's got a busy night ahead of him!
-
How do boiling water taps work? Everything you need to know about this genius appliance before you investDiscover the inner workings of boiling water taps and what features are worth having
-
Can you paint over caulk? It’s tricky but not impossible if you follow these 4 expert-approved stepsPainting caulk may seem like an easy task, but it requires some special attention
-
How to remove ice from a driveway – and the popular method paving experts are warning againstIs salt safe for driveways? Here's what the experts say...
