The kids deserve a joyful and happy Christmas, don't they? Try these free ways to spark Christmas joy for children with apps, games, and interactive websites.

Christmas in 2020 is a bit different from all the others, but that doesn't mean the children can't have a good time. When you can't do normal Christmas activities, you need to adapt and improvise so that the kids don't miss the festive atmosphere. Start with stress-free holiday planning, and then use these wonderful sites and apps for children to enjoy Christmas.

1. ChristmasVillage.io (Web): Control a Toy Christmas Village Remotely

ChristmasVillage.io is a live-stream model village that anyone can control over the internet

Everything about the ChristmasVillage.io makes you love the internet. If kids can't visit a cool Christmas village in your neighborhood this year, they can see one online. And they can even control the lights and the train!

A few enthusiastic geeks put together a model Christmas village with a model train running around it. It has two cameras: one looking at the village, and the other mounted on the train for an on-ground perspective. Everything is live-streamed through YouTube.

You can control the lighting on each house separately, and start or stop the train too. The makers have even set up a few light shows that change the lights and the music, such as disco, wizards in winter, and so on.

Your kids (or let's face it, you) can fiddle around with different light shows, and switch between camera views for an entertaining time. You could even cast this to your TV for a festive time.

2. Macy's SantaLand at Home (Web): Whimsical Interactive Experience With Games

Macy's Santaland at Home is a fun interactive experience for children full of videos and mini-games

Given the COVID-19 restrictions, Macy's turned its annual Santaland in-store experience into a virtual experience. Visit the site from a desktop or mobile browser. If you're using a computer, use one that has a webcam.

Parents need to register for the site and start the interactive app, and at a certain point, you'll get a notice that the kids can take over. You can set up the experience for up to three kids to use it at a time. You can also choose from three diversity-oriented experiences: Caucasian, African-American, Spanish-Speaking.

The experience is a mix of videos and online mini-games. Santa's elves are on their way to meet him at the North Pole, and you're joining them for the ride. Along the journey, they'll meet other elves, spread some holiday cheer, and play web games like decorating a Christmas tree.

At the end of the whole trip, kids will meet Santa in a short video, share their holiday wish list with him, and then take a picture with Santa. You can download this photo and share it.

3. Tubi, Vudu, and Mr. Bean (Web, Mobile): Watch Free Christmas Movies Online

Tubi offers a large collection of free Christmas movies to stream online

Don't have a subscription to Netflix, Amazon Prime, Disney+, or other streaming services? There are still some excellent free apps to watch movies online so that kids can stream Christmas movies and TV shows for free.

Tubi's Holidays at Home collection features legal full-length movies for online viewing. There are almost 150 movies you can watch for free by simply registering an account. There are ad-breaks sometimes, but that's to be expected. If you're watching it on a phone or a tablet, grab the Tubi app, it's a better experience than the browser.

Similarly, Vudu offers plenty of free Christmas movies to stream online. There isn't a dedicated section for it, so search for Christmas and then look for movies with the red "Free With Ads" banner on top.

Then there's always YouTube, where you can often find great entertainment for free. The official Mr. Bean page has compiled a playlist of Christmas-themed Mr. Bean full episodes. Rowan Atkinson's popular character is a guaranteed laugh riot for kids and adults.

4. Christmas Monopoly (Print): Free Printable Board Games for the Holidays

North Pole Express is a free printable download of the classic Monopoly board game redone with Christmas themes

Christmas is about spending time together as a family, and board games are a fun activity that everyone can enjoy together. North Pole Express is a Christmas-themed version of Monopoly by Noella Designs, which you can download and print at home for free.

It's a full recreation of the classic Monopoly, with the properties replaced with things like reindeer stable, candy cane factory, elves' workshop, etc. There are decks for drawing cards, penalties, and goodies, and even Christmas-themed money you can print out. It's a wonderful way to replay the classic board game while being in the festive mood.

Noella Designs offers a few other Christmassy printable board games for free, including chess, dominoes, scrabble, and penny slide. Try them out, these are some of the best family board games to enjoy during Christmas.

Meanwhile, Powerful Mothering has a free Christmas board game too, which is much simpler than Monopoly and better for younger children. It's also easier to print and can be played with more people at a time.

5. Video Call Santa (Android, iOS): Pre-Recorded Video Calls to Entertain Kids

Since children can't go visit Santa Claus at a mall and ask for presents, the next best thing for free is Dualverse's Video Call Santa app. The app simulates a video call with Santa for your kid, playing a pre-recorded video.

The video has a few pauses meant for the child to respond. For example, Santa will ask if they've been good this year, and what they want for Christmas. Given the responses of people on the Play Store and App Store, it has worked well for most kids. The best part is that all video calls are recorded in the app, so you can revisit them later to see your child's reaction while talking to Santa.

Parents can customize the app a bit in the Settings, which is a password-protected section of the app so that the kid doesn't accidentally stumble into it. In the settings, you can choose from three free videos (regular, follow-up, and off-season), or unlock more for a price. You can also have Santa say your child's name for a small fee.

Download: Video Call Santa for Android | iOS (Free)

Try Zoom Calls With Santa Claus

These different ways are bound to bring some holiday cheer into your kids' lives, especially if they're stuck at home. It's amazing how people have innovated to bring Christmas home when they can't celebrate outside. But in the end, there's nothing like Santa Claus to bring a smile on a child's face.

A new trend during the COVID-19 pandemic is Zoom calls with Santa Claus. Professional Santas are setting up short video call sessions for a small fee, while "calling from North Pole" to entertain the kids. You can find a few on Zoom Santa and Zoom Party, or search the internet to find many more who customize it for how you want your kids' experience.