IKEA is selling a Santa Trap to help your little one catch a glimpse of Father Christmas

Santa better watch out!

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.

Related: Is this the most expensive Christmas tree in the world? It cost £12 million and is dripping in diamonds

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

santa trap from Ikea

(Image credit: IKEA)

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.

motion light sensor

(Image credit: IKEA)

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!'

living room with santa giving gifts

(Image credit: IKEA)

'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!

Rebecca Knight
Deputy Editor, Digital

Rebecca Knight has been the Deputy Editor on the Ideal Home Website since 2022. She graduated with a Masters degree in magazine journalism from City, University of London in 2018, before starting her journalism career as a staff writer on women's weekly magazines. She fell into the world of homes and interiors after joining the Ideal Home website team in 2019 as a Digital Writer. In 2020 she moved into position of Homes News Editor working across Homes & Gardens, LivingEtc, Real Homes, Gardeningetc and Ideal Home covering everything from the latest viral cleaning hack to the next big interior trend.