If you don’t have a chimney at your house, one of the first things your child will say when he or she starts to question Santa Claus will likely be, “But how does he get in?” Why, his magic key, of course!

Santa’s magic key is available in many different incarnations, but all of them serve the same purpose – letting Santa into your house safely on Christmas Eve.

Most of the magic keys come with a poem explaining its use, and how Santa’s magic is able to make the special skeleton key fit into any door.

They typically aren’t too expensive, and range in price from about $7 to $15. Some come with keepsake boxes, and the keys are also available in several different colors, with gold-tone being the most popular.

All your kids have to do is make sure Santa’s magic key has been set out for him on Christmas Eve, so he can get in to deliver all of the presents. When Santa’s finished with the key, he can leave it on the coffee table for you to put away for next year.