An Orange County mall Santa is thinking outside the box to keep the Christmas spirit thriving despite the pandemic.

Tom Beams, who dresses up as Santa, is turning his traditional mall visits into virtual visits.

Beams says many malls aren’t hiring this year and families are steering away from typical in-person visits due to health concerns. So, he decided that interactive virtual visits can be just as fun.

"We can sing songs. I have a couple of books I can read them – like "The Night Before Christmas." And all the people that do video chats with me can mail real letters to my PO Box,” says Beams.

News 12 is told visits cost $25 for 10 minutes. To sign up, visit this website.