Nick Cannon says he has a lot in common with jolly old St. Nicholas ... because they both have to travel all over the place to see kids for Christmas.
We got Nick volunteering Friday at the L.A. Mission and our photog asked how he's going to spend the holiday ... seeing as he's welcomed 11 children with 6 different women and has a 12th on the way.
Nick was in a jolly mood, telling us he has the same vibe as Santa Claus ... because they'll be traveling all night long.
For Friday's volunteer efforts, Nick was rolling with baby mama Brittany Bell and two of their three kids, Golden and Powerful Queen.
Nick's been criticized recently for spreading himself too thin with the sheer number of children, with some of his other baby mamas seemingly taking shots themselves ... but as you can see, there are some tender family moments between Nick and Powerful, who seems enamored with her daddy's Santa hat.
No word if Nick uses a sleigh and flying reindeer to visit all his kids ... but he's definitely used to children telling him what they want for Christmas.