Why drag the kids to the mall to see Santa when you can bring him to your house and avoid all the hectic shoppers and long lines? Young kids love to tell Santa what their little hearts desire, so throwing a Santa-themed party during the holiday season is a lot of fun. The hardest part of planning a party of this nature is finding someone (or hiring someone) to play the part of Santa. Once that is figured out, this party is a sure hit with the kids and adults alike. [photo via flickr]
Invitations and Decorations
Invitations can be of any holiday theme, but to keep with the Santa theme, they should be addressed as if coming from Santa himself. Kids will love getting a personal invitation from Santa.
Decorations can be anything Christmas-y, as well. Use gift-wrapped boxes, ornaments, garland, and other holiday decorations to make your house look festive. In one corner of the room, near the Christmas tree, perhaps, place a big chair for Santa to sit in when the children tell him what they want for Christmas. This will make a good backdrop for pictures.
The Party
Because you are inviting a number of young children, it is best to have activities planned for the entire party to keep them entertained and out of trouble. A party of this nature, with children of Santa-believing age, should last no more than 2-3 hours, so keeping the kids busy is the key to a stress-free, successful party. The following is a guideline for the Santa-themed holiday party.
- When all of the children have arrived, begin the party by having them decorate cookies for Santa. Buy or bake cookies ahead of time and have frosting, candies and other decorations available for the children to decorate their cookies for Santa.
- Once all the cookies are decorated, it is time for refreshments. Supply holiday treats with a red and green theme such as red velvet cupcakes, spinach dip and chips, colorful veggies and dip or strawberries and whipped cream for a festive table. While the kids are eating, it is a good time to prepare for Santa’s visit.
- After the children are finished eating, gather them all into the room where Santa will be. Have Santa make a grand entrance carrying a bag full of presents for the kids. You can visit the dollar store for small gifts that Santa can hand out to each child after they sit on his lap.
At the end of the party, hand out gift bags to each child that contain a couple of sweet treats, an ornament to remember the party and any other trinket you think they might like.
