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A NORTH POLE PARTY
This month, it’s to the North Pole we go!
What child wouldn’t want to make that trip
this time of the year? Transport your kids and their friends to the North Pole for an afternoon of delight. Here’s how:
THE INVITATIONS
Send an invitation in the shape of a sign to the North Pole with all the details included. You could definitely request that the kids come in red or green to help add festive color as well.
THE DECORATIONS
Be sure to have a North Pole sign on the front lawn or on the front door to welcome your guests.
If snow is not on the ground, decorate the door and front area with fake snow. A sea of pearly white balloons throughout the party area would also add to the festive décor. Hang snowflakes from the ceiling.
Since it’s likely that your home is already decorated for the holidays, you don’t have to do too much else to bring the theme to life.
THE CRAFTS
As soon as guests enter the party, they’ll smell the heavenly scent of freshly baked cookies in the air. Display the cookies so that they are ready to be frosted and decorated by your little elves. Or, have gingerbread men out ready for baking. All you’ll need are raisins and chocolate chips added for eyes and buttons before baking. This is a great activity to do while the kids are arriving.
Make jingle bell necklaces. In bright bowls, place an assortment of jingle bells for the kids to thread onto thin satin ribbon. Help the kids tie a tight knot to hold the jingles on the necklace. The kids can wear these throughout the party and take them home as a goody.
Make snowmen.
You’ll need:
Styrofoam balls in three shapes: large, medium and small.
Toothpicks, puff paints or paint pens, fake snow, orange and black construction paper, black buttons and glue.
Stick the Styrofoam balls together with the toothpicks and then decorate them like snowmen. The kids can glue the buttons on as eyes or they can just decorate their snowmen with puff paints and paint pens. Give the snowmen top hats made out of the black construction paper and a nose using the orange construction paper.
Draw winter scenes. Provide construction paper, markers, glitter glue, cotton (for fake snow), etc., for the kids to make their own wintry scene to hang around the party room and to take home with them.
THE ACTIVITIES
Read a North Pole story to the kids. The Polar Express is a beautifully illustrated and highly recommended read.
Make sure kids know where the North Pole is—show them on a globe and throw out some fun facts about the real place.
Recruit a few high school kids to dress up like elves and make a visit to the party.
Have them paint rosy red cheeks onto the kids with some glitter for added sparkle. Ask them to describe the jobs they do for Santa in the North Pole.
Have the kids write letters to Santa.
Make reindeer feed to keep Santa’s reindeer strong for their upcoming important journey. Put out oats, Chex Mix, pretzel sticks, etc., in separate bowls and have the kids combine the mix together. They can take a baggie of the “feed” home with them as well.
Make gingerbread homes—either individual ones or a group one.
THE MENU
Serve cocoa, eggnog or spiced cider. (If using teacups, label one at the bottom with a snowflake and that one will be filled first!)
Carrots, celery and other vegetables with a dip would be another good choice and could be labeled as reindeer grub.
Cut out sandwiches with a snowman cookie-cutter and fill with any type of delicious filling of your choosing.
The cookies that were made at the beginning of the party are the perfect dessert treat.
THE GOODY BAGS
Waste not, want not! The kids can take home some of the cookies they decorated, the reindeer feed and their crafts in holiday-themed gift bags or even stockings as the parting gift.
A trip to the North Pole is special and is guaranteed to up the holiday cheer for everyone. All aboard!
Lisa Kothari is the founder and president of Peppers and Pollywogs (www.peppersandpollywogs.com),
a kids’ party-planning company that provides parents with ideas, entertainers and interesting web-based tools (customized rhymes and cards for your invitations!) to make kids’ party planning easy. She has recently written and published Dear Peppers and Pollywogs… What Parents Want to Know About Planning Their Kids’ Parties, which is available at www.amazon.com and www.peppersandpollywogs.com.
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