I spent the morning sweeping glitter, clearing tables and picking up fluffs of fake snow around the house, but the clean-up is worth it: the magic of our fifth annual North Pole Party. Sugar cookies, crackling fire, Bing Crosby Christmas songs on repeat, lights, lights, lights, and 27 kids in their pajamas, their little Christmas wonder just a twinklin’. My kind of heaven.
Some snippets from our party:
North Pole favors:
We made snow globes this year with plastic terrarium ornaments (Joann’s), little trees, glitter, snow fluff and Arctic animals.
I finally figured out the most streamlined way for running craft stations at parties. Cover the table with butcher paper, put everything they need out in order of how they’ll assemble the craft and write the directions right on the paper.
Antipasto platters are my new favorite thing to put together for entertaining. There will be many more of these throughout the holidays.
Long after the kids were done with the reindeer food bar and went back inside…Dash was still concocting away.
And this year’s treasure…the big guy himself made time for the party. My dad helped make Santa’s appearance pretty magical. After the kids finished their scavenger hunt, they returned home to find a poem in the yard with instructions to walk 30 feet toward the back of the house where they found a cord and instructions to plug it in. When they did, a perfect runway lit up, leading to a chair at the front of the woods with Santa sitting in it.
(Special thanks to my father-in-law for coming to the party and taking many of these pictures!)
I know my kids will eventually grow out of reindeer food bars and Christmas scavenger hunts, and our house won’t always be full of little ones in peppermint stripe pajamas, calling Christmas “Krimmif.” But right now, I’m just going to close my eyes and soak it in. I’m thankful for this very special window and for all our little friends that make this night such a memory.
North Pole Party Archives: 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011.
So beautiful and fun times. Now I have my grandkids to enjoy the main of Christmas
Oh I love these posts, I look forward to them every year! It looked like another perfect North Pole party Kelle! 🙂
What fantastic memories these kids will have! I really want peppermint striped jammies now
AWESOME! LOVE the memories you are making for the kids, Kelle! Every year we buy my 2 nieces & 2 nephews the Hanna Andersson pajamas and have our annual “Christmas Kick-Off Party!” with a Christmas video, fun treats, and decorating cut-out cookies for them to take home! It’s so much fun! Oldest just started 9th grade but still wanted to come…………..I wish they could stay little forever!
Your kids are going to forever hold the magic of Christmas in their hearts & memories b’cause of all the fun things you do with them!
Wishing you & the family a very peaceful & blessed Christmas Season!
SZQ
Always my favorite post!! This looks more magical than ever!! Thanks so much for sharing with us <3
Butcher’s paper with instructions: brilliant!
Kelle, I love your North Pole party and look forward to it Every.Year. I have longed to have a family tradition and tried several when my kids were young but it never happened. Now my kids are grown and my daughter has kids of her own. Christmases are very different these days for me and sadly I do not look forward to holiday season any more but I so love hearing about yours.
I am also glad to hear that your dad and Gary are moving closer to you and his post when he is watching the kids make my day 🙂
Merry Christmas to you and your family!
I always look forward to this post. The kids are so fortunate that you do this for them every year. You house looks absolutely magical at this time of year.
Thanks for posting early. love, Love, LOVE!!!
Always love your parties–this one especially. LOVE it all. The terrarium ornaments are especially awesome this year!
What a wonderful tradition! I love to see this post every year and delight in the magic you create and that is created within the event itself. Merry Christmas to you and your family.
You are such an amazing mom and hostess! Your kiddos will grow up with some of the best memories. True magic runs through your veins 🙂
Oh my word. Absolute perfection. These posts make me cry because I miss it so much.
I ALWAYS
i ALWAYS look forward to this post. What a great time you have with the children. You bring the magic threw for the kids. Merry Christmas to you and your family.
Magical! Merriest of Christmases to you and your family!
How I miss those days!! This year is so different, and I might add a little lonely for me, daughters have grown up,,.. One is married and I traditions/plans need changing.
Loved reading all about this.
Magical in every way! You are a blessing to not only all those kiddos but to your readers as well! Merry Christmas to you and your sweet family!
I’m pretty sure this is the most adorable thing I’ve ever seen, and I LOVE it. And the craft! That makes ME excited just thinking about it. How fun and delightful that must have been for kids and parents alike! (I would probably cry with happiness. That’s just the kind of mama I am.)
Hi! Just looking back through your old North Pole party posts to get ideas for my daughter’s December birthday party. She’ll be ten. I love the terrarium ornaments so much but wanted to see what you thought of them once the kids made their own… were they pretty easy for them to make by themselves or were they frustrating to them? Anything you’d have done differently to make them? I realize this was a couple years ago though 🙂 Thanks so much for sharing all of your inspiring and amazing ideas on the blog!
those were some of the easiest ones we did! The hard part is getting those ornaments before they sell out, so find them quick!
Thank you!!