Best Breakfast/lunch Activity with Santa

hey lisa, my family loves going to the henry ford, to visit w/ santa. you have to pay the museum admission, unless you have a membership. it is a pretty simple event. you wait in line to visit w/ santa ,who has a real beard(my now 11 yr old is convinced he is the real deal)and he gives the children a little present(a ty beanie baby mouse, last year). then you get to explore the museum! they have a beautifully decorated giant christmas tree, a super cool model train holiday village, and if you go on sunday there are some simple paper craft projects to do. they also sell beautiful reasonably priced christmas trees after thanksgiving.

I think most kids are afraid of Santa...and really, is there any reason she shouldn't be? I say let her be afraid, don't make her go to an event, but let her 'admire from a distance', like you said, perhaps at a mall or something. Im sure she likes the 'idea' of Santa...she doesn't need to like him in person...LOL

~L.

We have been SO fortunate! A long-time friend of mine has a great Santa suit and he's a wonderful, gentle and easy-going Santa... and, until our kids were much older, we had a group of families party, with him visiting, to keep it small, personal and comfortable for even the youngest children.

After an afternoon of crafts and cookie decorating, Santa would come bearing gifts (supplied by parents, wrapped and tagged for their own children, with a 'value maximum' so no kids was getting a computer while others got hair elastics) and everyone would get their picture taken with Santa - from little kids, through teens and even some of the adults.

This eliminated the stress of hoping that a child would accept the forwardness of a total (potentially creepy) stranger...

Do you know some other families who might be interested in starting something like this?

The Sterling Heights Stevenson High School choir has a Lunch with Santa on December 13, from 11:00 am to 1:00 pm. Santa brings in his Harley and the kids can sit on the motorcycle and get their picture taken. Sometimes the draw of the motorcycle can overcome their fear of Santa! :-] Plus, no need to sit in a stranger's lap! For $5 the kids get a picture with Santa, a bag lunch and a bunch of crafts, plus performances by the Stevenson choirs. All proceeds benefit the vocal music program.

I have my father dress up as Santa every year and come to my home. He visits with the kids and lets the brave ones sit on his lap. My kids have never been afraid and it has helped many overcome their fears when they hear him and can talk to him without a time constraint. Where do you live? Do you know anyone that does this?

My daughter is frightened by Santa. I think it is okay for a small girl to not want to sit on a strange mans lap. She loves all Santa movies and all of the other wonders of the season and if I sit on Santas lap too she loves it... but not alone.

My 3 year old son is afraid of Santa too. I don't know how he will handle it this year, but here's what I did last year. I took my then 12 year old daughter and her friend along with my son and I to the mall and he got to watch the girls sit on Santa's lap then the girls took him up and he was fine with Santa. Sometimes it helps when the little ones see older siblings or friends meet Santa.

MC

My daughter met Santa for the first time at the Henry Ford last year, she was 2. There is no charge to see him, just your general admission (or membership). Santa didn't even attempt to pick her up which i think was great, he had a little seat next to him and had her sit there for the picture - she loved it and is asking to see him again this year. He also gives out a Xmas beanie baby to everyone. I highly recommend it.