Polar Express Christmas Eve Activity
Preparing Children for Santa With Chris Van Allsburg's Classic Tale
Dec 23, 2008
The Polar Express by Christ Van Allsburg tells the story of a young boy who believes in Santa, though one of his friends does not. The following Christmas Eve children's activity can preserve the magic of Christmas for all who are young at heart.
How to Prepare for Santa With the Polar Express
Read Chris Van Allsburg's The Polar Express to children, or encourage older children to read the story aloud to everyone. Gather the whole family comfortably for the reading, and take time to enjoy the book and company.
Teach Children About Gift Giving Using the Polar Express
Explore the book's message about gift giving with children using the following exercise. Remind children that the boy asked for a bell off of Santa's sleigh to remember Santa and a special night, even though he could have had a whole sleigh of presents. Ask children what they would have chosen and why. Explain that true gifts are given to remember the person who gave them. Though the boy could have had any present in the world, he chose a small bell that reminded him of someone he cared about. Ask children what gift they would like to remember this Christmas, and invite all the family present to share together.
Share Dreams for the Future With Santa
The little boy in The Polar Express dreamed of Santa and a world of possibilities in the book's beginning.
Invite children to draw Santa a picture about their dreams and hopes for the coming year and the rest of their lives. If children are older, encourage them to write Santa a letter on the same theme. Keep the letters, and when children grow older, offer the drawings, and/or lettters as gifts to them as keepsakes from their childhoods.
Prepare Snacks for Santa
Offer Santa snacks, either candy or hot chocolate enjoyed by the children in The Polar Express, or other goodies prepared for the family's Christmas celebration. Take the opportunity to teach children about healthy eating by adding a few crunchy vegetables, fruit, or even a bottle of water to the plate, explaining that Santa needs to fit down chimneys and keep his blood pressure low.
Watch The Polar Express Movie for a new Holiday Tradition
Spend Christmas Eve curled up watching the movie version of The Polar Express with all the family present. Share some Christmas carols and a snack, like the children in The Polar Express, before putting the children to bed for the night.
With some time and family participation, The Polar Express can be fun and create a tradition of sharing and remembering the true meaning of Christmas with children this and every Christmas Eve.
SOURCE
Van Allsburg, Chris. The Polar Express, Houghton Mifflin Company: Boston, 1985.
