Offering a special picture to Santa
Last night, we attended a Christmas picnic at my daughter’s kinder. It was a lovely night and we had a special visitor towards the end of the evening.
As my daughter had known that Santa was visiting the picnic, she created a gift for him in the afternoon. The gift being a drawing on a piece of cardboard.
Seeing Santa
When Santa arrived, not surprisingly, lots of children ran over to him.
The band was playing ‘Santa is coming to town’ and the children were happily looking at their Christmas hero.
Each child was given an icy pole by Santa, and Santa moved around to greet other children and chat to some adults.
My daughter had her icy pole in hand then grabbed her gift and followed Santa, trying to get his attention. Reaching out her gift, she was able to give it to him.
Santa’s response
Santa was surprised to be given a gift, thanked her warmly and leant down to kiss her cheek.
For the rest of Santa’s visit, her cardboard gift was in his hand. He also carried it up the street when he left, as witnessed by a friend 🙂
Santa waving bells and holding a child’s gift
My very excited daughter has since described Santa’s beard as being like ‘sheep’s fluff’ – soft and cuddly.
Gifts for Santa
My children often talk about giving something to Santa, and have left gifts for him on a number of Christmas Eves. However, it is the first time a gift has been physically handed to Santa.
It was a lovely memory for us and a special way for her to finish kinder – thanks Santa 🙂
Have you or your children ever given a gift to Santa?
When I was 7 I gave a lollipop to a mall santa who was taking a break next to the back entrance that lies almost right across from where I live. He seemed so genuinely happy, and it really stuck with me in latter years. I think kids learn a little something about kindness and generosity from giving gifts to people. Especially people who don’t really seem to need it, or people who you wouldn’t normally give gifts to, like Santa or the mailman. When I become a mother, I will definitely try to pass this idea on to my kids. It’s just so wonderful, and “christmas-ey” in every sense of the word 😀
That was a lovely thing for you to do as a child, DatGiz. I agree that there is much to be gained by giving – and teaching children to give is to give them a good start. I hope you do well with teaching your kids this one day – the more who learn it, the better our world will be I think 🙂
That’s a wonderful thought, giving a gift to the gifter. I have always taught my children that Santa is a helper of Jesus and that he brings gifts to celebrate the birth of our Christ, celebrating all children. I love the Christmas trees and lights, we never really set out cookies or gifts for Santa. Unfortunately, it’s too late for that now, but I just had my annual holiday pot luck at our school, maybe I’ll give the teacher who played Santa little gift.
Thanks!
It’s never too late to give someone a gift! Especially the big guy. You could always send him a present in July? You know, Christmas in July. On the other hand, I’m sure the pot-luck Santa will be very happy!
True – there’s nothing stopping you and your family sending Santa a gift at any time!
A gift to that teacher is a nice gesture, C 🙂
Leaving food for Santa is a lifelong tradition for me, but more than that, I do like that my children to learn generosity and gratitude by doing something nice for Santa.
Your family can always start a new tradition this year, to show thanks.
I remember when I was very young, I would send my list to Santa and ask if he’d like me to either send him something or leave it out so he could collect it while I slept on Christmas Eve. He’s a busy guy so I never got any answers back on that but the presents I did leave him were usually a small book or some cookies in a nice bag so he could eat them on the sleigh rather than having to eat them all right there.
What a lovely child you were, sorrowscal 🙂 Leaving treats in a bag for him to take away is a very thoughtful gesture – I hadn’t thought of that but have often considered how Santa has to fit a lot of food in on one fast night.
My theory? I don’t think he’s really fat. I think his suit is just filled to the brim with cookies and plastic bottles of milk he must have haphazardly poured quickly so he can stay on schedule.
So maybe half his suit is a massive bottle to collect drinks in and the other half is a food storage container. Hmm, maybe multiple bottles – the idea of mixed drinks in one bottle is a bit grow for my liking! While ‘cookies and milk’ may be the thing in the USA, in Australia, I know a bigger variety of treats and drinks is left out for Santa.
Or maybe his suit is filled with all the cookies and treats that he did not have time to eat so he could stay on schedule. Because we all know his rosy cheeks are from the cold air, why not his big suit for extra snacks for his long ride across the world?
Ho ho ho ho!
I love that idea – it’s not really a big tummy, just a big suit full of yummy Santa snacks!
What a sweet little girl!! As a nanny and a daycare provider, I have never had a child think to give a gift to Santa Clause!!!
Thanks Amanda – I am pretty proud of her, too, and think she’s sweet (but I may be a little teensy bit biased!)
We used to leave out cookies and milk for Santa and a carrot for Rudolph on Christmas Eve. I don’t remember ever giving Santa a gift. It’s really sweet of your daughter to do this. And, a wonderful memory for your family.
It is a wonderful memory – I am so pleased she made the gift that afternoon when she decided to do so.
That’s so sweet. I love that there is still kind-heartedness in the world. Keep teaching our children love, that Santa does exist and there are good people still in the world. This story still is warming my heart after the third read.
That is great C – I feel even better about her actions if it is making others feel good, too! She is now planning to make baby bon bons for all the littlies we know so they can have little paper hats, which is also kind hearted of her.
That was such a kind gesture! I am sure “Santa” really appreciated it. I admit, I never considered taking a gift when we go visit Santa. We do leave out cookies and milk for him and snacks for his reindeer.
I can’t take credit of thinking of this gift either, Susie – it was all my daughter’s idea! I just helped her approach Santa and took the photos!
Other foods and drinks for Santa? I guess I could always leave him some egg nog or hot chocolate this year. That might make him a bit happy to get some more variety.
A warm drink would probably be welcome on a cold night, too!
All that flying really must leave him parched! The kids also “leave a mince pie for Santa”. I am happy to oblige…
….I want to impersonate the big guy now…if it means I get mince meat pie out of it! In all seriousness though, that’s also something really nice to do!
Hmmm, in the context of Christmas, when we talk about mince pies, we mean fruit mince in a small pastry shell – so it is small and delicious, but has nothing to do with meat! In Australia, it’s just a pie if it’s meat – or we get into specifics (chicken and leek pie, beef and curry pie, beef and bacon pie).
So for Santa it would usually be a lovely fruit mince pie left out 🙂
Very selfless of you to oblige!!!!!!!
That’s an incredibly enriching experience for your child. My child, Jonas, likes to receive presents, but last year we decided to help him wrap his first gift. He didn’t know who to give it to so we decided to give it to Santa! He didn’t know what to give either so he gave his best; cookies and a thank you letter. Now my wife and I have in our cabinet a thank you letter to Santa that we’ll cherish for life. I recommend helping your child with this experience without a doubt.
I’m glad you and Jonas had such a great experience, Cutter. Is he preparing another gift this year?
I encourage my kids to write thank you letters to Santa each year and they always leave out a snack for him on Christmas Eve. My kids give gifts to each other an their grandparents, plus teachers/leaders and classmates, so that they learn about giving as well as receiving – and they really enjoy it.
That is a very sweet story. It warms my heart to see how caring children are. I’m glad Santa enjoyed his gift, and your daughter was pleased with his response.
Awe~ What a lovely way to end the Kindergarten indeed. Good thing she was able to give it directly to Santa and not to his elves. Kidding! That is something not every kid is able to do. I bet Santa is happy with getting gifts in return of making little children happy by leaving their wishes under the Christmas tree. 🙂
Yes, I’m sure Santa appreciates gifts from children – I mean, he is always encouraging children to be good and sets an example of giving, so he must love seeing children give, too!
Wait, so mince pie is basically a fruit cake? I remember there being a law somewhere that stated a person from there couldn’t call them that! But, I thought that was England…sorry! At any rate, I hope you had a wonderful Christmas!
No, it’s not a fruit cake! It is a pastry shell with fruit mince in it and a pastry top – definitely a pie but it has a fruit filling rather than meat 🙂
..I’d like to go on and correct my mistake, I know you can use the word fruit cake (went and looked it up like a dork) I’m sorry. Still, that pastry shell sounds really tasty in addition to the fruit.
No apology needed! We may all speak English, but there are different uses of it in different places 🙂 I’m planning to get some mince pies today so I can add a photo here for you, sorrowscal!
I’m looking forward to it! Though, I do think Santa does deserve a hardy mutton or meat pie after all that hard work. Unless he’s vegetarian, that’s cool too. Oh! I’d like to see it! I looked up some pictures and they all look incredibly tasty!
I agree – Santa deserves a lot after his big trip! But I guess he gets lots of smaller snacks all along the way 🙂 And trust me, a couple of fruit mince pies are very filling…
Image added above for you 🙂 Alongside my description of mince pies 🙂
This is really cute and appreciable:) All kids should inculcate such habits:)
We have just spotted a Christmas ad for the UK pharmacy, Boots. It is based around a little girl asking “Mum, who gives presents to Santa?”
I love that it involves Santa getting an unwrapped present down his chimney, plus they give presents to everyone who helps them on the way to the North Pole. Well done Boots!
https://www.moreaboutadvertising.com/2023/11/just-what-he-always-wanted-boots-gives-santa-a-gift-for-christmas/