Ideas for Breakfast With Santa

Children are the real stars of the Christmas holiday season, and nothing makes them feel more special than being able to eat with Santa. Kids can spend quality time as they eat breakfast with Santa at a restaurant, a farm, a Christmas village or other places where you have to pay admission, or you could set up a similar event right in your own home.

The main focus does not have to be fancy food, but since you won't have to shell out a lot of money on admission, you can treat your small attendees to delicious goodies.

Here are some ho-ho-ho ways to enjoy a meal with Santa.

The best part of being in control of a Christmas breakfast with Santa is that it can be more relaxed. Your children can get dressed up if they want, but why not let them attend in their pajamas? Of course, adults can do this too. Make sure that you have a realistic Santa Claus costume and someone willing to dress up in it. These outfits can be bought or rented; ask friends and family if they have any extras. You can also get attendees to dress up as Mrs. Claus, Rudolph or a jolly old elf.

Send the children a homemade invitation, stamped from the North Pole. You might be able to make these yourself or find printable ones online. Imagine how excited children will be when they receive their invite and start looking forward to Santa Claus eating breakfast with them.

Decorate the dining area when the kids are asleep the night before, using Christmas-themed items such as a Rudolph tablecloth and Santa Claus paper plates, utensils and cups. Hang some Christmas lights over the table and put a poinsettia in the middle for an even more festive setting.

Use a decorative Santa's sleigh to hold the utensils or napkins. For a larger breakfast designed for many guests, a larger sleigh may hold Christmas presents or have a faux display of Santa's reindeer in front of it.

With all the effort going into this amazing breakfast, you won't want the kids to just eat and run. It is a good idea to think of a few activities that they can do with Santa once all of the food has been gobbled up. A holiday scavenger hunt can be a lot of fun, with prizes for everyone. These can be small gifts or something special that you baked for dessert.

Kids can also make simple Christmas crafts with Santa after the meal. A paper plate Santa Claus is fast and easy. Cut a white paper plate in half and paint the middle a flesh-toned color. Allow that to dry and then glue on a Santa hat, googly eyes, a white mustache and beard and a red pom-pom nose. Set out the supplies in advance; you can even cut out the cap ahead of time as well.

Other fun crafts include making handmade ornaments or stamping snowflakes or snowmen onto paper bags and filling them with goodies.

It's important to remember the food, which is an integral part of a breakfast with Santa. There aren't too many breakfast foods that kids don't like, but if you are dealing with picky eaters, be sure to accommodate their preferences so everyone has a good time. Find out about allergies that your guests might have so you can keep everyone safe.

One cute breakfast idea is to make Santa's hat with small stacks of pancakes, topped with a strawberry (pointing up) and a mini marshmallow or dollop of whipped cream. You can also make Christmas tree cookies or form fruity candy cane shapes from sliced strawberries and bananas. Waffles, bacon, sausage and ham are always popular, and they pretty much guarantee that you won't have any leftovers. Offer some tasty hot chocolate for a cold winter morning.

All in all, the goal is to have fun with Santa during this breakfast event. Between the holiday decorations, the tasty food and some quality time with Santa, every kid attending is bound to have a very merry Christmas breakfast.