Holiday Party Ideas! How about a Cookie Decorating Party with Santa?

Holiday Party Ideas

How about a Cookie Decorating Party with Santa?

Ho Ho Ho! Everyone knows how much Santa Claus Loves Cookies, so it is only natural to have a cookie decorating party with Santa.  What fun for the children and they get to eat their own creations!  This is a great Holiday or Birthday activity Below are some ideas and recipes.  You will need some holiday cookie cutters and cups to mix the icing in.  Or you may buy plain Sugar Cookies already baked for this activity.

Step 1. Bake some Sugar Cookies

PREP TIME     20 Min
COOK TIME     8 Min
READY IN     3 Hrs
Original recipe yield 5 dozen

INGREDIENTS

* 1 1/2 cups butter, softened
* 2 cups white sugar
* 4 eggs
* 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
* 5 cups all-purpose flour
* 2 teaspoons baking powder
* 1 teaspoon salt

DIRECTIONS

1. In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until smooth.  Beat in eggs and vanilla.  Stir in the flour, baking powder, and salt.  Cover, and chill dough for at least one hour (or overnight).
2. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).  Roll out dough on floured surface about 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick.  Cut into shapes with any cookie cutter.  Place cookies 1 inch apart on ungreased cookie sheets.
3. Bake 6 to 8 minutes in preheated oven.  Cool completely.  Makes 60 cookies.

Step 2. Make some Icing

INGREDIENTS

* 3 cups powdered sugar
* 1/3 cup butter or margarine
* 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
* About 2 tablespoons milk

DIRECTIONS

With an electric mixer at low speed, mix the powdered sugar and butter together.  Once combined, add vanilla and milk.  Increase speed of mixer to medium and beat for 1 to 2 minutes or until smooth and of spreading consistency.

Or make icing with confectioners’ sugar and milk.  Just make it fairly thin, as to ‘paint’ the icing on the cookies with a pastry brush.  Thin enough to spread easily but not so thin that it just makes your cookies “wet and runs off.”

Step 3 Get ready for the fun!

SUPPLIES NEEDED

* paper cups
* food coloring
* plastic spoons
* paper towels

The idea here is to let the kids decorate their own cookies.  Give each child a cup with a small amount of icing, and a spoon and help them add a few drops of food color.  Allow them to stir the color in and then ice their own cookie.  This is a great activity and by adding sprinkles and other small items like gummy bears, dried fruit (I like strawberries) or mini M&M’s.. The possibilities are truly endless.

This is a simple activity to put together and with some supervision it doesn’t have to be very messy.  During the party this activity can take between 10 – 20 min. depending on how many add on decorations you have available and the number of children attending.

I have only listed a few items in the list to add on. So, what would YOU sprinkle on your cookie?

For help planning your next event with one of  Ohio’s Top Childrens’ Entertainers contact Santa Dennis @ 614-539-8333.

So you hired a Santa now what?

Santa Visit tips from SantaOhio.com

Make sure the batteries are fully charged and that you have all the film, video – tape, etc. to take all the photos you want or need.  Have your gifts ready!  If Santa is to make his entrance with gifts, they should be labeled, easy to read, and fit into a 35 gallon garbage bag.  Don’t use tags as they fall off.  Use a marker to write the names large and legible on the gifts.  Prior arrangements could be made before the visit to get the gifts to Santa.  Timing is everything, as Santa will be with you for a limited amount of time.  Santa will call the designated coordinator just before his arrival.  That’s your cue to get everyone together, maybe sing a Christmas song or two.

Reserve a special parking place for Santa.  It should be as close as possible to where he is appearing.  And remember, Santa is a senior citizen.  If he parks down the street or around the corner and has to walk all the way to your home, or office, he might be a bit winded or exhausted, when he gets there.  And remember, he’s wearing a heavy wool suit that gets very hot, (even in December).  If the visit is at your home, leave an opening at the end of your driveway.  Just put a temporary barrier in the space.  Use a box, a chair or a sawhorse.  Have some fun and put a sign out “Reserved for Santa!”  If your event is at a company facility, office building or hotel, try to make arrangements for Santa to park in a valet or loading area.  Again you can mark the area with a fun sign.  This makes it easier for him to be fresh and ready to bring joy to your guests.

Folding chairs and low chairs do not work well for Santa as Santa is a large man.  A good straight back dining room chair works best.  Stage some great photos by placing Santa’s chair near your Christmas tree or other holiday setting.  Your photos will have more impact if the background has a festive look.  Think about photos with everyone, old and young alike. Santa can stand up for a “buddy” photo with teens and adults if they are “shy”.

If there is a balance or payment due to Santa, please place it inside a Christmas card or envelope.  It is never appropriate to hand cash to Santa.  So, as Santa is departing, hand him the envelope and say, “Thank you, Santa, here is a Christmas card from all of us to you.”

This is how lasting memories of your family and friends are made and captured forever.  So let us bring some magic and fun to your Yuletide event and you will get to keep the memories forever.

Santa Dennis