Kid Party Ideas For A
Polar Express Train Party

Credit: Warner Bros.

Get your party on the right track with these kid party ideas for a Magical Journey to the North Pole aboard the Polar Express Train...

~ Kid Party Ideas for Polar Express Party ~

Ticket Invitation - Make an invitation using this train ticket sample. On the reverse side, print the text below. When the invitation is finished, use a hole punch to make the word "Believe" (or your own inspirational word) across the ticket.

All Aboarrrrrd!!!
For a Polar Express Train Adventure

Date:
Time:
Place:
Destination: North Pole

Well... are you comin'???

RSVP Conductor: (your phone#) Ticket required at Boarding Time

~ Kid Party Ideas for Polar Express Party ~

Train Invitation - Make a simple train outline on the front of the card using a cookie cutter or copy the graphic shown here. Use the same wording as the Ticket Invitation above, and include a boarding ticket in each invitation, made like the one above.

Sleigh Bell Invitation - Favorite kid party ideas include an invitation using this sleigh bell picture on the front with these words: "The bell still rings for me, as it does for all who truly believe." Attach a small sleigh bell to the invitation with a bit of red ribbon. Inside text should read:

Come on a Magical Journey Aboard the Polar Express

Polar Express bell

Date: Christmas Eve (actual party date)

Time: Five Minutes to Midnight (actual time)

Place: North Pole at (your address)

RSVP Conductor: (your name & phone#)

Hot Chocolate and Nougat Candies will be served
Pajamas required for all passengers

Easy Printable Polar Express Party Invitation

Easy Printable Polar Express Sleigh Bell Nametags

Snowflake Tableware
Set a festive Polar Express party table with snowflake tableware and this singing snowglobe centerpiece. Surround the centerpiece with silver garland or tinsel and scatter red and green light cubes throughout.

Or, float blue light cubes in kids party drinks for a cool holiday effect. Kids will want to take them home as party favors!

~ Kid Party Ideas for Polar Express Party ~

Polar Express Party Cakes -

Four original kid party ideas for great cakes include:

Ticket Cake - Bake a cake in a 9 x 13 rectangular cake pan. Make semicircular cut-outs on either end of the cake. Cover with yellow frosting and outline with chocolate frosting to look like a train ticket. Use a wide cake tip to make broad letters that spell "Round Trip". Use a fine cake tip and write "The Polar Express" above it in fancy script. Use ticket picture above as a guide.

Polar Express sleigh bell

Sleigh Bell Cake - Bake your favorite cake in a well-greased and floured metal or tempered glass bowl. Prepare a cake board with aluminum foil and place the cake on it top (flat) side down. You will have a round domed cake. Frost with white frosting.

Make two wide curved lines of chocolate frosting from the bottom of the cake upward to resemble the double throat of the bell (the slits where the ringing sound comes out. Place a half black gumdrop at the end of each curved line.

At the opposite side of the cake, place a one inch wide piece of red ribbon from which the "bell" hangs...one of our most unique kid party ideas for your Polar Express journey!

Polar Express Train Cake - Bake a cake in 3 or 4 small loaf pans. Frost with chocolate frosting and assemble in a line to resemble the Polar Express train. Use white Good & Plentys for windows and black string licorice for detailing.

Cover a marshmallow with chocolate frosting for a smokestack. A puff of smoke can be fashioned from a twist of white cotton candy or 6-8 pieces of popcorn strung on a piece of wire.

Place on a serving board covered with a layer of light blue frosting to resemble the polar ice cap. Add a few upside down sugar cones for trees. Frost the cones green and cover with green sugar sprinkles.

Christmas Present Cake - Bake a rectangular 9 x 13 cake. Frost it a nice Christmas green. Fashion a simple bow and crossed ties using red string licorice. Frost a graham cracker white and attach to your cake with licorice as a gift tag.

Write "To: (party child's name)" and "From:(party giver)" on the tag.

This one of our kid party ideas can be used for any type of Christmas party.

Train Cake Party Pan makes cake-baking quick and easy for you.

Mini Trains Cake Pans for cute individual train cake servings.

~ Kid Party Ideas for Polar Express Party ~

Polar Express Party Decorations -

8 Ft. Inflatable Waving Snowman
Greet guests upon arrival at your home with this spectacular 8 foot Inflatable Waving Snowman!

Line your front walkway with sparkling snowflake luminaria and attach a bunch of snowflake balloons to your mailbox.

Make simple signs saying "Reindeer Crossing", "Welcome to the North Pole", "Toys Made Here", "Elves at Work", etc. to display in the house or outside. On the door a large sign: "Polar Express Train Stops Here". Make a couple of cardboard railroad crossing signs to add to the train theme.

Design a winter wonderland with lots of snowflakes hung from the ceiling or taped to the walls. The party child will be happy to help make them! Check out this Winter Wonderland decorating kit and Winter Wonderland scene setter. Santa and his reindeer can "fly" to the North Pole on another wall of the party room.

Make decorating simple by placing an icicle border or snowy village border across the wall and hanging some winter wonderland dangle from the ceiling. This Santa door curtain is fun for kids to peek through too!

Another idea: Make a mound of Christmas presents by cutting out various construction paper squares and rectangles. Paste them on an empty wall in a tall stack and tape real bows on the top of each "box".

Cool Holiday Inflatables!

Get a dozen round silver balloons at a party store. Using an indelible black marker, draw a large "X" with a round ball shape at each end to make the double throat of a sleigh bell. Hang sleigh bell balloons from the ceiling with one inch wide red ribbon.

Or, try this cute Santa Hat Mylar Balloon and other assorted balloon styles.

Make a large chalk drawing of a train with a roll of black art paper. For an icebreaker activity when guests arrive, have each child make a self-portrait and put them in the train windows. Make meandering train tracks along the floor with black electrical tape. Or, make train tracks leading up to your door with sidewalk chalk.

Set up card tables and folding chairs facing each other as they were on the PE train. This is where children will sit while eating, or while an adult (dressed as the Conductor, of course) reads the Polar Express book.

Another one of our popular kid party ideas is to collect several large appliance boxes to create a train. Spray paint them black and cut out windows along the sides. Add paper plate wheels. Paint "Polar Express" in gold on the train and decorate all over with homemade snowflakes.

When guests arrive, have each one sit inside the train, looking out through a window. Take their picture inside your Polar Express. These can be placed in popsicle stick frames made by guests and taken home as party favors, or sent later with your thank you notes.

~ Kid Party Ideas for Polar Express Party ~

Polar Express Party Costumes -

Guests should be dressed in pajamas and nightgowns. Adults attending the party can dress as elves - here's a great Santa's Elf Hat or other Holiday Headgear

The party host or hostess can be the conductor and wear a conductor's cap.

Here are some great costumes for little ones:

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SNOWMEN...
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~ Kid Party Ideas for Polar Express Party ~

Polar Express Activities and Games -

For great kid party ideas for games, check out our Polar Express Activity and Games Page. Games include: Polar Bowling, Pack Santa's Pack, Snow Blowers, Feed the Engine, Conductors Says, Crossing the Polar Ice Cap, and many more...

Invite Santa!/Read the Polar Express Book - Have an adult dress as Santa and show up toward the party's end to give each child their own "First Gift of Christmas" sleigh bell. Have Santa read the Polar Express Book as an ideal winding down activity. Then, take each child's picture with Santa and send them home as party favors or along with thank-you notes.

Fun Kid Party Ideas

Make a "fake brake" for kids to pull to stop the train.

Ask kids to draw a picture of the gift they'd ask Santa for if they were chosen to receive the First Gift of Christmas.

Credit: Warner Bros.

Polar Express Santa

Create a Polar Express Letter to Santa

Printable Polar Express Coloring Sheet 1

Polar Express Coloring Sheet 2

Printable Polar Express Maze

Polar Express Crossword

Polar Express Word Search

~ Kid Party Ideas for Polar Express Party ~

Polar Express Party Crafts -

These popular kid party ideas can be used for any type of Christmas or winter party...

Homemade Snow Dome -

Materials:

One baby food jar with tight lid
Small waterproof ornament, figures or decorations
Distilled water or water that has been boiled and cooled
Clear Silicone Sealant (such as aquarium sealant)
Glitter (alternative: craft confetti shaped like snowflakes)
Glycerin or Mineral Oil
Craft glue
Ribbon and lace

Instructions:
Secure the figure and decorations to the inside of lid with the silicone sealant. Make sure you leave enough space around the edge for the jar to screw down in. Fill your jar with water, leaving enough space for the decorations and glitter. Add the glitter - one teaspoon for every inch of water. Next add a few drops of glycerin or mineral oil to keep the glitter suspended and floating properly. When you're sure the dome is arranged the way you want it, glue the lid on with the silicone. Glue lace around the bottom edge and put the glue ribbon over the lace.

For more ideas on creating a one-of-a-kind snowglobe,
visit our Winter Crafts Snow Globe page.

~ Kid Party Ideas for Polar Express Party ~

Lollipop Reindeer Craft Lollipop Reindeer - You'll need a 5 inch square of brown felt with two holes about 1/2 inch apart punched in the center, a piece of red yarn, one 7 inch brown pipe cleaner, two 2 inch brown pipe cleaners, a small red pompom, 2 google eyes, and a round lollipop.

Start by threading the 12 inch pipe cleaner through the two holes in the felt. Twist the smaller pipe cleaners around the two protruding ends, about one inch from the tips, to make antlers. Next, wrap the felt piece around the lollipop and tie with the red yarn. Glue google eyes and Rudolph red nose on the felt to make the reindeer's face.

Lightbulb snowman craft Light bulb Snowman - Paint a used light bulb with white acrylic paint. While the paint is still wet, sprinkle with white glitter. Let dry. Paint the metal part of the bulb a light blue. Wind a white pipe cleaner around the base of the metal holder. On one end fashion a ring to hang the ornament and wind the other end around a pencil to create a twirly top. Paint black dot eyes and mouth, and an orange carrot nose.

~ Kid Party Ideas for Polar Express Party ~

Play Clay Train Ornament- Use this play clay recipe and a train shaped cookie cutter to make wonderful craft dough ornaments:

Play Clay Recipe 2 c. baking soda (1 lb.)
1 c. cornstarch
1 1/4 c. cold water
1/2 tsp. liquid food coloring of choice (optional)
Acrylic or poster paints (opt.)
Varnish, shellac or clear nail polish (opt.)

Stir together baking soda and cornstarch in a saucepan. Add water and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly. When mixture is consistency of moist mashed potatoes, turn out on a plate and cover with a damp cloth.

Let cool. When Play Clay has cooled, it will have consistency of modeling clay. Store unused Play Clay in a tightly sealed plastic bag in the refrigerator. Return to room temperature before using again.

Relatively flat items (1/8" thick) should dry overnight. Thicker objects take longer to dry. To shorten drying time, place clay objects in 350 degree oven for 15 minutes. Watch closely so items do not crack.

NOTE: Color may be added to clay in several ways, add liquid food coloring to clay as it is being made or paint finished objects, after they've hardened and dried, with acrylic or poster paints.

~ Kid Party Ideas for Polar Express Party ~

Polar Express Party Favors -

Polar Express Chocolate Tickets - Cover chocolate bars with gold paper wrapper with the words "Polar Express" and "Round Trip" on them.

Sleigh bell, hot chocolate mug with powder packed inside, icicles to hang on the tree, souvenir train ticket with word such as "Believe" punch, snowflake tiaras, Christmas stickers, wooden train whistles, jingle bell bracelet.

Give kids their own "first gift of Christmas" with this keepsake sleigh bell necklace.

Snowmen Do-It-Yourself Cookies - a great make-and-take party craft and favor!

Candy Trains - You'll need a roll of lifesavers, a pack of doublement gum, a caramel, a Hershey kiss, and four peppermint candies. Hot glue the lifesavers on top of the pack of gum. On top and at one end of the lifesavers hot glue the caramel and then on top of the caramel hot glue the Hershey's kiss. To finish, hot glue the peppermints at either end and on either side of the lifesavers to form the wheels.

Reindeer Food - Put a few ounces of oatmeal and some colorful glitter in a baggie along with a card which reads:

On Christmas Eve, sprinkle this wonderful Reindeer Food on your lawn or on the entrance to your apartment. The shiny glitter will sparkle in the moonlight and the smell of oats will guide Rudolph to your home.

~ Kid Party Ideas for Polar Express Party ~

Polar Express Party Food

Polar Express Party Food -

Cut Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwiches into train shapes using a train shaped cookie cutter. Set up on a platter with a train track made with string licorice and pretzel sticks.