Guest Blogger Series
I recently visited Santa’s Village in Jefferson, NH with my spouse and our two toddlers, ages 4 and 2, and we had an absolutely wonderful time! As a family that celebrates Christmas, it was the perfect way to transition from Thanksgiving into the holiday season. I highly recommend this spot to any nature-loving family because you’ll spend the entire day outdoors!
We went up on a Saturday and the park doesn’t open until 11 AM so we were still able to have a slow morning at home. Anyone who knows me knows that I cherish my slow weekend mornings! We left around 9 AM right after breakfast and made sure that we bundled ALL the layers since we knew it was snowing up at “The North Pole” aka Santa’s Village. It took about 2 hours to get up there from the Manchester area and it was a beautiful drive. Halfway through, the snow started to fall and it felt like we were in a snowglobe with the evergreen trees and mountains. We played holiday music and ate snacks on our way there and arrived for opening of the park!
Before even entering the park, we got to talk to Rudolph in the front of the park (there is actually an employee who responds to the kids!). This will be a core memory for me because my 2-year-old looked at me and said “MAMA, HE’S TALKIN’ TO ME!” in the sweetest excited voice. My husband and I joked that we shouldn’t have even bought tickets to the park because that seemed to be a highlight right there!
We walked into the park and there was so much to do that our kids didn’t know where to start! We brought our wagon with us because we knew that would be a lot of walking around for little legs and we were very glad we did. There are strollers you can use there as well but we tend to like having our own (mainly so I can store all MY stuff in it!).
My kids absolutely loved the Elf University where they got to go around and have a special necklace hole punched by all the little elves around the park. They got such a kick out of this! They hardly even cared about the prize they got at the end; it was more about the fun of getting their necklace stamped.
Another highlight was the post office where you can write out a letter for Santa and put it straight in his mailbox. My son loved this because he is really hoping for a “gingerbread man stuffy” for Christmas and wanted to make sure Santa knew it!
There are some very toddler friendly rides like the sleigh that goes all around the park. It’s so fun waving to all the people as you pass by and there is even a picture taken at the end! Of course, after the sleigh ride, our kids wanted to go check out Santa’s real reindeer! My son is a big fan of Blitzen, so he found him right away and got to feed him some yummy apples.
In addition to the more toddler-ish rides, there are some bigger kid rides as well. We didn’t explore these too much but there was a fun tubing ride that my 4-year-old was tall enough for. I went over the logistics with him many times (including telling him that he would need to ride separately from me on his own tube) and he was totally on board. The ride brings you to the top of the slope on a conveyor belt and it wasn’t until we got to the top (after waiting through the long line) that he got scared and wouldn’t go down. We had to do the walk of shame down the hill with our tubes behind us, but we talked about how he was brave for trying even if he didn’t go down.
There is also a cute gingerbread house that you can go into and buy gingerbread cookies to decorate. As you walk through the line, you get to see the cookies being made! My son is obsessed with gingerbread cookies so this was a real hit. It’s also nice for grownups to sit down and have a warm drink and treat after being outside in the snow.
I would say the kid’s biggest highlight was seeing Santa in his house. The line is long but totally worth it! We waited outside and when we got inside his house, the elves offered us some hot cider by the fire while we waited. Once it’s your turn, you get one on one time with Santa himself! He takes a picture with your family, finds out what the kiddos would like for Christmas, and hands you a treat. Our Santa probably spent around 5 minutes with each family which is why the wait took around 45 minutes but I would say it was worth it! Much better than going to the mall or store because it was in his cozy home and feels very personal.
Overall, our kids (and us adults) had a blast at Santa’s Village! We loved creating holiday memories as a family that we will remember forever.
Tips and Tricks:
The cost of admission is a little pricey so we decided to pack our lunch and snacks. This worked well because it was cost effective and I felt like my kids were nourished and had energy for the long day in the snow.
Layers! It tends to be colder up North (if you go in the winter) so break out the wool base layers and snowsuits. I also recommend waterproof items in case the benches, rides, etc. are wet from rain or snow.
Buy your tickets ahead of time because they book up quick!
There is a new water park that opens in the summer if you decide to go then instead
If you have littles who have a tough time with long car rides, consider booking an overnight at one of the inns nearby and make a weekend of it! North Conway area is so pretty with so much to see and do!
Kathleen Jablonski
Guest Blogger, Local Nature Loving Mom and Willowdale Community Member
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