For the past 15 years the first Saturday of December has been the Fallon Kids’ Holiday Party at the Mall of America. Santa greeted around 190 children and parents this December 3rd at the Great Room door in his snowman-patterned long-sleeved shirt and the usual beard. Leo asked, “Is that the real Santa or Santa’s helper?” and Santa responded, “Don’t ask; don’t tell.”

The children, filled with abounding energy, wore their royal blue party t-shirts decorated with a white spiral Christmas tree topped with a shining star. Caramel rolls spread with sugar frosting topped off the breakfast treats of scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage, and cubed potatoes and got them ready for an hour of movement with Kidsdance. There were all types of dancing and contests, from hula-hooping, limbo, and the chicken dance to hip-hop and disco—“Party Rock Anthem” and “Stayin’ Alive.” Lots of prizes, including Mardi Gras bead necklaces, brightly colored Fedoras, and blowup crayons motivated continual jumping around.

After all the children had a chance to tell Santa what they wanted for Christmas, the group moved to Nickelodeon Universe to explore the rides. There were mixed feelings from a couple of four-year-olds. Logan became mesmerized as he circled high and said he liked the Backyardigans Swing-Along, while Ethan wasn’t quite sure about the Ferris wheel. Ethan sat through both the lows and highs, but a couple of times said to his Mom, “I don’t really like this.” The Avatar Airbender and rollercoaster were favorites of the older kids. Whether they rode the rides until the nightlights came on, spent the day shopping, or went off to other commitments, everyone walked away with a holiday smile.

Here are a few photos from the event.