Mr. Kringle's Workshop

On Sunday after my cookie exchange, we took Audrey and Vivian to visit Mr. Kringle's Inventionasium!  This place was pretty cool and it took the kids through different stations where they could be hands on and help Santa invent and build toys.  Audrey was funny and asked us if Santa was going to be there and when we said we thought he might, she said she didn't think so.  She wasn't too sure what to make of the workshop at first and even refused to wear the little lab coat they gave her.  She finally warmed up by the end, saw Santa - he was there! - and told Santa that she wanted him to bring her new slippers!  Such the practical one.  (Of course, she had told us new slippers, a balance beam and rocket ship so maybe she didn't want to overwhelm him.)

The first room was the Imaginarium (or something like that) where kids tried to be as creative as possible by naming, and then ultimately making, things that could bounce.

Having her creative thoughts read (she said "a ball"):

Trying to make a bouncing ball with our elf guide - Scoozie:

I wonder what her thoughts were.....

At the next station making Fuzzoodles (aka giant pipe cleaners) into toys:

The Grow Snow Laboratory (this was my favorite):

The other kids in our group poured water into a beaker:

Audrey got to measure out and pour powder which turned into real, cold snow!  It was pretty cool.

Making even more toys:

In a play area while waiting to see Santa:

What I really liked was that we saw Santa privately in our own room - I think because they had multiple Santas to keep the crowd moving - but it was nice not to have to wait with the masses and for the girls to get true one on one time.

The mall had a real train that Audrey was begging to go on:

I really thought they did a great job with the workshop and we'll likely be back each year if they keep setting it up.  To leave, you had to (conveniently) walk through a gift shop so we were able to buy stocking stuffers and some of the toys Audrey played with throughout the tour.  I bought some of that snow stuff just because I thought it was so cool!

Audrey's getting a little too smart for us though.  At dinner that night she asked, "Who was that Santa?"  Bill and I both were like, "What do you mean "that" Santa?  That was him - just Santa."  To which Audrey replied, "But I see Santas at all the different stores so who was that one?"  We just told her that he's really, really busy and flies around to all of the different stores to see everyone.  I can only assume that she's thinking back to last year's visit with Santa because she hasn't seen any Santas since then (curse her freakishly good memory!).  Even if she really is questioning Santa's validity (which I doubt, although she seems so in the know with everything else!), I'll never cave because I love how magical Christmas time is and would never want to prematurely take that innocence away from her.  Nope - I choose lies.  Lots and lots of fun, magical lies. :)