The work of elves: SouthFlorida.com

There are many similarities between elves and children: Both are short, love holidays, adore Santa and run on sugar. Santa's Workshop in Pembroke Pines receives a Judges' Choice Award for recognizing and celebrating those similarities.

Every December, the staff hosts a holiday shindig for children to make gifts for their families and for parents to get a few hours to finish their last minute shopping or decorating.

Children ages 5–12 attend the workshop where they can create as many as 10 crafts to give to family and friends for the holiday.

"Some of the crafts are pretty labor-intensive for our 'taller' elves," says Francy Novo, event coordinator, adding that crafts range from difficult ("Shrinky Dinks") to easy ("reindeer food").

All children who participate are "elf certified" at the end of the session in a ceremony that reunites them with their parents. Elf certification means a person has created gifts for family and friends and understands gifts do not always come from malls or cost money.

"They are learning the way to make gifts from the heart," Novo says. "It gets kids to think beyond malls and money." Crafts are even available to fit any finicky siblings' tastes, she says.

"We make doorstoppers that say 'get out of my room' for big siblings," Novo says. "That's always a big hit."

One craft is an edible treat. "It's always something Santa-approved," she says. "It's something sugary and fun, that Santa and the elves like to eat -- like cupcakes, personal cakes, cookies, whatever Santa sends."

For smaller 'elves,' the crafts come prepackaged, so if they cannot finish the gifts they want to make, they are given the pieces to take home and put together.

Mrs. Claus always stops by the workshop to check up on her newly recruited elves and share a story. Rudolph, of course, comes along.

Participation in the event is limited, so early registration is required.

"We can only take 75 children according to laws because it's kind of like a baby-sitting service," Novo says. "It's always a Saturday before the holiday, and many parents use the time to do last-minute shopping or preparing."

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