Polar Express Night 2026
Do You Have What It Takes to Be Santa's Helper?
The elves need extra helpers this year, and Santa is counting on the students of Shadow Forest Elementary!
Join us for a magical evening at the SFE Polar Express Job Fair, where children will complete important North Pole job assignments, learn the values that make a great Santa's Helper, and discover whether they have what it takes to become one of Santa's official helpers.
Throughout the evening, participants will travel through festive activity stations, complete holiday-themed tasks, and earn their chance to be officially hired by Santa himself.
One of the most important jobs in Santa's Workshop isn't building toys, wrapping gifts, or feeding reindeer. It's helping others. As future Santa's Helpers, participants will work together to complete a special service project benefiting Doctors Choice Hospice in Kingwood, which serves approximately 80 residents. Our goal is to provide every resident with a brand-new handmade fleece blanket, giving the gift of warmth, comfort, and kindness during the holiday season.
Date: December 10, 2026
Time: 5:00 PM – 7:30 PM
Location: Shadow Forest Elementary
Cost: $7.50 per participant
⚠️ Space is limited. Registration is required for all participating children. Each family is allotted 2 (free) adults per family.
*We anticipate tickets selling out, don't wait to purchase yours for the chance to come!
| Week of Nov. 9th | Ticket Information and blank sELFie to decorate (Optional) are sent home with students |
| Thurs. Nov. 12 at 3 PM | Ticket Sales Open for Current PTA Members |
| Fri. Nov. 13 at 3 PM | Ticket Sales Open for All SFE Families |
| Sun. Nov. 15 2-5 PM at SFE Cafeteria | Volunteer Opportunity: Polar Express Volunteer Prep Night. Come help us assemble and prepare items for Polar Express to run smoothly! (Optional) |
| Mon. Nov. 30 at Noon | Ticket Sales Close. *Tickets may close sooner if tickets sell out*. |
| Mon. Dec 7 | Deadline for students to submit their decorated sELFie to help "Deck the Halls" (Optional) |
| Week of Dec 7th | Tickets (Lanyards & Name Tags) will be sent home with students. If you have questions about your tickets please email programs@sfepta.com |
| Thurs. Dec 10 5-7:30 PM AT SFE | Polar Express Night at Shadow Forest. Entry Time depends on ticket! |
**This is a family event. Parents please stay and accompany your children.**
$7.50 per participating child. Siblings are welcome! Anyone who plans to participate in the crafts & snacks they will need their own paid ticket. To accommodate all our guests, attendance is limited to 2 adults per family (free).
Ticket Sales Open for active PTA Members on Thursday November 12th at 3:00 PM. Tickets Sales Open for ALL on Friday November 13th at 3 PM.
In an attempt to accommodate as many people as we can, entry to the event will be staggered. Each time spot is limited to 45 participants (and their adult guests).
Tickets will NOT be available at the door night of.
Tickets (name badges and lanyards) will be sent home with students the week of December 7th.
If you have any questions about your tickets after receiving them, you can email programs@sfepta.com
**If you do not see a link to purchase tickets it is either outside of the ticket window or the tickets have sold out. **
Come dressed in Holiday Jammies, as an Elf, or wear an Ugly Christmas Sweater (no slippers!).
Every future elf helper will receive a job assignment and complete a variety of North Pole training stations, including:
- Gift Wrapper (make and take a gift bag)
- Cookie Taster & Hot Cocoa Maker
- Letter Writer & Deliverer
- Toy Builder (make and take holiday puppet toys)
- Snowman Maker (craft a snowman ornament)
- and more!
To ensure families have enough space to enjoy the festivities, tickets will have a staggered entry time. Once ticket sales begin, you can select which entry time you’d like to attend. If a time spot reaches its maximum capacity, you’ll only be able to purchase tickets for the remaining time slots. Tickets will not be sold at the door.
"Elves Take Care of the Magic."
One of the most important jobs in Santa's Workshop isn't building toys, wrapping gifts, or feeding reindeer. It's helping others.
As future Santa's Helpers, participants will work together to complete a special service project benefiting Doctors Choice Hospice in Kingwood, which serves approximately 80 residents. Our goal is to provide every resident with a brand-new handmade fleece blanket, giving the gift of warmth, comfort, and kindness during the holiday season.
This project teaches an important lesson: even small acts of service can make a big difference in someone's day.
The best part? No experience is necessary! Families will work side-by-side to create no-sew tie blankets. Children of all ages can participate, and even young helpers who haven't learned to tie their shoes yet can assist by just pulling the strips through.
Just like Santa's elves, we'll accomplish more when we work as a team. Each blanket completed represents kindness, compassion, and the spirit of giving. Together, we'll show our students that being a Santa's Helper means caring for others, helping those in need, and spreading joy beyond our school community.
"Elves Help Others."
- Enjoy a fun photo booth experience with your family. The photo booth is graciously donated by Dr. Healy with Kingwood Orthodontics. Learn more about Kingwood Orthodontics on their website kingwoodorthodontics.com. "Every smile should look this good!"
- Don't forget to stop by the sELFie Station to see all of the decorated sELFies and to take a sELFie yourself! Thank you We like To Party Houston for donating access to their selfie photo booth station! Learn more about We Like to Party Houston and see what you could rent to elevate your next event!
"Elves Spread Joy."
Participants will receive a Cookie and Hot Chocolate inside.
**OPTIONAL Activity In preparation for Polar Express Night** Help us dec(orate) the halls! Decorate your very own sELFie, cut it out, and return to your teacher by Monday December 7th. Feel free to make copies on card stock and decorate more than one. (sELFies will not be returned.)
All students, siblings, and staff are welcome to participate -- even if they aren't able to attend the Polar Express Evening.
Want to Volunteer? If you are interested in helping run a station, set up, or take down the Polar Express Event we would LOVE your help! Please contact Ali Carver, VP of Programs: programs@sfepta.com.
Ticket Policy
Due to the event's planning requirements and limited capacity, all ticket sales are final. If your family is unable to attend after purchasing a ticket, you are welcome to give or sell your participant's ticket (name badge and lanyard) to another family of your choosing.
Please note that the SFE PTA will not maintain a waitlist, facilitate ticket transfers, issue refunds, or reassign tickets to other attendees. The responsibility for transferring tickets rests solely with the purchaser.
Thank you for understanding and helping us keep the event organized for all of Santa's Helpers!
Questions?
- Questions about your membership? Email membership@sfepta.com
- Questions about the event? Email programs@sfepta.com
- Other questions? Feel free to email president@sfepta.com
