Over the years we’ve asked Chippewa Valley third-graders to ponder some of the season’s greatest questions, including “What does Santa do all day?” and “What would you put on the table for the holidays?” Here are some of the best replies.

What third graders think Santa does at the North Pole each day

Santa wakes up and quietly sighs to himself, “Back to another day of hard work and jolly good cookies and cupcakes!” In the afternoon he says, “Back to more wrapping and merry old jingling songs!” And he listens to the wind whistling its beautiful soothing songs. For the evening Santa is unchaining the reindeer and feeding them. Then putting them in their stables for the night and comforting them and giving them a warm blanket. Finally he is getting his big extra, extra, extra, extra large pajamas! –Leighton, Lakeshore Elementary

Once upon a time there was a weird Santa living in the North Pole and every morning he buyed some cheese. But every time he could not find it so he bought a sword. And when he came home he cut down the door. Then he looks in his pocket and finds the key. Then he brakes down the house. Then his blind wife comes home. He goes outside. Then his wife asked, “How was your day?” He said, “Same as usual.” –Noah, Locust Lane Elementary

Santa’s planner says that he has to tell the elves what to make for the children. He also feeds the reindeer so they will be active so when they have to fly, they can, so Santa can give all of the children their gifts and all of the children will be happier than ever in their lives and wake up and open their presents and scream their head off because they got what they always wanted. –Allison, Locust Lane Elementary

Convinces the elf that he’s not a dentist. Eats snowflakes. Feeds reindeer. Wakes the elves. Loosens his belt. Goes on a treadmill. Eats a snowich. Polishes his boots. Runs the block. Plays Christmas bingo. –Joey, Sherman Elementary

I think that Santa wakes up and has hot chocolate by the fire. Then he goes to see how the elves are doing. Then he watches cartoons. His favorite is Power Rangers. Then he rides Dasher to the gas station and gets a cookie and rides Dasher back and goes ice skating. Then he goes for breakfast at the restaurant “Santa’s Kitchen.” Then he goes home and gets his fishing poll and his ice drill. Then he goes fishing. He catches a lot of big fish because he uses his magic. He gets home and eats fish for lunch. Then he goes to help the elves with the toys. Then he goes to bed. –Kase, Roosevelt Elementary

I think Santa Claws wakes up, and elf serves him with some breakfast and pays the elf $50 and after that he goes into town and gets some clothes and goes back to see who is being good or bad. –Ryan, Roosevelt Elementary

7:30 am: Santa gets up, he goes to wash his face with his favorite wash cloth, it wasn’t there. So he went to look in the washer to check if it was there but the washer wasn’t there. Then he heard laughing on top of the building. So he went to see what was up there. When he got there, there was a bunch of elves laughing and they had the washing machine. So he told the elves to get back to work and he brought the washing machine back downstairs. 8 am: Santa goes to get breakfast. He had milk, three eggs, three pancakes, bread, and a bowl full of jelly. 9 am: Santa gets his big fluffy coat and gets his pressure washer to clean his sleigh. Next he shines his GPS and feeds the reindeer. Noon: He goes out to eat slushies, a smoothie, a hamburger, fries, and a reindeer shaped cookie. ... 6 pm: Next Santa plays hockey. Santa is really good at hockey because if someone tried to check him he’d put out his big belly and when they hit him they would go flying. –Anonymous, Putnam Heights Elementary

What third graders would serve for holiday dinner

On Christmas I would make meat loaf. On Thanksgiving I would make turkey. On Hanukkah I would make meatballs. Finally on Kwanzaa I would make tuna. –Arik, Locust Lane Elementary

I would make cookies and pizza. I would make thee most gross thing. I’d combine cookies, cake, cupcakes, soda, and puppy chow. I would buy a hole bunch of huge bottles of soda. I would buy donuts and candy and brownies and cakes that look like presents. I would make cookies the size of a giant tree. I would make pancakes with chocolate in it. That’s the end of breakfast. –Mark, Robbins Elementary

I would have fish and cookies, beef jerky, and cereal with any kind of milk. Me and my friends would have venison, cheese and crackers, ice cream with chocolate syrup and every topping. … There would be chefs cooking in front of you and they were very fast at cooking. In a hotel with a swimming pool. There would be butlers to serve you and get you any kind of food you want to have. And music there so you could do a dance. … The food would come really fast in one second when it done. Every person in the world could come to the feast and bring any kind of animal you want. … The buffest you would just keep on eating it would be 10 days long. You would have stomach ache but it would go away. … The butler would be the best butler in the whole wide world in the history of butlers. He would have the best butler suit ever. … There would be the best band in the world playing. The crowd would cheer for the band and me because I paid the band to come. … It was sweet. –Mitchell, Robbins Elementary

I would serve mash potatoes, turkey, and gravy. Maybe some stuffing, too. I might also put some green beans in the dinner, too. In a giant place. –Devan, Locust Lane Elementary

I would serve Santa cookies, turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy, cranberry sauce, and presents. Presents are frosted graham crackers. I love Christmas. Christmas rocks. Also I would serve pumpkin pies. –Mackenzie, Locust Lane Elementary

I would make chicken, ham, blackberry pie made by my great grandma, cookies with white chocolate chips, apple cider, cake, my mom’s homemade peanut butter balls, milk, honeydew melon. Yummy. That would be a fantastic feast. –Zavier, Longfellow Elementary

On Christmas I would serve cool aid and soup bread, meat and gravy and wine for the parents. That’s what I would serve. –Elliot, Roosevelt Elementary