The Polar Express Activities and Crafts - The Activity Mom (2024)

FAQs

What does the kid ask for in the Polar Express? ›

Realizing he could choose anything in the world, the boy asks for a bell from Santa's sleigh. An elf cuts a bell from one of the reindeer's harnesses. The boy places the bell in the pocket of his robe and all the children watch as Santa takes off into the night for his annual deliveries.

Plot summary

The train passes through villages and forests until it reaches the North Pole. There, the boy is handpicked by Santa Claus to receive "The First Gift Of Christmas". Realizing that he could choose anything in the world, the boy asks for the beautiful-sounding silver bell (that only believers can hear).

Basically, The Polar Express is a magical train that appears on Christmas Eve to bring all the good little boys and girls who believe in Santa Claus to the North Pole.

In the film, one of the passenger cars is briefly transformed into a dining car so the children can get served hot chocolate, but there is not a separate dining car. Unlike in the film, where the children are only served hot chocolate, there are also cakes, muffins, and cookies.

Parents need to know that, like the book that inspired it, the The Polar Express has wonderful messages about the importance of believing, the value of friendship, respect for leadership and courage, and the beauty of being kind to others.

Some parents may elect to use the film's theme of “childlike faith in one who is unseen” to convey a spiritual message, though others will feel uncomfortable using a movie that has consciously stripped Jesus out of Christmas as a means of metaphorically putting Him back in, aided by yuletide myth.

The Polar Express, as seen in the movie, was loosely based on a real locomotive, although the train as a whole and the route it takes is (obviously) entirely fictional.

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Given the way that the character can appear and disappear while also seeming unbothered by riding on top of the speeding train, many theories suggest he is a spirit of some kind.

Some fans have speculated that he is a representation of Santa Claus, while others think he may be a guardian angel sent to look after the children on their journey. His backstory was cut from the original film as the creators thought the film had a better flow without it.

Most fans believe that the Conductor is in fact the Hero Boy's future version of himself, who has travel back in time to take his younger self to the North Pole while giving him a choice whether he should trust people while believing in the Christmas spirit.

What did the boy lose in The Polar Express? ›

As the children board the train to go back home, the boy discovers that he lost the bell through a hole in his pocket. The boy arrives home and the conductor wishes him a Merry Christmas. He wakes up on Christmas morning to find a present containing his lost bell with a note from Santa.

What should my family wear? Families are encouraged to wear warm pajamas just like passengers from THE POLAR EXPRESS™ book and film.

Polar Express Character Hero Boy

By the end of the film he discovers the true magic of Christmas. Hero Boy is recognisable from his bright yellow pyjamas!

The entire train ride could be perceived as a dream where he processes his doubts over Santa Claus, with him finally accepting it before waking up. The other characters can be translated as aspects of his psyche, arguing for, and against, his belief.

Later, the Conductor realizes he forgot to punch Hero Girl's ticket, but since she cannot find it, the Conductor takes her on top of the train and they walk across the cars. After they leave, Hero Boy finds her ticket, grabs it, and goes on top of the train to return it.

Hero Boy first hears the silver bells being rung from the reindeer's harness while they excitedly await Santa's arrival. He likes the sound they make so much that he asks for one when chosen to receive the first gift of Christmas.

Finally, he punches Hero Boy's ticket behind his back. The word is "BELIEVE", though the Conductor interrupts him before he reads it out loud, saying he does not need to know what it says. Hero Boy boards the train and his ticket disappears in sparkles as he puts it back in his pocket.

Chris then watches Santa fly away in his sleigh. When Billy asks him if these events are just a dream, he responds with a, "No." The children line up to get their tickets punched again.