(Atlanta) Waiting for Christmas morning won't seem quite so long for children when they're happily entertained at Santa's own Elf Pal Academy, one of the newest features of the holiday Web site www.northpole.com. The animated "classroom" offers more than 20 new games and 80 activities, including mind-challenging puzzles, mazes, word-search, math riddles, an interactive coloring book, even Santa's favorite Rubik's cube.

Since 1996 northpole.com has attracted kids, parents, and teachers to the Web for traditional yet high-tech--and FREE--holiday fun. Elf Pal Academy and Disco Dancing Santa are the site's newest gifts to children and families. In the spirit of Christmas, all activities on the site are free, and the site remains without banner ads. Since its inception, northpole.com has been showcased on Good Morning America, is listed on USA Today's Top Sites, and is highly acclaimed for its creativity, and traditional yet high-tech approach to Christmas themes.

After discovering that teachers were using the site in classrooms to teach computer skills, reading, and writing, this year northpole.com added Elf Pal Academy, with entertaining exercises that can easily be incorporated into teachers' lesson plans (Pre-K to 3rd grade) and also for home-schooling. The activities are fun, colorful, and can lead up to an Elf Academy diploma for teachers to hand out. Many elementary schools have adopted the site into their curriculum, allowing children to send letters to Santa while they learn basic skills of email and Internet investigation. And the coolest part for the students? Santa actually writes back.

Another new feature for "Elf Pals" is a monthly Good Deeds Calendar that kids can print out and then use to check off daily responsibilities. What better proof of good behavior for Santa to see on Christmas Eve?

This ever-popular holiday site, which last year attracted 2.25 million visitors between Thanksgiving and Christmas, is also giving the world Disco Dancing Santa Claus. That's right, Disco Dancing Santa. Children can select the music, change the background and even select which slick moves old St. Nick makes. It's all part of the fun and games at northpole.com.

There are also original stories about Santa, Mrs. Claus, the reindeer, and Santa's elves. Speaking of reindeer, Raymond, the loveable, young reindeer, is back--and so is his dream of being on the big sleigh Christmas Eve. He leads guests through Santa's Secret Village--the reindeer barn, workshop, den, mailroom, elf clubhouse, ElfChat, and even shows you where Mrs. Claus keeps the Christmas recipes.

Giving back to the community
Instead of selling advertising through the usual banner ads, northpole.com donates banner ads to selected charitable groups. This year northpole.com is donating one million banner ads and links on its Web site to each of the following institutions: St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Make-A-Wish Foundation® of America, The Silver Lining Foundation, and Ronald McDonald House® Charities. The site also provides schedules of Festival of Trees events in numerous cities. Festival events primarily benefit children's charities. By giving these organizations free advertising, northpole.com helps promote public support and knowledge of pediatric cancer research and the treatment and opportunities available to help children with life-threatening illnesses.