(Atlanta) Birthday cards from Santa? That's just one of the treats Santa has in his bag this year, but you don't have to wait until Christmas. Available immediately, parents can register children to receive a birthday e-card from Santa. This FREE feature is one of several new activities northpole.com offers on its year-round Web site.

To receive a birthday e-card from Santa, just go to Santa's Mailroom and register the child's name, birth date, and e-mail address. Northpole.com follows a strict privacy policy and does not share personally identifiable information with third parties.

Northpole.com has also added new games--Cheery Checkers, Trim the Tree, Build a Snowman--and new crossword puzzles to its treasure trove of family fun. Plus, in response to visitor requests, the site has added a metric conversion table in Mrs. Claus' Kitchen to help convert recipe measurements, as well as a recipe quick search. And, at the request of its numerous Karaoke fans, the site has brought back Karaoke, an updated version with all your holiday favorites.

Want to send Santa a letter? You don't have to wait for the holidays. Children can now send a letter to Santa--and receive a reply--any time of the year. Also new on the site is a Wish List feature in Santa's Mailroom, providing children a place to note what they want for Christmas any time of the year.

For bargain-hunting shoppers, northpole.com has an all-new Santa's Secret Gift Shop, offering quality Christmas gift ideas and Christmas decorations at real bargain prices, with the bonus of free shipping to all U.S. addresses.

All-time favorites from previous years are still here, and they're still all free: the Good Deed Calendar, Disco Dancing Santa, Elf Chat, Flash Cards, Mazes, Connect-the-dots, Concentration, Word Search, Coloring Book, Elf Pal Academy, original and personalized children's stories, animated holiday postcards, recipes, and a Christmas-only radio station.

Northpole.com enters its seventh year entertaining children and their families with its unique combination of creativity, state-of-the-art technology, and a traditional view of Christmas. The northpole.com site is richly illustrated with hundreds of original, detailed, hand-drawn artwork. Visitors click on different "rooms" to enter, leading to a variety of activities or stories. Rooms include Santa's Mailroom, Santa's Workshop, Elf Clubhouse, Santa's Reindeer Barn, Santa's Den, Mrs. Claus' Kitchen, Northpole Weather Station, Toy Shop, and Gift Shop.

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. 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.