Santa Claus declared Toyvember today, igniting cheers from elves in Santa’s Workshop and around the world.

Elves in Santa’s workshop and other working areas of the North Pole immediately left their work spaces to retire to home offices and workshops to begin the toy-making adventure.

~ What is Toyvember ~

Toyvember is a toy-making brainstorm and development period at the North Pole. It is also a contest.

Santa believes in tapping into the creative talents of all elves in coming up with new toys. While not every elf is a toymaker all are former children with a deep love for play and imagination. Santa believes harnesses that love makes for newer and better toys.

During Toyvember participating elves are allowed to dream, scheme and even build prototypes of new toys. They are released from other working responsibilities for a period of time where they think of and put into motion the invention of new toys.

During this time elves will plan, draw, build, test and experiment with new toy ideas.

Toyvember usually lasts several weeks. Santa never extends a deadline – it is an open-ended event and it closes much the same way it begins – by Santa making an announcement.

During and at the end of the event new toy ideas and prototypes are submitted to a contest, held at what is called the Invention Convention. There the new toys are showcased, discussed and voted on for their creativity. They are tested as well to see how they appeal to other elves and lovers of toys.

~ Who Participates in Toyvember ~

While toymakers and engineers from Santa’s Workshop do tend to dominate Toyvember events there are many other elves at the North Pole and around the world who participate. In fact, Toyvember is famous for making elves previously unassociated with Santa’s Workshop into a kind of North Pole rockstar.

Take for example the story of Elf Lawrence “Smiley” Johnson, a former elf who worked in the ribbon and bows division of the Wrapping Department. Elf Smiley, as he is known, invented the bubble wand more than 70 years ago.

The bubble wand was his invention. It’s nothing more than a ping-pong paddle size apparatus full of holes that soaks in the broad dish of bubble solution. You extract the wand, wave it in the air and it produces dozens of bubbles all at one time.

Santa calls it one of the most genius ideas ever to come from Toyvember. The toy is made at the North Pole and in other parts of the world and remains popular to this day.

Elf Smiley, who has other toy ideas of legend, now works in Santa’s Workshop as a project manager. A project manager specifically brings new toys from the idea stage to reality.

~ Why is it Called Toyvember? ~

The word “Toyvember” is a mash-up of the words toy and November. It came from Santa.

“November” is a time of great urgency in the world of elves, Santa and the North Pole. It is a time of production and great work.

Santa says putting “toy” and “November” together means an intense focus on the invention and production of new toys.

Elves love these periods of Toyvember. In fact, they prepare for it all year round by writing down ideas and building prototypes. No idea goes unattended to during Toyvember.

In fact, it creates kind of a party atmosphere because a good Toyvember includes a lot of play with toys. Elves who are serious about inventing new toys will talk to each other, to children and to those who have thoughts about toys.

It is not a vacation. Toyvember is a lot of work. But it is a break from the norm at the North Pole and elves loves to engage in this creative activity.

~ New to Toyvember ~

Santa has so many elves working in remote situations around the world that he will, for the first time, extend Toyvember away from the North Pole.

Remote elves, such as the millions employed as Tracker Elves, will be able to submit their ideas and drawings via their websites.

This new development was announced during a chat today held at SantaTrackers.net by Elf Roger Star, International Director of Santa Trackers.

We will keep you posted on the developments of Toyvember.