As a parent, grandparent, or educator, you’ve likely spent countless hours worrying about grades, test scores, and academic performance. But here’s a truth that might surprise you: understanding what your child loves matters more than their report card. While grades measure temporary achievement, values shape lifelong character, fulfillment, and success.

This is precisely the philosophy behind All Aboard Santa’s Futuristic Express by Santa Marty Plas—a unique 12-year Christmas tradition that transforms holiday seasons into meaningful opportunities for self-discovery. Through engaging kids values activities, this book helps families build lasting connections while preparing children for independence and career readiness.

In this blog, we’ll explore why values-based activities matter more than grades, how family traditions shape children’s character, and practical ways to implement these principles in your own home.

Why Values Shape a Child’s Character

When we focus exclusively on grades and academic achievements, we miss the bigger picture. Activities for kids go beyond temporary performance metrics to build the foundation for who a child becomes as an adult.

1. Values vs. Grades: Understanding the Difference

Grades are external measurements of academic performance. They fluctuate based on difficulty, teaching styles, and even a child’s mood on test day. But values are internal compasses that guide decision-making, relationships, and career satisfaction throughout life.

Santa Marty Plas, drawing from his experience as a parent, grandparent, educator, coach, and professional Santa, recognized this fundamental truth. His book on kids values emphasizes that children who understand their values—what they genuinely love and care about—are better equipped to make meaningful life decisions.

2. The Three Loads of Santa’s Train

In All Aboard Santa’s Futuristic Express, every railroad car carries three essential “loads”:

• VALUES(What do you love?)
• INTERESTS(What do you like to do?)
• SKILLS(What are you good at doing?)

When these three elements align, remarkable things happen. As Santa Marty Plas explains in his activity book, combining values, interests, and skills in decision-making creates:

• Motivation(because you’re interested)
• Opportunities for advancement(because you’re skilled)
• Longevity(because your values are honored)

This simple but powerful framework forms the backbone of kids values activities that can transform how families approach development.

To more deeply understand the philosophy of the three loads of train, you should explore our blog “Self Awareness Activities for Children: How a 12-Year Christmas Tradition Builds Values, Interests, and Skills.”

3. The “Who Are You?” Philosophy

The author’s approach was inspired by a career program he developed for eighth graders across thirteen Ohio school districts. The program, titled “Who Are You?” from the song by The Who, helped students explore their values, interests, and skills before entering high school.

The book carries this philosophy forward, creating valuable activities that families can use year after year. The premise is simple but profound: when children understand who they are, what they love, and what they’re good at, they’re better prepared for every life decision.

Simple Activities to Discover Your Child’s Values

Activities for kids don’t need to be complicated. In fact, the most effective ones often emerge naturally from everyday conversations and traditions. Here’s how you can implement the principles from All Aboard Santa’s Futuristic Express in your own family:

1. The Christmas Car Approach

His book introduces twelve Christmas Cars representing grades 1-12, each tied to the “Twelve Days of Christmas.” Every year, children answer three questions: What do you love? (Values), What do you like to do? (Interests), and What are you good at? (Skills). This simple format makes activities accessible for all ages.

2. Age-Appropriate Engagement

The first five years of kids should focus purely on fun, feeling like play, not work. As children grow, they take more responsibility for self-discovery. By grade six, children complete activities independently, though parents still review and store results to track their child’s evolving values journey.

3. Involving the Village

Santa Marty Plas encourages parents to involve family, friends, teachers, and activity contacts in kids. When multiple trusted adults contribute, children’s value discoveries gain credibility and legitimacy. A favorite teacher or grandparent validating what a child feels about themselves reinforces self-perception in powerful ways that parents alone cannot achieve.

How Family Traditions Influence Children’s Values

Family traditions aren’t just about creating memories—they’re powerful opportunities for kids values activities that shape character and identity.

The Twelve-Year Journey

All Aboard Santa’s Futuristic Express uses Christmas as the anchor for a twelve-year tradition of self-discovery. Every Christmas, families retrieve the activity book with their Christmas decorations, making activities a natural, anticipated part of the holiday season. This consistent annual practice accomplishes several things:

• It creates continuity—children can track how their values evolve over time
• It builds anticipation—children look forward to seeing how they’ve changed
• It provides a historical record—the completed forms become a biography of development

As Santa Marty Plas explains in his book about children’s activities, “The thought that this activity book would be responsible for bringing parents and children/young adults together every year on Christmas is exciting!”

The Train Metaphor

Santa Marty Plas’ train metaphor makes activities concrete and memorable. In All Aboard Santa’s Futuristic Express, education and growth are described as a train journey:

• The Enginerepresents parents—the only constant connection from birth to graduation
• The Carsrepresent each grade level, with increasing independence
• The Cabooserepresents graduation—the end of the line

Each year, children “change train cars,” symbolizing their growth and evolution. Family traditions around this metaphor reinforce the idea that children are different people each year—they’ve grown, learned, and changed.

Unique Like Snowflakes

The book emphasizes an important message: no one person is the same. Like snowflakes, every child is unique. Activities help children recognize and celebrate their individuality while appreciating that every classmate learns differently.

This is particularly valuable in an era where comparison culture can be toxic. When children understand their own values, they’re less likely to measure themselves against others and more likely to pursue paths aligned with who they truly are.

Turning Values into Lifelong Habits

The ultimate goal of kids values activities isn’t just understanding—it’s application. How can we help children translate their values into daily decisions and long-term fulfillment?

The Graduation Keepsake

All Aboard Santa’s Futuristic Express is designed to be featured at graduation celebrations alongside photos and academic accomplishments. This delightful memento is shared with loved ones each Christmas, transforming kids’ values from a private exercise into a family celebration. When children see their growth acknowledged, they continue self-reflection throughout adulthood.

Why Values Matter More Than Grades

Santa Marty Plas shares three reasons students must be proactive: candidates face competition for limited positions, delaying action loses opportunities to others, and timely decisions enable better preparation. When values become habitual, children develop the self-awareness needed to make informed decisions about their futures, preparing them for career and life success.

The Independence Milestone

The entire purpose of these activities is readiness for the moment when neither parents nor the government forces children to school. By graduation, children have spent twelve years identifying what they truly love, recognizing unique strengths, and understanding how values guide decisions. This foundation enables navigating adulthood with confidence and purpose—something no grade can provide.

What Do Children’s Everyday Choices Reveal About Their Values?

Parents often wonder: how can I know what my child truly values? The answer lies in paying attention to their everyday choices.

1. Observation as a Tool

Kids values activities begin with observation. What does your child gravitate toward? What activities bring them joy? What topics do they initiate conversations about? His book about children activities encourages parents to notice:

• Clubs and programsthat the child joins independently
• Sports and hobbiesthat capture their attention
• Books and magazinesthat they choose to read
• Voluntary activitiesthey initiate
• Social eventswhere they feel most engaged

2. The Partnership Approach

One of the most valuable aspects of the book is its emphasis on partnerships. Santa Marty Plas suggests that parents partner with “outside sources for ASSISTANCE”—individuals the child considers important, including:

• Family members
• Friends
• Teachers
• Activity contacts

These outside perspectives often reveal patterns that parents might miss. When values activities include input from multiple sources, the results are more comprehensive and credible.

3. The Importance of Timeliness

The book emphasizes that outcomes placed on these forms cannot be changed once completed. This isn’t meant to be rigid—it’s designed to capture a moment in time. Values activities that document who we are, “over twelve years,” and create a powerful record of growth.

Using Family Traditions to Help Children Recognize What Matters Most

Family traditions provide the perfect container for kids values activities. In All Aboard Santa’s Futuristic Express, children complete “Santa’s Activity Results” each year, tracking their Number One Value, Interest, Skill, and Favorite Teacher—creating a narrative of growth as patterns emerge over time. Santa Marty Plas encourages parents to frame this as “Your Gift for Christmas,” transforming self-reflection from a task into a cherished present. Keeping the book with Christmas decorations makes this annual ritual natural and anticipated. Each activity also includes space for strengths and weaknesses, helping children develop a realistic self-concept by acknowledging gifts while recognizing areas for growth—a balance crucial for healthy development and life preparedness.

If you want more insight, explore our blog “Kids Interest Activities That Help Children Discover What They Enjoy.”

Connecting Children’s Values with Future Decisions

Connecting children’s values with future decisions is the ultimate purpose of kids values activities. In All Aboard Santa’s Futuristic Express, Santa Marty Plas explains that high school offers a fresh start where grades, attendance, and discipline suddenly matter to employers and colleges. The caboose represents graduation—the moment when children must make their own choices about employment, vocational training, college, or internships. Over twelve years, children recognize they are “not the same person they were last Christmas,” creating a comprehensive record of development. When children reach the caboose, they can see how far they’ve come and feel confident about where they’re going.

Conclusion

All Aboard Santa’s Futuristic Express by Santa Marty Plas offers families a meaningful alternative to grade-focused parenting. By prioritizing kids values activities, families build stronger bonds, foster self-awareness, and prepare children for fulfilling futures. This twelve-year Christmas tradition transforms holiday seasons into opportunities for meaningful connection and personal growth. The simple act of asking children what they love, enjoy, and excel at creates a powerful record of development. When children reach graduation, they carry self-knowledge that no report card can provide—an understanding of their values, interests, and skills that guides confident decision-making throughout adulthood.

Frequently Asked Questions

How is this different from other activity books?

It spans 12 years, involves family and community input, doubles as a graduation keepsake, and specifically focuses on values, interests, and skills.

Do parents need to help their children?

Yes, especially in the early years. Parents review results, store them, and bring them out each Christmas. By grade six, children complete it independently.

What do children learn from this activity?

They discover what they truly love, their unique strengths, how values guide decisions, and gain confidence for independence after graduation.