WHAT better way to get into the festive spirit than spending the day at one of the UK’s best resorts working inside Santa’s grotto.There's only one catch – you’re dressed as an elf! Hannah Wood joins the team at the Celtic Manor’s Christmas Kingdom to find out more.

I’VE got my brightly decorated red and green dress on, pointy hat at the ready and I am all set to go and greet the children who are to spend the afternoon at the Celtic Manor’s Christmas Kingdom.

The 13 children who are booked in for the afternoon’s session eagerly wait outside getting ready to venture into a festive wonderland. Inside the kingdom, the whole room is lit up with fairy lights and dozens of Christmas trees are scattered around the place. Snowflakes hang from the ceiling and a huge log fire burns in the corner. And if that wasn’t enough to get you in the festive mood, Christmas songs echo throughout the cabin and children’s Christmas films are played on a loop on a television inside – today’s choice Disney’s Frozen.

There are different activity stations around the room, including a food decorating bench, an area to write a letter to Father Christmas and a pile of beanbags where parents and children can relax and watch films.

Rhydian Page, duty manager for the Christmas Kingdom at the Celtic Manor said: “We always start at the welcome desk, where a member of staff, dressed as an elf, will greet the children and their family.

“It’s all about the children and we want to give them a magical experience, so the whole thing will centre on them.

“Everything involved throughout the day will be directed towards them and we want to keep up the illusion about Father Christmas. It’s important that all members of staff keep happy and cheerful to provide the best day for the children.

“The children come inside in groups, depending on how many have booked online for the session and the age ranges from about seven months to eight years old. The weekends and evenings are usually our busiest times, but the closer it gets to Christmas the crazier it gets.” he said.

The doors open and the children walk excitedly inside clutching the hands of their family members. After they are given a name badge at the welcome desk, they are taken over to Mrs Claus’ kitchen to decorate Christmas-tree-shaped gingerbread. Decorating biscuits with icing and sweets, I don’t know who is more enthusiastic, me or the children?

The next activity is to write a letter for Father Christmas. We guide the children over with their families, where an elf will take their name to put on a blackboard which signals the order in which the children will see Father Christmas. Mr Page said: “We usually help the children to write their letters and then they get the chance to either take it in when they see Father Christmas or they can put it in our post box to send to him.”

The children gather round the table and I help them to write out, or scribble out, what they want this year, with one two-year-old telling me she would like a “yo-yo and some jam”! They are then called one by one down to visit Father Christmas in his house.

The children are guided by an elf and their family member down a corridor, decorated in snowflakes and icicles.

“Most of the children are very excited by this point, but we do have some who have a little cry or get nervous before they go in,” said Mr Page.

The children then go inside the house, which has a cosy cottage like feel to it, with a large leather sofa and a fireplace with stockings hung all around. After telling Father Christmas what they would like, the children are then given a gift, which this year is a teddy bear, before carrying on their venture to the big surprise at the end of their journey – The Reindeer Retreat.

One of the highlights of The Christmas Kingdom is that it has its very own reindeer, one male, Comet and one female, Cupid. The reindeer came to the Celtic Manor in November and will stay until Christmas Eve.

Mr Page said: “They always add a nice surprise to the end of the tour. We used to have the reindeer at the beginning last year, but we changed it because we found it worked better as an added bonus at the end.

“The children always love it and the reindeer are very tolerant and well behaved. We look after them and take them for a walk most days.”

After the tour ends the children are taken to a reception area, where they can view their photo with Father Christmas and can buy souvenirs of the experience ranging from key rings to a craft pack.

Mr Page said: “We keep up the illusion right until the end of the tour until all children have left the Christmas Kingdom. I think most families really enjoy it and we have seen many return year on year.”

“We do aim to change the layout every year so for those returning it is a unique experience each time.”

The Christmas Kingdom sees around 12,000 children visiting each year.

Up to 14 members of staff, including a duty manager, elves, Mrs Claus and Father Christmas work in the kingdom at one time and are devoted to creating an enjoyable festive treat for all the little ones.

The experience can be booked online and costs £11.50 per child Monday-Thursday and £15 per child Friday-Sunday. From December 20-24 the price increases to £17.50 per child and the Kingdom runs up to Christmas Eve.

Extra facilities including an outdoor bar and ice rink within the Christmas Kingdom which remain open until January 1.

All bookings can be made online.