Dozens of area children got the chance to spend some quality time with Santa Claus on Saturday morning.

He paid a visit to the Lawrence Community Building, where the city’s Parks and Recreation Department invited families to eat breakfast with him.

“It is a great opportunity to have Santa’s undivided attention,” laughed Megan Helm, of Lawrence.

Her children, 3-year-old Ryan and 6-year-old Henry, were there mainly to present requests to the man in red, but Helm said she was more excited about the all-you-can-eat breakfast catered by Chris Cakes.

“They flip the pancakes at you, and you have to catch them,” Helm said. Henry caught two of the three tossed to him.

“There’s a real Santa over there; he has a real beard and everything!” said 8-year-old Trey Swan, after running across the room to tell his friends. “I told him that I would like to have a Chopper bike that turns into a scooter.”

Alison Myers-Arenth said her daughters’ visits with Santa were better than expected.

“No crying, that’s always a good thing,” she said.

Her daughters, Arianna, 5, and Mikayla, 2, were dressed in Mrs. Claus outfits, including sparkly red shoes.

“But they’re Dorothy shoes,” Myers-Arenth said.

Arianna was headed to ask Santa for a new pair, as well as a “bouncing ball.”

Most children got their faces painted by parks and recreation employees, who also helped them make crafts, including kaleidoscopes made from toilet paper rolls.

“Daddy, now look,” said Eden Carter, 5, as she made her best attempt at drawing reindeer on a brown paper lunch sack.

“That’s cool! You did good on that,” her father, Jared Carter, of Eudora, responded.

“Let’s see Santa!” said his other daughter, Christina, 4, while tugging on his clothes.

Organizers were satisfied with the turnout – 175 – and hope to make the event an annual tradition.

“It’s been pretty successful,” said Duane Peterson, Lawrence Parks and Recreation special event supervisor. “It’s all about bringing families together and getting everybody ready for Christmas.”