With Carter's savvy eye for design, all 11 Great Wolf Lodge resorts incorporated ideas and inspiration, including button-candy wallpaper, gum drop poinsettias in the window flower boxes, rock candy icicles and a sugary sled for added curb appeal. Features of each gingerbread house were painstakingly baked, iced, candied and sugared on the grandest of scales -- taking more than 400 hours to complete.

"At Great Wolf Lodge we create an experience for our guest that is all about seeing the wonderment of the holidays through the eyes of a child," said Tim Black, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, Great Wolf Lodge. "Each Snowland detail, from the gingerbread house to caroling in the Grand Lobby, is meant for families to enjoy this special time of year -- together."

Carter, a Traverse City, Mich. native, visited his local Great Wolf Lodge to contribute his design expertise to the sugary homes, providing his favorite holiday DIY tips. Guests can get inspired and recreate the spirit of Snowland in their own homes with one of Carter's family-friendly craft ideas -- a candy photo frame using traditional favorites like peppermints. Printable, detailed directions for the photo frames are available at greatwolf.com/snowland. 

"The holidays are a special time for my family as we look forward to traditions like trimming the tree and decorating our home," said Carter Oosterhouse. "Getting your home ready for the season does not have to be costly and elaborate, but can be as simple as creating meaningful DIY crafts with your children like a picture frame decorated with candy, or colorful holiday-themed pillowcase chair covers."

Each December, Great Wolf Lodge indoor waterpark resorts completely transform into winter wonderland destinations complete with an hourly snowfall in the Grand Lobby and loads of entertaining activities. Snowland festivities begin with the official tree-lighting ceremony in the Grand Lobby on Saturday, December 1, and include a special appearance by Santa Claus and the resort's own Rowdy the Reindeer. Great Wolf Lodge guests who visit Snowland can discover the splendor of the season complete with caroling, participation in North Pole University throughout the resort, holiday-themed Cub Club activities that are perfect for kids to complete alongside parents and gorgeous holiday decor -- all within the warm confines of an 84-degree, indoor waterpark.

Snowland opens December 1 and continues through December 25. Guests of Great Wolf Lodge resorts will enjoy these family-friendly activities:

• Writing letters to Santa Claus at the Writing Depot
• Participating in holiday-themed crafts in the Cub Club
• Caroling and a special Snowland Clock Tower show
• Nightly story reading in the Grand Lobby with Rowdy the Reindeer
• Photo opportunities with the Gingerbread House and Santa Claus and Mrs. Claus

For more information about Snowland festivities or to plan a visit at Great Wolf Lodge, visit greatwolf.com/snowland.

About Cater Oosterhouse
Carter Oosterhouse is one of America's most recognized lifestyle experts. As host of HGTV's Million Dollar Rooms, Carter Can, Celebrity Motor Homes and a regular contributor to the Emmy® Award-Winning Rachael Ray Show, Carter's unique combination of skill, passion and charm have given him widespread appeal for families and individuals alike seeking to improve the quality of their lives by enhancing their surroundings.

About Great Wolf Resorts, Inc.
Great Wolf Resorts, Inc.®, Madison, Wis., is North America's largest family of indoor waterpark resorts, and, through its subsidiaries and affiliates, owns and operates its family resorts under the Great Wolf Lodge® brand. Great Wolf Resorts is a fully integrated resort company with Great Wolf Lodge locations in: Wisconsin Dells, Wis.; Sandusky, Ohio; Traverse City, Mich.; Kansas City, Kan.; Williamsburg, Va.; the Pocono Mountains, Pa.; Niagara Falls, Ontario; Mason, Ohio; Grapevine, Texas; Grand Mound, Wash.; and Concord, N.C. Great Wolf's consolidated subsidiary, Creative Kingdoms, LLC, is a developer and operator of technology-based, interactive quest adventure experiences such as MagiQuest®.

Additional information may be found on Great Wolf's website at www.greatwolf.com/media.