It's the little things -- like red and green sugar cookies -- that make the holiday season special.

Emily and Megan McLaughlin, 21-month-old twins, seemed tickled with theirs yesterday during the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust's annual Kids' Holiday Crawl, Downtown. After smearing icing all over their hands and faces, the two looked like they were ready to nod off and sleep in heavenly peace.

The cookie give-away at the Cultural Trust's offices was just the tip of the goodie pile. Children could decorate their own cookies at Pittsburgh Culinary Institute, make six-pointed stars at Northside Urban Pathways Charter School, meet the Steelers and Penguins mascots at Katz Plaza and chat with "Nutcracker" characters at Fifth Avenue Place, to name just a few of the activities.

If they wanted to venture beyond the Cultural District, visitors could take the "Holly Trolley" to Station Square, the Macy's windows or the ice skating rink at PPG Place.

"We're big supporters of the Cultural District," the twins' mother, Susan, said. She and her husband, Sean, of Cranberry, said they took the opportunity to introduce their girls to "all the cultural attractions Pittsburgh has."

The event turned Downtown, normally staid on a Saturday, into a festive, lively place. A few children were naughty -- parents had to cajole them to stop crying or keep their hands to themselves -- but most were nice.

Good thing, too. Santa Claus was at the Box Office at Theater Square.

At the culinary institute, the line of children wanting to make cookies stretched onto Liberty Avenue. Inside, children carefully loaded M&Ms, licorice and Jujubes onto pre-frosted sugar cookies, then scarfed them down.

Mica Young, of the East Hills, waited patiently while her daughter, Viviona, 7, and son, Anthony, 6, decorated cookies and downed hot chocolate at the culinary institute. She and her mother, Melanie Young, praised the Cultural Trust for organizing the free activities.

"These are hard to chew on," Anthony warned of the Jujubes.

Mark J. Martin, management instructor at the institute and faculty adviser to the Eta Sigma Delta honor society, said the school baked and frosted 900 cookies.

"Last year, we had 800, and we ran out," he said.

The cookies and decorating items were free. The school and honor society charged $1 for soup and hot chocolate, with proceeds benefiting St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.

About 2,000 people participated in last year's event, and Janis Burley Wilson, the Cultural Trust's vice president for education and community engagement, predicted yesterday's turnout would be higher. She was stuck at the office handing out cookies but having a good time nonetheless.

"This is one of my favorite days of the year," she said.