When that other iconic winter figure — Queen Elsa — glided into the room at the holiday party thrown by the UFT and the Coalition for the Homeless at union headquarters on Dec. 12, children gasped and cheered as if they had just seen Santa Claus himself. Swept along by Elsa’s regal gown, they flocked to the dance floor to sway arm-in-arm as Elsa’s anthem, “Let It Go” from the movie “Frozen,” wafted through the room.

Dressed in their most festive apparel, the 150 children from homeless shelters across the city also tried their hand at throwing beanbag cookies through Santa’s mouth, lined up to get their faces painted like butterflies and superheroes, and crafted souvenir picture frames and graffiti pictures.

After a kid-friendly lunch of chicken fingers and hamburger sliders with holiday-themed cupcakes for dessert, a Coalition staffer led the room in a singalong of “Jingle Bells,” hinting, “I think there’s a jolly old man on the roof and if we sing loud enough, he’ll come down!”

Sure enough, Santa Claus himself made an appearance, wowing the crowd along with some less-than-traditional guests — Iron Man and Raphael of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

Waiting on line with her older siblings to meet Santa for the first time, 5-year-old Lisa was practically vibrating with excitement.

“I’m going to ask for a My Little Pony and a toy car. And a house,” Lisa said.

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Vice President for Elementary Schools Karen Alford, who joined the guests for a conga line on the dance floor, smiled as she surveyed the room.

“It’s always exciting for them to be able to be kids and enjoy the day with no worries,” she said. “And the adults always go out of their way to make sure everyone is having a good time.”

For 12-year-old Ciniya, who also was celebrating her birthday, the party was doubly enjoyable.

“Compared to my birthday last year, when we couldn’t really celebrate, this is really fun,” she said.

As they left, all the children got back on the bus with new winter scarves and wrapped gifts — donated by UFT members.

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“It’s an absolutely incredible event,” said Joe Usatch, the chapter leader at IS 311 in Brooklyn and one of the day’s volunteers. “It’s about the ability to provide these children with something that they, unfortunately, may not otherwise see.”