How to Write a Letter to Santa: A Simple Guide for Kids and Parents

A letter to Santa is often a child’s first real piece of writing with a purpose. It can be a few lines or a full page, and it does not need perfect spelling. This guide helps a parent or relative get a child started, keep the letter short and make it something the whole family can enjoy. If you want to write Santa’s reply, see how to write a letter from Santa.

1. Start with a talk, not a form

Ask the child what they would like to tell Santa. Many children want to say what they have done this year before they get to the presents, and that is a good thing to write down. Let them lead. If they are very young, write what they say word for word, even if it wanders. A letter in a child’s own voice is worth more than a neat list.

2. Open with “Dear Santa” and one kind thing

The simplest shape is three parts: a greeting, something about the year, then the wishes. The middle part can be small, such as learning to swim, helping with a younger sibling or being brave at the dentist. It gives the letter some warmth and gives relatives a story to ask about.

3. Keep the wish list short

Three or four wishes are plenty. A short list is easier for a child to be happy with, and easier for relatives to shop for. If a child wants a long list, ask them to pick the ones that matter most and save the others for a birthday. Naming exact things helps: a blue scooter, a book about space, a set of felt pens.

4. Add one wish that is not a thing

Many children enjoy including a wish that cannot be wrapped, such as snow on Christmas morning, a day at the beach or a family movie night. It turns the list into something warmer, and it gives parents ideas for time together.

5. Say thank you and sign it

End with a thank you to Santa and the elves, then let the child sign their own name, even if it takes a while. Some families add a drawing, and some mention the cookies and carrots they leave out on Christmas Eve. Those small details are the parts parents keep.

Try it: build a letter

Type over the examples to see the shape of a short letter. A child can change every word.

Dear Santa, this year I learned to ride my bike. For Christmas I would like a book about dinosaurs and some felt pens. I will leave you cookies and a carrot for Rudolph. Thank you, Santa! Love, Max

Put it in a letter to Santa

6. Decide who will read it

A letter can stay at home, go to grandparents or be shared with the whole family. If you share it online, keep the details light and think of it as a note on the fridge, not a public post. If you use Say Wishes, the letter lives only inside the link you copy, and you choose who receives it.

What goes in, what stays out

✓ Safe to share

• A first name
• Something they did this year
• Three or four wishes
• A thank you to Santa and the elves

✕ Keep private

• A full name
• A home address
• The name of their school
• Phone numbers or travel dates

7. Send it in good time

Early December gives relatives time to shop and ship. If your family uses the post, give the child a real envelope and let them post it themselves. A letter on screen can be sent at any point, and the person opening it posts it into a mailbox to read it.

From first chat to Christmas Eve

1. Late NovemberTalk it throughAsk what they would like to tell Santa. Write down their words.
2. Early DecemberWrite and share the letterRelatives get time to shop and ship.
3. Any time afterA reply from Santa, if you likeYou can write one on the Letter from Santa page.
4. Christmas EveCookies and a carrotSmall details like these are the parts parents keep.

Christmas Day 2026 is on Friday, 25 December.

A short example

Dear Santa, my name is Max and I am six. This year I learned to ride my bike and I helped Grandpa in the garden. For Christmas I would like a book about dinosaurs, some felt pens and a flashlight for reading in bed. I would also love snow on Christmas morning. I will leave you cookies and a carrot for Rudolph. Thank you, Santa. Love, Max.

Check it before it goes

Before the letter goes

• It opens with Dear Santa.
• It says one thing about the year.
• It has three or four wishes.
• It has one wish that is not a thing.
• It ends with a thank you and the child's own first name.

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If you would like a ready-made starting point, browse the letters to Santa wish list ideas or open the Kid’s Letter to Santa page and change the text to suit your child. For more Christmas ideas, see the Christmas and winter page.