Letter to Santa template: ideas by age

Writing it together, by age

Toddlers and preschool children can draw rather than write. Ask them what they would like to tell Santa and write their words down exactly as they say them, then let them add a picture and perhaps a first attempt at their name.

Children who are learning to read and write can copy a few words or fill in short gaps. Keep it relaxed: spelling does not matter, and a sentence they wrote themselves is worth more than a neat one you dictated.

Older children often want to write the whole letter alone and may prefer you not to read it. That is fine. You can still offer the template as a starting point and ask, afterwards, whether there is anything they would like to share.

More than wishes: proud and curious

Two short questions change the feel of the whole letter. "I am proud of" invites your child to look back at the year: learning to swim, starting a new school, being patient with a baby brother. Children are often surprised by how much they have to say once they start.

"I am curious about" looks forward. It might be how reindeer fly, why snow is white or where the elves sleep. These questions are a lovely glimpse into what is on your child's mind, and they give Santa something real to answer.

Our printable template on this page has space for both, along with a few lines for wishes and a box for a drawing. Print as many copies as you need for siblings or for a second try.

Wishes without promises

Wishes are part of the fun, and there is no need to discourage them. It can help to say early on that Santa reads every letter but cannot always bring everything, and that some wishes are not things at all: a day at the seaside, more time with grandparents, snow on Christmas Day.

Try not to link the letter to behaviour. Phrases like "Santa only comes if you are good" can turn an exciting job into a worrying one. The letter is a chance for your child to share their hopes, not a test they have to pass.

Where the letter goes

In many families the letter is left by the fireplace or with the stockings on Christmas Eve, or put somewhere special in the days before. Some children like to place it on the windowsill so it can be collected overnight. Whatever you choose, it is worth doing it together, so your child sees the letter on its way.

You can also post it. Several European postal services run Christmas letter schemes for children, and the details change from year to year, so check with your local post office for the current address and deadline. If you post the original, take a photo of it first. It makes a lovely keepsake and is useful for what comes next.

From your child's letter to a personal reply

What your child writes is the best material for a reply. The answers to "I am proud of" and "I am curious about" are exactly what we ask for when you order a letter from Father Christmas or Santa with SantaBrief, along with your child's name, age and town.

A first draft is written automatically from your answers, and you read it and change every sentence before we print. The reply never promises a present and never mentions behaviour, but it can pick up a wish gently, as something to look forward to. We print it on good paper and post it in a proper envelope on the dispatch day you choose, to addresses in Germany, Czechia, Austria, the Netherlands, Belgium, France, Poland or Switzerland. We do not post to the UK.