Wording guide · Christmas
What to write in a letter from Santa
A letter from Santa is the part of Christmas children remember. The magic is in the detail: their name, something they really did this year, and news from the North Pole that only Santa could know. Here’s what to write, with letters for every age, thank-you letters from Santa for Christmas morning and wording for nice list certificates.
Copy any of them onto one of our printable Santa letters, change the details in your browser, and print it on cream card tonight.
What to put in a reply letter from Santa
Keep it short enough to read aloud in one go, around 100 to 150 words for younger children, and write it the way Santa would talk: warm, a little grand, and very busy.
- Their name, spelled the way they spell it, and their age if they’re proud of it: “Dear Alfie, now that you’re six…”
- One true thing from their year: learning to swim, starting school, being kind to a new baby brother. This is what makes a child sure Santa really is watching.
- A thank-you for their letter, mentioning one thing in it, without promising a present. “I’ve read all about the scooter” is safe; “you’ll find a scooter” is a promise you might not be able to keep.
- News from the North Pole: what the elves are making, which reindeer is misbehaving (Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner, Blitzen or Rudolph), Mrs Claus’s mince pies.
- A nod to the nice list, with a gentle nudge: “Keep being kind to your sister and you’ll stay right at the top.”
- A sign-off with a flourish, “With love and a twinkle, Father Christmas”, and a PS about going to sleep early on Christmas Eve.
Letters from Santa for every age
Change the length and the jokes to suit the reader. Little ones want reindeer and sound effects; older children want proof.
Dear Poppy,
Ho ho ho! It’s Santa, writing from the North Pole, where it is VERY snowy today.
My elves tell me you’ve been helping Mummy feed the ducks and saying please and thank you. That’s nice list behaviour!
Rudolph says hello. His nose is extra shiny this year, ready to find your house on Christmas Eve.
Be good, go to sleep nice and early, and I’ll see you very soon.
Love from Santa
PS Don’t forget a carrot for Rudolph!
Dear Oscar,
Thank you for your letter. I loved your drawing of the sleigh, and I’ve pinned it up in the workshop where all the elves can see it.
I hear you started Year 2 in September and you’ve been reading every night. Mrs Claus was very impressed when I told her.
It’s busy here. Pip the elf has wrapped himself up in ribbon twice this week, and Dasher keeps trying to eat the tinsel.
I’ve read your wishes very carefully. Keep being kind to your little sister, and I’ll do my very best.
Your friend at the North Pole,
Father Christmas
Dear Amelia,
You’re ten now, which makes you one of the most experienced believers I know. I still remember your very first letter, written in purple crayon.
This year you raised money for the animal shelter and stuck with your piano practice even when it was hard. Things like that never go unnoticed up here.
Some people say Christmas magic is something you grow out of. I think it’s something you grow into: being the one who keeps it going for others.
Thank you for keeping it going for Jack. He thinks you’re wonderful.
With love, as always,
Santa
Dear Evie and Max,
Two letters arrived from your house this year, and the elves had a race to see who could read them first.
Evie, I hear you’ve been brilliant at Brownies. Max, you learnt to ride your bike without stabilisers. You’re both firmly on the nice list.
I’m saving extra carrots for your road, because Comet loves your garden.
Sleep tight on Christmas Eve, both of you.
Love, Santa
A thank-you letter from Santa for Christmas morning
The thank-you letter from Santa is the one children find on Christmas morning, next to the empty plate: proof that he came. Write it as if Santa’s in a hurry with crumbs in his beard. Thank them for the snacks, notice something about the house, and hint at where he’s off to next.
Dear Harry and Lily,
Thank you for the mince pies. They were the best I’ve had all night, and I’ve had a few.
Rudolph crunched his carrot in two bites, and the glass of milk was just what I needed before the long flight to Canada.
Your stockings were hung beautifully, and I noticed how tidy your bedrooms were. The elves will be telling everyone.
Have a wonderful Christmas Day. Be kind to each other, and share the chocolate.
Love, Santa
PS Sorry about the soot on the carpet.
Ho ho ho! Thank you for the mince pie, the carrots and the sherry.
Rudolph says the carrots were extra crunchy this year.
Merry Christmas! Love, Santa x
Helping children write a thank-you letter to Santa
After Christmas, a thank-you letter to Santa is a lovely habit to start, and a gentle way into thank-you notes for grandparents too. Give younger children a few prompts and let them draw the rest.
Dear Santa,
Thank you for my art set. I have already drawn you, Rudolph and our cat.
My favourite part of Christmas was pulling crackers with Grandma.
Please tell Rudolph the carrots were from our garden.
Love from Ruby, age 6
- “Dear Santa, thank you for…”: one present they loved, and why.
- “My favourite part of Christmas Day was…”
- “Please say thank you to…”: Rudolph, the elves or Mrs Claus.
- “Next year I’m going to try to…”
- A drawing of their favourite present, or of Christmas dinner.
Nice list certificate wording
A nice list certificate should sound short and official. Give a reason, so it means something, and sign it with as many North Pole titles as you like.
Official North Pole certificate
This is to certify that
Leo Patel
has been checked twice and is on Santa’s nice list for 2026
For always sharing his toys and helping at home
Signed: Santa Claus, Chief Present Officer
Witnessed by: Jingle, Head Elf
Star of kindness
Awarded to Grace for looking after her friends at school
Santa and the elves are very proud of you
The North Pole, December 2026
Wish lists and letters to Santa
Before Santa can reply, he needs a letter. A printed wish list keeps it manageable: a few boxes to fill in rather than a page of catalogue numbers.
- Keep it short: “my five wishes” or “four thoughtful wishes” beats a list that runs onto the back.
- Try the classic four: something they want, something they need, something to wear and something to read.
- Add wishes beyond presents: something to do as a family, something to make, someone to help.
- Let little ones draw their wishes or stick on pictures cut from a catalogue.
- Ask for “something I did this year that I’m proud of”. It gives Santa something real to write about in his reply.
How to make a letter from Santa look real
Our Santa letters and certificates are A4 printables, ready to personalise and print at home: your first design is free, then 99p each. With Unlimited at £5 a month, the letter, the certificate and the Christmas morning thank-you for every child in the house are all included.
- Choose a design with a handwritten-style font for the letter, and put the child’s name in it in the editor.
- Print on cream, ivory or kraft card rather than white printer paper, at 100% (“Actual size”). It looks as if it’s come a long way.
- Add a pinch of glitter or “snow” to the envelope, and address it from Santa Claus, The North Pole.
- Deliver it properly: tucked into a Christmas Eve box, left by the stocking, or “found” on the doormat one December morning.
- Keep any present vague, in case the one thing on the list sells out.
- Sharing a photo of the letter online? Cover the child’s full name, school and town first.
- Keep your design: it stays on your account, so next year’s letter can remember this year’s, which older children love.
Your first design is on us
Pick a design, paste in your wording and download it ready to print or send. Your first design is free, then 99p each, or every design for £5 a month with Unlimited.
Questions
- What should a letter from Santa say?
- The child’s name, one real thing they did this year, a thank-you for their letter, a little North Pole news (elves, reindeer, Mrs Claus), a nod to the nice list and a warm sign-off. Mention their wishes without promising a particular present.
- How do you make a letter from Santa look real?
- Use a handwriting-style font, print it on cream or kraft card at actual size, and deliver it in an envelope addressed from the North Pole with a pinch of glitter, by the stocking or in a Christmas Eve box.
- What do you write in a thank-you letter from Santa?
- Thank them for what they left out (mince pies, a carrot for Rudolph, milk or sherry), mention something Santa noticed about their home or their year, and wish them a merry Christmas. Leave it by the empty plate for Christmas morning.
- When should a letter from Santa arrive?
- A reply works best in the first half of December, a week or so after your child has written to him, so there’s time to read it again before Christmas. A thank-you letter from Santa appears on Christmas morning.
- Can I print a letter from Santa at home?
- Yes. Our Santa letters are A4: personalise every word in your browser, download the PDF and print it at 100% on card. Your first design is free, then 99p each, or every design for £5 a month with Unlimited.
Last checked 2 November 2026.