What to Write in a Letter from Santa: 15 Personal Touches Kids Notice

Handwritten New Year postcard from Santa addressed to a child

A letter from Santa works when a child reads it and thinks, how did he know that? The secret is a few specific details only someone watching closely would know. Here are fifteen that kids notice.

Details about them

  1. Their name, spelled exactly right. Include the nickname they actually use.
  2. Their town. Santa knows where every child lives, so name it.
  3. A best friend. "Keep being kind to Maya" lands harder than "keep being kind to your friends."
  4. Something they worked hard at this year: learning to read, riding without training wheels, a new school.
  5. A kind thing they did. Sharing with a sibling, helping a neighbor, being brave at the dentist.
  6. One gentle nudge. "The elves noticed bedtime has been tricky. I know you can do it." Keep it light and encouraging.
  7. A pet's name. Santa says hello to the dog, too.

News from the North Pole

  1. A reindeer with a problem. A young reindeer still learning to land gives the letter a story kids want to hear more about.
  2. What the elves are building. Something silly and specific, like a cocoa machine that fires marshmallows.
  3. Mrs. Claus in the kitchen. Gingerbread, cocoa, and whatever she's baking this week.
  4. The weather. A blizzard, the northern lights, or snow piled up to the workshop windows.

Christmas Eve plans

  1. Where they'll be. If they're spending Christmas Eve at Grandma's, Santa should know.
  2. The route. A map of Santa's flight from the North Pole to their town makes the night feel real.
  3. The Nice List. A certificate with their name on it is proof they made the list.

The envelope

  1. A real postmark. Kids check the envelope first. Their name in handwriting, a stamp and a North Pole postmark are what convince them. Here's how the North Pole postmark works.

Skip the writing, keep the details

Every Letter From Santa package includes the letter, Santa's Official Nice List and a Christmas Eve route map, personalized with your child's name, town, friend and Christmas Eve location. You read the finished letter before you pay, and letters ordered by December 1 get the official North Pole postmark.

Start your child's letter