Letter to Santa template: a letter your child writes
A one-page letter that the child writes, not a letter from Santa. Type a first name, choose how much to trace, edit up to three wishes, and print. An optional second page has a dotted envelope.
Preview every page
The preview is included in the PDF.
What is on the letter
Page one is a single letter with room for a child to say hello, tell Santa something and ask for a few things. It starts with Dear Santa, and My name is and the child’s first name in large dotted letters, each on its own writing line. Below that is a line to finish This year I learned to, then I would like: with one to three wishes, then Thank you! and Love, with the name again. The bottom of the page is a framed box for a drawing. The second page, which you can switch off, is a front-of-the-envelope panel with a dashed stamp box, return-address lines and the words Santa Claus and North Pole in dotted letters, with a blank line between them for a street and a zip code.
Three levels, so the same page fits different writers
The trace everything level turns the wishes into dotted words as well, so a child who is still learning letters only needs a pencil and a steady hand. It suits many pre-K children, though the ages here are rough guides, not rules. The trace the greeting, copy the wishes level keeps the greeting and sign-off dotted, then puts each wish in plain print with a blank line underneath for the child to copy; it is a common fit for kindergarten. The write the wishes level keeps the dotted greeting and replaces the wishes with empty ruled lines, which works well for first and second graders who can spell simple words and want to say it in their own way. Switching level takes one click, so you can print a different version for each child in a mixed group.
How to help at each age
- Youngest children: ask what they want to say and let them tell you. Write the wishes in the box for you, then let them trace. A drawing counts as writing, so accept a scribble and ask them to tell you about it.
- Kindergarten: read each wish aloud, point to it, then let the child copy it letter by letter. Praise the effort rather than the neatness, and let them leave the This year I learned to line as a drawing.
- First and second grade: ask for a full sentence on each line. Invented spelling is fine for a letter that will be read by a family; you can offer to write the correct version underneath if the child wants it.
- Any age: sit beside the child, keep the session short, and stop when the pencil goes slow. A letter can be written over two or three days.
Keep it to three wishes, and add a thank-you
Three lines are enough. A short list is easier for a young child to trace or copy, it keeps the page tidy, and it gives a family room to talk about what matters most. The page also asks the child to say thank you and to sign off with their own name, which gives a natural moment to talk about something they are grateful for. The drawing box is for a picture of a favorite wish, a gift for Santa, or something the child made this year. If your child cannot write a wish yet, they can draw it instead and tell you what it is.
Mailing the letter: check the official rules
Many families keep the letter as a keepsake or leave it by the fireplace, and the envelope page works for that too. If you want to mail it, USPS runs an Operation Santa program with its own address, return-address rules, stamp requirement and postmark deadline that change from year to year. As of October twenty twenty-six its site asks for a full return address written on the letter and the envelope, correct postage, and a postmark by Saturday, December 5, and it says a reply is not guaranteed. Read the current rules at uspsoperationsanta.com before you send anything, and do not promise a child that Santa will write back. This page does not print a mailing address for you; add the street and zip code by hand on the blank envelope line once you have checked the current one.
Privacy and printing
The name and wishes you type are used only by your browser to draw the page and the PDF. They are not sent to a server and they are not saved, so a child’s name never ends up in a web address. Print on plain letter or A4 paper at actual size, which keeps the dotted letters sharp. Choose gray ink if you want to save color. A plain page also takes crayon well, so a child can color the border of the drawing box. For another way to practice the same words, the Christmas words tracing worksheets have a set of holiday words, and the Christmas tree name craft turns a name into a banner.
Continue with a related worksheet
Watch the video guide
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Good to know
Is this a letter from Santa?
No. It is a letter that the child writes to Santa. If you are looking for a reply written from Santa to a child, that is a different kind of page.
What are the three levels?
Trace everything dots every word. Trace the greeting, copy the wishes dots the greeting and sign-off and prints each wish in plain letters with a blank line to copy it onto. Trace the greeting, write the wishes dots the greeting and gives three empty ruled lines.
How many wishes can I add?
Up to three, one per line, at 30 characters each. Leave the box empty to print blank lines instead.
Can I mail the letter to the North Pole?
USPS has an Operation Santa program with its own address and deadlines. Read the current rules on its official site before you send a letter, and add the street and zip code by hand on the envelope page.
Does the page save my child’s name?
No. The name and wishes stay in your browser. They are used to draw the preview and the PDF and are not uploaded or stored.