Mini Minds Hub · Free printable
Letter To Santa Template
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- FormatPrintable PDF
Letter To Santa Template is a free printable letter for children to write to Father Christmas. Children think about their year, say what they would like and put it in their own words. It needs only a pencil or pens. Page 2 gives the grown up notes on using the sheet, help for children who find writing hard, and a stretch idea.
It comes from the Mini Minds Hub, the free library of printables from Jaques of London, the British games and toy company that has been making games for families since 1795. Print both pages, give page 1 to your child and keep page 2 for yourself. Black and white printing works well.
What is on the sheet
Children use the template to write their own letter to Father Christmas. The sheet asks whether they have been naughty or nice this year, then invites them to share what they really want for Christmas. There is no right or wrong answer. Children decide what to say, how to say it and how to sign off. It suits a calm moment at home or a Christmas writing task in class.
Ways to make the letter special
Start with a greeting
Begin by saying hello to Father Christmas. A friendly opening sets the tone and shows children how letters usually start.
Think about the year
Before writing, talk about the year. What went well? What was kind or helpful? Children can say this in their own words, honestly and simply.
Choose with care
Ask your child to think about what they would most like and why. Giving a reason makes a sentence stronger than a bare list.
Finish properly
End with a polite thank you and a sign off, then the child's name. Writing their own name makes the letter feel truly theirs.
Why write a letter to Father Christmas?
Writing to Father Christmas is a much loved Christmas tradition in many UK homes. Children often know exactly what they want, so they have plenty to say. That makes it an easy and happy way to practise writing, because the reason for writing is clear and the reader feels special.
A letter also has a shape. It has a greeting, the main message and a sign off. Learning that shape helps children later when they write thank you notes, invitations or messages to friends. Writing for a real reader, even a magical one, encourages neat handwriting and careful thinking about word choice.
Christmas facts for children
- Christmas Day is on 25 December.
- In the UK, Father Christmas and Santa Claus are two names for the same character.
- Reindeer are a type of deer that live in cold northern parts of the world.
- A letter usually begins with a greeting and ends with the writer's name.
- Many children in the UK write to Father Christmas each year.
Skills and curriculum link
- Letter writing
- Sentence writing
- Handwriting
- Expressing preferences
- Thinking about behaviour
- Polite language
Ideas to help your child write
- Plan out loudAsk your child to say their sentences aloud before writing. Spoken ideas are easier to write down once they sound right.
- Give a reasonEncourage words like because. A sentence such as I would like a book because I love stories says more than a name on its own.
- Be kind and thankfulInvite your child to say thank you for something from last Christmas, or to mention something kind they did this year.
- Check at the endAsk them to read the letter back. Do the sentences make sense? Does each one start with a capital letter and end with a full stop?
Key words
- LetterA written message sent to someone.
- GreetingThe words at the start of a letter, such as Dear Father Christmas.
- Sign offThe words at the end of a letter, followed by your name.
- WishSomething you hope for or would like very much.
- PoliteShowing good manners, such as saying please and thank you.
- ProofreadRead your writing again to find and fix mistakes.
How to use it
- Print both pages. Page 1 is for your child. Keep page 2, which has the notes and ideas.
- Read the question on the sheet together. Talk about the year so far and what has gone well.
- Let your child plan what to say. They can talk, draw or jot a few words first.
- Ask them to write the letter in their own words, with a greeting, their wishes and a sign off.
- Read it back together and fix any small mistakes. Then keep it safe, display it or share it with family.
Help, stretch and game ideas
If it feels too hard
Offer a sentence starter such as Dear Father Christmas, this year I have been... or For Christmas I would like... Let your child finish each one. Take turns writing if their hand tires, and praise effort and ideas before spelling.
To stretch confident children
Ask your child to write a longer letter with three parts. First, what they did well this year. Second, what they would like and why. Third, a question for Father Christmas. Then ask them to check capital letters and full stops.
Make it a game
Play Wish and Reason. Take turns to name one thing you would like and give a reason using because. Each player has to make their reason different from the last. Then your child picks their best idea for the letter.
Mistakes to watch for
Watch forA child writes a list of items with no sentences.
Try thisAsk why they chose each item. Help them turn each answer into a sentence using because.
Watch forThe letter has no greeting or sign off.
Try thisShow a simple example letter from a different topic. Point out the opening and closing, then ask your child to add their own.
Watch forWriting runs off the edge of the space or is very small.
Try thisSuggest planning in rough first. Ask them to write one sentence at a time and pause after each full stop.
Talk about it
- What was the best part of your year?
- What is something kind you did this year?
- Why do you want the things on your list?
- What would you say thank you for?
- If you could ask Father Christmas one question, what would it be?
- How do you think Father Christmas feels when he reads letters?
Take it off the page
Decorate an envelope
Make a Christmas envelope with pens, stickers or paper shapes. Write a neat name on the front and talk about why neat handwriting helps.
Wish drawings
Draw a picture of one wish and write a short caption under it. Share it with the family and guess each other's wishes.
Kindness jar
Write kind things you have done on small strips of paper and put them in a jar. Read some out before writing your letter.
Who it is for
Parents
Sit beside your child to talk through the year first, then let them write alone. Resist correcting every spelling. A happy, honest letter matters more than a perfect one.
Teachers
Use it in the run up to Christmas as a short writing task, a handwriting lesson or a letter writing starter. Pupils can plan in pairs, write independently and proofread with a partner.
Home educators
It fits neatly into a December morning of seasonal learning. Combine it with talk about the year, handwriting practice and a trip to post or display the finished letter.
Where letter writing leads
Before children write letters, they practise forming letters and words, writing simple sentences and saying their ideas aloud. Talking about experiences and wishes gives them the content they need.
After this, children can write thank you notes, invitations, postcards and letters to family. Over time they learn to write longer pieces, organise ideas into paragraphs and choose the right tone for the reader.
Questions parents and teachers ask
- Is the letter to Santa template free?
Yes. It is a free printable from the Mini Minds Hub at Jaques of London. You can print as many copies as you need for your family or class. Black and white printing works well.
- What do children do on the sheet?
They write a letter to Father Christmas. They think about whether they have been naughty or nice this year and say what they really want for Christmas, in their own words.
- Do children need to be able to write well?
No. Children can write at their own level. Younger children can say their ideas aloud while an adult scribes some of it, or they can add drawings. Older children can write more detail.
- Does page 2 have answers?
No, because this is a writing task with no right or wrong answers. Page 2 is for the grown up. It has notes on using the sheet, help for children who find writing hard and a stretch idea.
- Can I use it in the classroom?
Yes. It works as a December writing task, a handwriting activity or a letter writing starter. Children can plan in pairs, write alone and read their letters back to a partner.
- How can I help a child who does not know what to write?
Start by talking about the year, then about what they would like and why. Give simple sentence starters. Let them say each sentence aloud before they write it down.
- What should we do with the finished letter?
That is up to you. You could keep it as a memory, display it at home or in class, or share it with family. Many families like to save letters and read them years later.
Preview the full PDF
Made by Jaques of London, making games for families since 1795. A printable supports classroom learning and does not replace a teacher.