Mini Minds Hub · Free printable
Santa Thank You Letter
- CostFree
- FormatPrintable PDF
Santa Thank You Letter is a free printable literacy and craft sheet. Children write a letter to Santa after Christmas to say thank you and tell him about their favourite parts of the day. It needs only a pencil or pen, and page 2 gives the grown up notes, help ideas and a stretch task.
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, and colouring pencils add a nice finish.
What is on the sheet
Children write a thank you letter to Santa. They think about what made their Christmas special, such as presents, food, family time and the things they did together. Then they put those thoughts into a short letter in their own words. It is a simple writing task with a real reason behind it, and the finished letter can be sent on its way or kept as a keepsake.
Make it a keepsake
Plan first
Before writing on the sheet, talk through the best parts of Christmas. Jot a few words on scrap paper. This gives children ideas ready to go, so the letter flows more easily.
Draft, then copy
Some children like to try a sentence aloud, then write it. Others write a rough version on scrap paper first. Either way, they read it back before the final letter.
Decorate the envelope
Use pens, pencils or stickers to make an envelope. Write Santa's name on the front in the best handwriting your child can manage.
Choose a safe place to keep it
Children can put the finished letter by the tree, in a memory box or in a Christmas card pile. An adult can check current advice if you would like to post it.
Why write a thank you letter?
In Britain, many children write to Father Christmas before Christmas, often with a list of wishes. Writing after Christmas is a gentle twist. It turns the focus from asking to appreciating. Children look back at what they enjoyed and say so. That is a useful habit for life, and it makes a good topic for writing in the new year.
Writing with a real audience in mind gives children a reason to take care. They think about who will read the letter, what that person would like to hear and how to be polite and warm. Thank you letters are also short, which makes them a friendly way to practise sentences, spelling and handwriting without the task feeling too big.
Skills and curriculum link
- Writing for a purpose
- Sentence writing
- Handwriting
- Spelling
- Expressing gratitude
- Letter layout
Ideas to help your child write
- Start with a greetingLetters usually begin by saying hello to the person. Children can practise writing Santa's name with a capital letter.
- Say what you are thankful forGood thank you letters name something specific. Saying what you liked and why makes the letter feel real.
- Add a little newsChildren can mention something they did, ate or enjoyed. One or two extra details make a letter interesting to read.
- Finish with a sign offLetters end with a kind closing and the writer's name. This is a handy pattern children can reuse for other letters.
Key words
- GratitudeA warm feeling of being thankful, and showing it.
- GreetingThe words at the start of a letter that say hello to the reader.
- Sign offThe kind words at the end of a letter, followed by your name.
- SentenceA group of words that makes sense on its own. It starts with a capital letter and ends with a full stop.
- Capital letterThe big form of a letter. We use one at the start of a sentence and for names.
- KeepsakeSomething you keep to remember a special time.
How to use it
- Print both pages. Page 1 is for your child. Keep page 2, which has notes and ideas for you.
- Talk about Christmas first. Ask what your child enjoyed most and who they spent time with.
- Let your child write in their own words. Spelling does not need to be perfect, and trying a word is more important than getting it right.
- Ask them to read the letter aloud. They may spot a missing word or full stop and fix it themselves.
- Decide together what to do with the letter. Keep it as a memory, or make an envelope and have an adult sort out any posting.
Help, stretch and game ideas
If it feels too hard
Say sentences aloud together before writing. Offer a starter such as "My favourite part was..." and let your child finish it. Write one sentence at a time, and take a break if hands get tired. A short, neat letter is a good result.
To stretch confident children
Ask your child to add a second paragraph with a question for Santa, or a kind wish for his work and his reindeer. Challenge them to use a describing word in every sentence, and to check each one starts with a capital letter.
Make it a game
Play Thankful Round the Table. Take turns to say one thing you are thankful for from Christmas. No one can repeat an answer. When ideas run out, everyone picks a favourite and writes it as a sentence for the letter.
Talk about it
- What was the best part of your Christmas, and why?
- Who would you like to say thank you to, other than Santa?
- How do you think Santa feels when he gets a kind letter?
- What is a kind word we could use instead of nice?
- Can you think of a time when someone said thank you to you? How did it feel?
- What would you like to remember about this Christmas next year?
Take it off the page
Thank you cards
Make cards for family and friends who gave gifts or spent time with you. Use folded paper, pens and your best handwriting.
Christmas memory jar
Write one happy memory on a small slip of paper each day over the holidays. Put the slips in a jar and read them together later.
Letter role play
Take turns being the letter writer and the person who reads it. Practise a greeting, a thank you and a sign off aloud.
Who it is for
Parents
Sit with your child while they talk through their favourite moments, then step back and let them write. Praise effort and kind words, and leave small spelling slips alone unless your child wants help. It makes a calm, happy activity for a quiet day after Christmas.
Teachers
Use it in the first week back after Christmas as a gentle writing task. It supports writing for a purpose, with attention to sentence structure, handwriting and spelling. It also works as a display piece or as a model for later work on letters.
Home educators
Pair it with a chat about the holiday, then use the letter as a starting point for other writing, such as a diary entry or a thank you card to a relative. It slots easily into a themed week on celebrations and traditions.
Where this fits in
Before this sheet, children practise forming letters, writing simple sentences and using capital letters and full stops. They also learn to say their ideas aloud before putting them on paper. This sheet brings those skills together in one short piece of writing.
After it, children can move on to other kinds of letters, such as invitations, postcards and thank you notes to family. Later they can add more detail, use a wider range of sentence openers and plan longer pieces of writing.
Questions parents and teachers ask
- What is the Santa Thank You Letter?
It is a free printable letter template that lets children write a thank you message to Santa after Christmas. It encourages them to think about what they enjoyed and put it into words. It is part of the Mini Minds Hub from Jaques of London.
- Who is this sheet for?
It suits children in the early primary years who are learning to write sentences, and it can be adapted for younger or older children. Younger ones can talk while an adult scribes some words. Older children can write more and add detail.
- Does my child need to believe in Santa?
No. Families approach Santa in different ways. The sheet works as a fun, imaginative writing task whatever your child thinks. It is also a good way to practise saying thank you and writing a letter for a reader.
- What do we need to complete it?
You need a printer, paper and a pencil or pen. Colouring pencils or felt tips are a nice extra for decorating. There is no need for any other equipment, so it is easy to set up at home or in class.
- Can we post the letter?
You can keep it as a memory, or an adult can look up current posting advice. Santa is not an ordinary address, so check before you send anything. Many families simply display the letter or tuck it into a memory box.
- What if my child finds writing hard?
Let them say each sentence aloud first, then write one at a time. You can offer a sentence starter, or write some words for them to copy. Short and neat is better than long and tiring, so celebrate any attempt.
- Can teachers use it in the classroom?
Yes. It works well as a writing task in the new year, as part of a unit on letters, or as a calm activity after the holidays. Children can compare their letters and share their favourite Christmas moments.
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.