Free Printable Letter to Santa

Are your kiddos getting excited about Christmas?

It seems that as soon as Hallowe’en is over and done with, it’s time to go into holiday mode!

From putting up decorations to planning your gift list, there’s lots to do as a parent, but your children can participate in the festivities as well.

One time-honored tradition is to write a letter to Santa and wait for a reply.

You can mail their letter through your local postal service or write a response yourself – and using a free printable letter to Santa is a great way to help little ones write to Father Christmas!

Keep reading to find your free printable letter to Santa, as well as information on where to send them and how to respond to them.

Let’s get started!

The History of the Santa Letter

In 1889, Thomas Nast (the person who is credited for inspiring the modern portrayal of Santa) began reading letters from the parents of children in “Santa Claus’s Mail.”

Children all around the world participate in this time-honored tradition. Children in Britain, Japan, and Poland are the most prolific letter writers, with Japanese children often including pieces of origami.

Children in Canada get to use a special postal code to send their letters (H0H 0H0), while those in Mexico and other Latin American countries send their letters attached to helium balloons!

I’m not sure how that works or how the letters get to Santa!

So there you go, a little history of the Santa letter!

Where Do You Send Santa Letters?

A quick Google search will tell you where to send your child’s Santa letters, but here are the addresses and instructions for Canada, the United States, and the United Kingdom:

In Canada: Canada Post

Santa Clause

North Pole

H0H 0H0

Canada

To ensure that your child gets a response back from Santa, be sure to include a return address!

Click here for more information.

In the United States: USPS

North Pole Postmark

Postmaster

4141 Postmark Dr.

Anchorage, AK 99530-9998

In the United States, you can send your child’s letter to Santa through USPS and have a response sent back with a North Pole Postmark!

Unlike Canada, however, you do have to include your own response along with the letter. I have some tips below for how to respond to your child’s free printable letter to Santa!

Click here for more information from USPS.

In the United Kingdom: Royal Mail

Santa/Father Christmas

Santa’s Grotto

Reindeerland

XM4 5HQ

In the United Kingdom, you can send your child’s Santa letter through the Royal Mail to the address above and get a reply from Santa!

They also offer responses in Welsh, and that address is on their website.

Check out more information here.

When Should I Send My Child’s Santa Letter?

While every postal service that receives and replies to Santa letters has different due dates, they all seem to land during the first week of December.

Be sure that you don’t leave your child’s free printable Santa letter until the last minute!

A safe bet would be to have it written and mailed by the end of November so that your child will receive a reply before Christmas.

Create a Special Santa Mailbox!

If you want to create a new and memorable family holiday tradition, you can create a special Santa mailbox where your child can place their letter.

You can either take the letter from the mailbox and send it through the mail or take it so you can write your own response.

Either way, I think this is a super cute idea!

Here are some super easy ideas for making a Santa mailbox:

Tissue Box: Take an empty tissue box and wrap it in Christmas wrapping paper, leaving the hole on the top open. Use a brass fastener to attach a flag that you can lower when Santa “takes” the letter.
Amazon Box: Using a medium-sized Amazon box or any box, glue small square wooden blocks to the bottoms for legs and paint the box red. Cut out a slit where your little one can slide in their letter.
Cardboard Mailbox: Use pieces of cardboard or old cereal boxes and shape them into a mailbox shape. Paint and decorate!

Let your kids get in on the crafty Christmas fun by letting them help you create their special Santa mailbox!

How Do I Respond to My Child’s Santa Letter?

You don’t have to send your child’s free printable Santa letter through the mail. You can respond to it yourself!

The key to responding to your child’s Santa letter is to use a different handwriting – or get someone else to write it for you!

You should also make sure you use a different voice, saying things that Santa would say, like:

Stay jolly and merry!
Ho-Ho-Ho
Talking about the elves, Mrs. Clause, and the reindeer.

Here are some things you should also include in the letter:

Address the letter directly to your child, mentioning their name in the letter a couple of times.
Add details into the letter, such as praising your child for something they did.
Reference their pet, favorite stuffie, favorite movie, and more!

Writing your own letter to your child on behalf of Santa is a great way to reinforce positive behavior! This will encourage your child to continue to demonstrate similar positive behavior.

You can also ask your child to do something like leave a plate of cookies and a carrot out on Christmas Eve.

Overall, when writing a response to your child’s Santa letter, keep it positive! Don’t bring up misbehaviors and use affirming words such as “kind,” “respectful,” and “gentle.”