Kids can send Santa letters—and get a response in return.
Writing or dictating letters to Santa offers kids valuable practice in prioritization, penmanship, and polite communication. And getting a reply in return doesn’t require a Christmas miracle or too many secretive shenanigans from parents, although Santa and his elves do appreciate a helping hand.
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So, here are a handful of ways for parents and caregivers to get kids’ letters to the big man in time for him to read and respond before his one-night world tour on Christmas Eve.
Letters can start their journey to the North Pole straight from kids’ curbside mailboxes. Through the U.S. Postal Service’s Greetings from the North Pole Post Office program, children receive responses postmarked from the North Pole. Parents and caregivers (who pen personalized responses and sign on Santa’s behalf to help Saint Nick and the elves out during their peak season) can get details on how to prepare and send kids’ letters, responses, and a self-addressed stamped envelope here.
The USPS also facilitates its Operation Santa program in which charities, companies, and individuals can read children’s’ letters to Santa and adopt a child or family by serving as a secret Santa for the holiday season. Any letter to Santa that has a valid return address and is mailed via the U.S. Postal Service may be published on the Operation Santa site, so if a child in your life has a particularly persuasive request or compelling cause, they may receive an anonymous gift through the program. To learn more about the program, which has roots dating back to 1912, read letters online, and adopt a wish list, visit their website.
Some local parks departments operate their own letters to Santa programs. For example, the St. Charles County Parks and Recreation Department invites kids age 8 and younger and bring their letters, along with a self-addressed stamped envelope, to the Youth Activity Park (7801 Highway N., Dardenne Prairie) by December 13 to receive a response from Santa before Christmas.
The Fenton Parks and Recreation Department and the Manchester Parks, Recreation & Arts Department are among those that operate similar programs, so parents can check with their municipalities or pick the program that works best for them.
Nonprofits, including the St. Louis-based National Children’s Cancer Society, operate annual Santa letter programs to raise funds. The NCCS offers three packages ranging from $8 to $20. Each includes a personalized letter and a magic snow. The deluxe package ($12) adds a magic key and the ultra-deluxe package also includes an ornament and an official “nice list” certificate from Santa.
Every Nordstrom store offers kids of all ages a place to send Santa a letter this holiday. Each location, including stores at West County Center and the St. Louis Galleria, has a Santa mail station where kids can write a letter to Santa and receive a response. Each reply includes a thank-you treat from Santa—good for complimentary hot cocoa and treats from Nordstrom’s eBar next time they visit.
