December is a special month for elementary classrooms. Not only is it the month of winter break, but it’s also the month when children learn how to write letters to Santa. This can be a daunting task for some children, so providing them with clear instructions and plenty of support is important. Here’s a step-by-step guide to writing a letter to Santa in an elementary classroom. Get everything you need to teach a 5 day lesson on Writing Letters to Santa HERE!
1. Introduce the Parts of a Friendly Letter
Start by teaching your students the different parts of a friendly letter. The heading should include the date and the salutation (Dear _____). The body of the letter should consist of a few sentences about what you would like and need for Christmas. The closing should include a warm farewell (Sincerely, _____) and your signature.
2. Brainstorm and Plan the Letter to Santa
Brainstorm ideas with your students. Before they start writing, it’s important that they have some ideas about what they want to say. Ask them questions about what they would like and need for Christmas and why they think they deserve it. This will help them start thinking about what they want to include in their letter including asking Santa a question.
3. Write a Rough Draft
Help them write a rough draft. Once they have some ideas, encourage them to start writing them down. This doesn’t have to be perfect – just getting their thoughts on paper is the important part. You can help them with spelling and grammar as needed.
4. Conference with Each Student
Edit and revise their letter. Once they have a rough draft, please encourage them to read it over and make any changes that they think would make it better. This is the time for them to really focus on their spelling and grammar so that their letter sounds polite and well-written.
5. Write the Final Draft and Send it to the North Pole
Write the final draft and send their letter off! The final step is sending their letter off to the North Pole! You can do this electronically or by mail – whichever you prefer.
Looking for a little extra fun?
Students can make their own silly Santa sent with their letter! I have several fun options to choose from including Traditional Santa, Punk Rock Santa, Pajama Santa, Cooking Santa, Farmer Santa, Summer Santa, and Sleeping Santa.
We would send our letters to the high school and students would write back to the students as “elves”. The letters would come in envelopes from the North Pole (stuck in the freezer first so they were cold) and our secretary would announce that we had a special delivery. The students would get so excited! Here are a few pictures!
Get everything you need to Write a Letter to Santa here! I hope you and your students have a great time writing letters to Santa! If you are looking for more letter-writing ideas, I also have some Christmas Cards!
