Elf arrival and goodbye letters, ready to copy.

Elf letters work best when they are short, cheerful and a little bit cheeky. Pick a name (Pip, Juniper, Tinsel or Sprout, say), and decide on one or two simple rules. Most families use the same two: the elf can’t be touched, or the magic wears off, and the elf flies to the North Pole each night to report to Santa.

Write in small, friendly sentences. Elves are excited about everything, love snow and cocoa, and are terrible at keeping quiet about Santa’s workshop.

• Short and sweet

  “Hello, Maya! My name is Juniper, and Santa sent me all the way from the North Pole to keep you company until Christmas. Each night I fly home to tell Santa about your day. Please don’t touch me, or my magic might wobble. I can’t wait to see what you get up to! Love, Juniper”

• For two or more children

  “Dear Leo and Ruby, guess who’s back? It’s me, Sprout! The reindeer gave me a ride, and I only fell off once. Santa asked me to watch how kind you are to each other this December. I’ll be hiding somewhere new every morning, so keep your eyes open. Your elf, Sprout”

• A first visit

  “Hi, Sam! This is my very first visit to your house, and I love it already. Santa says you have been working hard on being patient, so I am here to cheer you on. You can tell me anything, and I will tell Santa. Just remember: no touching! Love, Tinsel”

The goodbye letter usually appears on Christmas Eve or Christmas morning. Keep it upbeat: the elf is heading home to help Santa, not leaving forever. Mention one or two specific things your child did during the visit, and promise to come back next year.

• Christmas Eve

  “Dear Maya, tonight is the big night, so I have to fly home and help Santa load the sleigh. I told him all about the cookies you baked for your neighbour and how you helped your brother find his mittens. He was so proud. I’ll miss you until next year! Love, Juniper”

• For a child who will miss the elf

  “Dear Leo, please don’t be sad. Elves always come back. I will be at the North Pole making toys and telling the other elves about you. Keep being kind, and I’ll see you next December. Big hugs, Sprout”

• For an older child

  “Ruby, you were the best helper I’ve had all season. You kept the secret, made your little brother laugh every morning and never once tried to touch me, even when I was hanging from the light. Santa has made a note. See you next year. Tinsel”

• Give a little warning: a note a few days before Christmas saying “I’ll be going home soon” helps younger children.
• Leave something behind: a tiny snowflake, a drawing or a sprinkle of glitter where the elf last sat.
• Mention what happens next: helping Santa, resting with the reindeer, coming back next year.
• Keep the elf’s letters with the decorations, so they come out again next December.

An elf’s note is best left on the kitchen table. For something that arrives in the mailbox, a letter from Santa himself can carry the elf’s news: when you order a letter from Santa, tick “Add a P.S. from one of the elves” and the elf adds a short, playful line of its own just before Santa signs off. The letter is written with a real pen and mailed with a real US stamp, in an envelope with a North Pole return address.

You can tell Santa your elf’s name in the note to Santa, so he can mention it. If you would rather write your elf’s words yourself and have them written in ink and mailed, you can do that in the studio with “I’ll write my own”.

Elves don’t have to disappear until next December. A short note at a birthday, after a first day of school or when a tooth comes out can remind your child the North Pole is still watching kindly. Santa writes any day of the year: outside the Christmas season he simply says hello from the workshop, where the elves are busy and the reindeer are practising.

For more of what Santa can say, see letter ideas for every age, or start your Santa letter.