After your child writes that heartfelt letter to Santa requesting Hatchimals and iPads, he or she can drop it in the mail instead of setting near the mantle and waiting for Santa to pick it up at Christmas.  With a little help from Mom or Dad, the kids can get a personalized letter back, with the North Pole postmark.

There is some work involved, Mom and Dad.

The Letters to Santa program from the US Postal Service only works if a parent crafts a personalized response to the child's letter, and includes both letters in the envelope addressed to Santa.  I know, it's a lot of pressure to imagine what the real Santa might say to our kids, but we'll have to do our best.  That chubby guy with magical abilities to squeeze down that narrow, skinny chimney will be here in a few weeks, and we can see how we measure up then.

For now, the US Postal Service says this is how the kids can get a letter back from Santa:

  • Have your child write a letter to Santa and place it in an envelope addressed to: Santa Claus, North Pole.
  • Later, when alone, open the envelope and write a personalized response.
  • Insert the response letter into an envelope and address it to the child.
  • Add the return address: SANTA, NORTH POLE, to the envelope.
  • Affix a First-Class Mail stamp to the envelope.
  • Place the complete envelope into a larger envelope with appropriate postage and address it to:

North Pole Postmark
Postmaster
4141 Postmark Drive
Anchorage, AK 99530-9998

The deadline for the Anchorage post office to receive the letter is December 15th in order to turn it around by Christmas.  Anchorage must be the closest post office to the North Pole.

It all starts with an afternoon of letter writing at the kitchen table here in the Treasure Valley, and then take the letters down to the post office for help with the postage. Sounds like a nice holiday bonus for the postal service, and for our electronics-and-Hatchimal-hungry kids.

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