Letter to parents

Secret Santa letter to parents

Tell parents and carers what is planned in one short letter: budget, dates, and that taking part is optional. Fill in the details and copy or print it.

A ready-made letter for primary school, nursery and clubs
Answers the questions parents would otherwise ask one by one
Fits a draw without slips and without child accounts

Create the group

See what needs attention next – in the browser

Who has opened their link – in the iPhone app

Letter generator

Fill in the letter, then copy or print it

Enter the details of your Secret Santa and the letter below updates as you type. Then copy it into the parents’ chat or school app, or print it for book bags. Fields you leave empty stay as placeholders.

Class or group Budget Reply by Presents in by Opening on Contact for questions From

Your letter

Dear parents and carers,

[class/group] would like to do a Secret Santa before the end of term. Each child secretly draws another child in the class and brings them a small present.

Taking part is optional. Please let us know by [date] whether your child would like to join in.

Budget: no more than [amount in £ or €]. Homemade presents are very welcome. Please no food, as some children have allergies.
Presents: wrapped and labelled only with the name of the child receiving them, by [date].
Opening: on [date] in class.

We will do the draw online, so that no child draws themselves and no slip gets lost. Your child does not need a phone or an account: you will receive a personal link that shows who your child is buying for, and you can tell them.

If you have any questions, please contact [name/contact].

Many thanks,
[name]

Covered in the letter

optional, with a reply date
budget and homemade presents
drop-off and opening dates
how the name reaches home

Adjust it

What to change for your group

For a nursery or preschool, add that staff know who has whom and help with making presents. For Years 5 and 6, you can drop the sentence about telling your child: older children often open their own link.

For Brownies, Cubs or a sports club, replace the class with the group and the opening with your last session before Christmas. If your Secret Santa has a theme, such as books only or homemade only, name it next to the budget. The clearer the rules, the fewer questions come back.

Variations

nursery: staff know the pairs
older children: their own link
clubs: last session
name a theme with the budget

Data

Which details you really need

The draw needs nothing but the first names of the children taking part. It needs no children’s email addresses, birthdays or photos, and it is worth saying so in the letter, because that is what parents ask about first.

The links are handled by the teacher or a parent. How the secret draw behind them works for a whole class is explained in Secret Santa at school.

Enough for the draw

children’s first names
no children’s emails
no child accounts
links go through adults

After the letter

Collect the replies, then draw

Draw only once the reply date has passed, or a child may draw someone who is not taking part. If a child joins after the deadline, add them and run the draw again before any family has looked.

Short messages for the reminder before the day and for sending the personal link are in the Secret Santa invitation texts.

In this order

send the letter
wait for replies
enter the children
draw and share

Next steps

Explore Wichtlify

Secret Santa at school

The whole plan for a class: timeline, budget, draw without slips and the day itself.

Plan the class Secret Santa

Secret Santa with kids

Rules for children and links through parents, for a Secret Santa outside school.

Plan with children

Secret Santa invitation texts

Short messages for chat and email: invitation, reminder and the personal link.

See the texts

Secret Santa rules

Budget, gift guidelines and deadlines, agreed before the letter goes out.

Set the rules

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

May I use and change the letter freely?

Yes. Copy the text, fill in the placeholders and adapt it to your class or group.

Does the letter have to name the tool for the draw?

No. What parents need to know is that the draw is secret, no child draws themselves, and their child needs no phone or account. You can name the tool, but you do not have to.

How do parents find out who their child is buying for?

Each family receives their child’s personal link on its own, for example by email or a direct message, never in the parents’ group chat. After the draw it shows only their own child’s name.

What if parents use neither a smartphone nor email?

Then the teacher opens the link with the child or tells the parents in person. The letter can mention that option.

Send the letter and prepare the draw

Copy the letter, collect the replies and then draw in secret, without slips.