Elf on the Shelf goodbye letter maker

An Elf on the Shelf goodbye letter thanks the kids for December, remembers a favorite moment and says the elf is flying home to the North Pole. Type the names below, pick goodbye, arrival, thank-you or a kind reminder, and the letter writes itself on North Pole paper. Print it free or save it as a picture.

Updated by the Frugal Santa elves

Make your elf's letter

Fill in the names, pick the letter and the paper, and watch it write itself. Leave a name empty and it prints as a line to fill in by hand. Every letter is kind: no threats, no lists and no presents on the line.

Who is it for?

No name yet? Find one with the elf name generator.

Which letter?
How should it sound?
Pick the paper

Nothing you type leaves this page. The letter is kept only in this browser, so it's still here if you come back.

North Pole Elf Post · Christmas EveFrom the desk of

Dear ,

Tonight is Christmas Eve, and it's time for me to fly home with Santa.

Thank you for a wonderful December. I loved every morning in your house: the giggles when you found me, the stories you told me and all the kind things I saw you do.

Please don't be sad. The North Pole will keep me busy, and before you know it, it will be December again. Have the merriest Christmas, and remember how loved you are.

Love from the North Pole,

P.S. I folded a hug into this letter. Keep it somewhere safe.

Elf on the Shelf is a registered trademark of CCA and B, LLC. Frugal Santa is not affiliated with, sponsored by or endorsed by CCA and B, LLC or The Lumistella Company. These letters are our own and work with any toy elf.

What do you write in an elf goodbye letter?

A good goodbye letter does four things. It says thank you for December. It names one real moment from the month, like the morning your child found the elf asleep in a sock. It explains where the elf is going: the 2005 story ends with the elf back at the North Pole on Christmas Eve, and the company's rules still say scout elves must return then. And it says the elf will be back next season, so the goodbye reads as "see you next year."

Keep it short enough to read aloud in under a minute, and sign it with the elf's name in big letters. Some families leave a small extra in the elf's spot, such as a candy cane or a tiny drawing. Leave out anything that sounds like a report card, and end on love, with a line like "Remember how loved you are."

A toy elf in a green pointed hat sits on a snowy windowsill beside a small brown suitcase and a letter tied with a red ribbon, a candle glowing and a snowy village outside the window
Packed and ready: the last morning on the windowsill.

Sample elf letters you can copy

Four finished letters, written for this page. Copy the words out in your own disguised handwriting, or press Use this letter to load one into the maker and change the names.

A goodbye letter Cozy, for Christmas Eve

Dear Maya and Leo,

Tonight is Christmas Eve, and it's time for me to fly home with Santa.

Thank you for a wonderful December. I loved every morning in your house: the giggles when you found me, the stories you told me and all the kind things I saw you do.

My favorite moment was when you built a pillow fort with me. I'll be telling the elves about it all year.

Please don't be sad. The North Pole will keep me busy, and before you know it, it will be December again. Have the merriest Christmas, and remember how loved you are.

Love from the North Pole,
Sprinkles

P.S. I folded a hug into this letter. Keep it somewhere safe.

An arrival letter Silly, for the first morning

Dear Ava,

SURPRISE! It's me, Pip! I just landed after a very long flight, and I only bumped into two snowflakes and one very confused owl.

Santa sent me to stay with you until Christmas Eve. Each night I'll fly to the North Pole to give him my report (it's mostly about how funny you are), and each morning I'll be hiding somewhere new. Bet you can't find me before breakfast!

A little bird told me you're going to go ice skating with Dad. Can I watch? I promise not to sneeze.

One rule: no touching the elf. My magic is ticklish.

Let the fun begin!

Your friend,
Pip

An I'm back letter Cozy, for a returning elf

Dear Noah,

Guess who's back? It's me, Jingle! I've missed you since last Christmas Eve.

The North Pole was busy this year. I helped paint rocking horses, sorted a mountain of mittens and practiced my landings every single day. But I kept thinking about your family.

I heard that you learned to ride a bike. Look at you go!

Same game as last year: I'll fly to the North Pole each night and land in a new spot each morning. Please don't touch me, so my magic stays strong.

I can't wait to spend another December with you.

Hugs from the top of the world,
Jingle

A kind reminder Short and simple, about bedtime

Dear Sam,

I have a tip for you.

Getting to bed on time can be hard. That is okay.

Here is an elf trick: pajamas, teeth, one story, one song, lights out. Same order every night, and bedtime gets easier.

You can do it! I believe in you. You are loved, every single day.

Your elf,
Twinkle

What do you write in an elf arrival letter?

An arrival letter introduces the elf and explains the game, because kids have questions on the first morning. Start with the elf's name, or leave a blank and let the kids choose one. Say where the elf came from and how it works. In the 2005 picture book, the elf flies to the North Pole every night and is back before the children wake up, in a new spot. Then give the one big rule: nobody touches the elf, so its magic stays strong. The company's guide adds that scout elves can't talk but are great listeners, so tell the kids they can talk to it.

Set the letter out on the first morning. Two easy picks are Friday, November 27, 2026, the day after Thanksgiving, and Tuesday, December 1. A returning elf can use an "I'm back" letter instead, with news from the North Pole and one thing it heard the kids did this year.

A snowy North Pole village at night under green northern lights, with red cottages, candy cane posts and tiny elves carrying presents between the houses
The North Pole, where every scout elf flies in from.

When does the elf go home?

The elf goes home on Christmas Eve. The 2005 book by Carol Aebersold and Chanda Bell ends the elf's stay that night, with the elf back at the North Pole until the next season. The company's rules say the same: scout elves must return to the North Pole on Christmas Eve to help Santa get ready for next Christmas. In 2026, Christmas Eve falls on a Thursday.

Families split on when the kids read the goodbye. Some set the letter out on the morning of December 24, so there's a whole day to say goodbye. Others leave it in the elf's empty spot for Christmas morning. Both work, and the maker writes either one: pick "On Christmas Eve" or "On Christmas morning" under the goodbye letter. Then tuck the elf away somewhere the kids won't look until next November.

  • Thu, Dec 24Last morning with the elf
  • That nightThe elf flies home
  • Fri, Dec 25An empty spot, maybe a letter
An elf on a wooden ladder tucks small wrapped presents into knitted red stockings hanging from a stone fireplace mantel, a toy train on the mantel and a fire glowing below
Christmas Eve: the elves' busiest night.

How do you write a kind elf reminder without threats?

Start from what's going well, name one thing to practice and give a trick that makes it easier. A kind reminder sounds like a friend cheering you on. Skip lines about Santa not coming, the elf telling on anyone or presents being taken away. They can turn a fun game into a worry, and they don't teach the skill you're after.

The reminder letters in the maker cover eight everyday topics, from taking turns to bedtime. Each one gives a concrete trick: a five-minute timer for sharing, one song to race while tidying, counting sleeps instead of days while waiting, and a slow count to five for gentle hands. Every reminder ends by telling the child they are loved. Use them rarely: one gentle note in a month is plenty. On the other days, try a thank-you letter for something your child did well.

Instead ofTry
"Santa won't come if you keep fighting.""Here's an elf trick for taking turns: a five-minute timer."
"I'm telling Santa about today.""Tricky days happen. Tomorrow's a fresh start."
"No presents for kids who don't listen.""Try your elf ears: stop, look and say Got it!"

Can kids read their elf's letter to Santa?

Yes, out loud on a live call. Santa here is an AI video character, so kids can read him the elf's goodbye, then tell him about the funniest spot the elf picked all month. He listens and answers right away, in the browser on a phone, tablet or computer. The caller needs a microphone, not a camera. You can start a live video call with Santa when the letter is ready, or first read every way to call Santa.

Kids who want to write north themselves can fill in a letter to Santa on festive paper. Grown-ups who'd like a note signed by Santa can make a letter from Santa. And if your elf still needs something to do between letters, there are 100 easy setups in the elf ideas list, with more stories from the elves' home at the North Pole.

Elf letter questions

Should the elf's letter be handwritten?

Either works. Printing keeps your own handwriting out of it. If you'd like a personal touch, print the letter and sign the elf's name by hand in tiny, curly letters.

What if we have more than one child?

Put every name in the names box, like "Maya, Leo and Sam." The letter speaks to all of them at once. For very different ages, make one letter each: a short and simple one for a new reader and a silly one for the older kids.

What if someone touched the elf?

Keep it light. The company suggests a short apology note to the elf or to Santa, a sprinkle of cinnamon next to the elf or a carol sung together. Kids can write the apology themselves, and the elf can answer the next morning with a thank-you letter from the maker.

Does the elf come back next year?

In the story, yes. The company's site describes a return week at the end of November that ends on December 1. Use the "I'm back!" letter for a returning elf: it says hello again and shares one thing it heard the kids did this year.

What size does the letter print?

It prints on one page of US Letter or A4, in color. Press Print, and only the letter goes to the printer. Download PNG saves a tall picture of the same letter to keep or text to family.

Is the letter maker free?

Yes. There's nothing to sign up for, and nothing you type leaves your device. The maker keeps your last letter in this browser only, so you can come back to it.

Santa in his red suit on a gold throne, holding a wrapped giftLive video

Read the elf's letter to Santa.

On a live video call, kids can read their elf's letter out loud to Santa and tell him about December. He listens and answers right away, and any wishes come back as a list with store prices. $1 a minute, no app.

Call Santa

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