Free elf goodbye letter
Pick two or three memories from the season and print a Christmas Eve goodbye your child will want to keep.
Type your child’s name and your elf’s name above to download. Until then the preview uses example names.
Dear Maya,
Tonight is Christmas Eve, and it's time for me to fly home. My satchel is packed, my cap is on straight, and my heart is very, very full.
What a season we had! Thank you for every hug, every giggle, and every kind thing you did for someone else. I will never forget baking a treat together and brushing our teeth together. Every Wonder Spark you made helped light the Great Post Lantern, and tonight it will shine bright enough to guide all the Christmas mail around the world.
I'll keep watching for your kindness all year long. When you see a little twinkle in the sky, that might be me waving hello. Merry Christmas, my wonderful friends.
What is an elf goodbye letter?
An elf goodbye letter is the note a Christmas elf leaves on Christmas Eve before flying home. It thanks the children for the season, remembers a few things they did together and promises to return next year, or, in a final goodbye, explains that the elf is moving on to a new family.
How to make your elf goodbye letter
- Type the names Enter your child’s name, or up to four children, and your elf’s name.
- Choose the memories Pick up to three things your family did this season; the letter mentions them by name and still fits one page.
- Print for Christmas Eve Download the free PDF, print it at 100% on US Letter or A4 and leave it where your elf was last seen.
An editable elf farewell letter, no Word or Canva needed
Most elf goodbye letter templates are PDFs you have to edit in Word or Canva before printing. Here you type the names, choose the memories and pick “See you next year” or a final goodbye; the farewell letter is written for you and ready to print in a minute.
Nothing you type leaves your browser, and you can change a memory and download again as often as you like.
Final elf goodbye letter for older kids
Choose Final goodbye for the year your family ends the tradition. Your elf explains that the Tiny Wonder Post is sending them to a family that is just starting to believe, thanks your child for every kind thing they did and says a warm, last goodbye.
The final goodbye is written for children aged four and up. The version for ages 8 and up gently suggests that the magic was in your child’s kindness all along, without a big reveal. If your child is very young, keep the standard “see you next year” letter.
Sample final elf goodbye letter
This sample is the final goodbye for ages 4–7, mentioning three memories picked from the list: a gingerbread workshop, a sock sled race and a kindness treasure box.
Tips for a Christmas Eve goodbye
A good goodbye looks back before it looks ahead. Naming two or three real moments from the season, such as a snowball fight with toys or a kindness mission, tells your child the elf was really paying attention.
Read the letter together on Christmas morning. Older children often like to keep it with the arrival letter as a record of the whole season.
Questions
When should the elf leave?
Most elves fly home on Christmas Eve after the children are asleep, so the letter is waiting on Christmas morning.
When should I use the final goodbye?
When your family is ready to end the tradition, often when a child is older or starts asking questions. It ends the story warmly and without a big reveal.
Can I edit the goodbye letter?
Yes. Change the names, the memories or the version and download again; there is nothing to install and no Word file to edit.
Is my child’s name sent anywhere?
No. The letter is made in your browser; nothing you type is sent to us.