KIDS THANK YOU NOTES: As you’d imagine, I’m a big proponent of having children write their own thank you notes. However, if they’re not old enough, you (the parent) can write them for them.
There are a couple approaches to this: 1) Writing them as the child, as in, “Thank you for the sidewalk chalk—I drew all over the driveway with it”. Or 2) Writing them as the parent, such as “Thank you for sending Billy that adorable shirt”.
It’s really up to you. I’ve done both, usually depending on the giver. For example, if it’s my kid’s playmate, I write from my kid’s point of view. If it’s a distant aunt who sent a check, I keep it a little more formal.
Either way, you can have your child personalize the note by drawing a picture or adding stickers or stamps. This gets them into the spirit of thank you notes, plus the recipient knows the child was part of the sentiment. To keep it fun, only ask them to do a few at a time.
It’s also a good idea to ask your kids why they like the gift. You’d be surprised how much this helps. I’m staring at a toy car, totally uninspired about what to write, and then I ask my son why it’s cool and he says, “I like the fire on the side and I can make it go VRROOOOM.” Voila, thank you note done.
Below are some examples of all 3 types of thank you notes.
Kids Thank You NOTES Written by My 7-year-old
I told him “at least 3 sentences” so most of them are exactly 3 sentences.
He didn’t spell everything correctly but I didn’t have him fix mistakes because a) I don’t want to make a tough job tougher and b) I think it lets people know he wrote this himself.
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Dear Tim,
Thank you for the Bionicle. I already built it. I have been playing with it a lot.
Thanks for coming to my party!
Your Friend,
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Dear Mike,
Thanks for the Science Experiments Book. It’s really cool. I did the Singing Wine Glasses one.
Thanks for coming to my party!
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Dear Grandma and Papa,
Thanks for the Castle Lego. It was the number one thing on my Wish List. I love it! I play with it a lot.
Love,
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Dear Aunt M and Uncle F,
Thank you for the pool basketball hoop. It was a big surprise in the mail. I love basketball! I can’t wait to try it out in the summer.
Love,
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Dear Will and Colin,
The pirate code game is very cool. I’m getting really good at it. So far I’ve beaten Logan like seven times. Thank you for the awesome gift!
kids Thank You Notes Written by Mom, Pretending to be a Kid Because He’s Too Young to Write
Dear Zachary,
I love my huge box of Legos so much, I can’t stop playing with them. I build a tower and knock it over many times a day. I don’t know what I used to do before this. Thank you so much for the great toy. My mom also likes that it comes with its own box, though I have not yet left it alone long enough to put it away!
Your Friend,
Logan
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Dear Thomas,
Thank you for the bug habitat and vacuum. I love being able to collect bugs and give them a home. I have 4 right now, and I named them all. I can tell they are really happy.
Thanks also for coming to my party! Having you there made it extra fun.
Your Friend,
Luke
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Dear Sheena,
I love my Littlest Pet Shop! I always wanted that one with the blue dog and now I have it. I play with it every chance I get. When we see each other next, I can’t wait to get all our pets together for a party.
Thank you very much!
Love,
Fifi
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Dear Becky,
I love my coloring set! It has paint and glow-in-the-dark pens and glitter—things I always wanted. I have been drawing up a storm over here. When you come over, you’ll see my pictures hanging on the walls.
Thank you so much for picking the perfect gift, and for coming to my party. I always have more fun places when you’re there!
Love,
Rosie
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Dear Grandma,
Thank you for the Webkinz! I named her Happy and have already set up her room. She has a princess bed, a checkers game, and lots of clothes and friends. Her favorite food is blueberries.
Thanks again. You know how much I like Webkinz. She is my favorite toy!
Love,
Amanda
Thank You Notes Written by Mom as Mom
Dear Judy,
Teddy will LOVE going to Target with your gift card. He’s always begging to cruise the Lego aisle and this time he’ll actually get to pick something out. Thank you so much for the gift!
Sincerely,
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Dear Linda and Bob,
That Barbie was a huge hit over here. Hannah seriously has not put it down since she opened it. Thank you for the thoughtful and much appreciated gift.
Hope you both are enjoying your summer. Looking forward to seeing you at the holidays!
Love,
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Dear Doug and Tim,
You guys always pick the best stuff! Darcy is obsessed with Frozen and absolutely loves her Elsa doll. She even sleeps with it. Thank you so much for sending it.
Love!
Thank You Note to Coach from Player
My husband received this from one of his flag football players at the end of the season. I love it!! (Apparently Coach nicknamed this guy “Megatron”.)
It says, “Dear Coach, Thanks for the great season and helping on defense (Smiley face). Hope to see you next season. From, Megatron.”
Two sentences is all it took to put a big smile on Coach’s face!
