These days, there is no shortage of ways for children to experience the magic of Santa Claus. At every corner there seems to be a man dressed in a red suit. Apps can superimpose a photo of Santa putting presents under the tree. Every restaurant seems to offer a “breakfast with St. Nick” opportunity. Communities stage Santa sleigh spectacles where the jolly guy literally flies in from the sky.

All of this is awesome, I really mean that. However, I like to advocate a Santa activity that relies a little less on instant gratification. Instead, I would like to remind all of us about something that most of us did prior to the digital age but now might be considered a bit outdated.

Do you know where I am going with this?

Take the time this holiday season to allow your child to write to Santa.

In my heart, I still remember the magic I felt when I received my first letter from Santa in the mail. My parents helped me write a card to Santa Claus and helped me ship it off to the North Pole. Then, after what seemed like forever, I received a letter back. I tore it open and on red stationary with a cartoon of Santa drawn on it, was a handwritten response. It was beyond special.

Receiving a handwritten letter from Santa was very special for me.

As I grew older, we would write letters to Santa in elementary school. We would get a response from those as well, but they would usually be from one of Mr. Claus’s elves, such as Gumdrop or Snow Fluff. Although special as well, nothing compared to writing that first letter to Santa from home and then receiving an actual response from the big guy himself. After all, I would later learn that Santa never made those elves send letters to our school; it was just the sixth grade students working on their creative writing.

These days, the options are plentiful for adults when it comes to organizing a Santa letter activity for their kids. Children can still write a letter to Santa and address it to the North Pole and the United States Post Office will take care of the rest. You can also control the response that is written but penning your own letter and stuffing it in with your kid’s note. Then, the post office will separate the letters and send the one you wrote back to your residence, complete with a North Pole postmark. Just make sure you disguise your handwriting well enough so your little one doesn’t figure it out.

This postmark from the North Pole is everything to kids.

If you want something quicker and more involved, search online for one of the many Santa letter companies in business. From there you can order glossy and detailed letters from Kris Kringle straight to your mailbox. Rush delivery is available.

This Christmas season, bring back a lost art. Promote letter writing while also teaching your children about the wonders of the mail service. Most importantly, give them a special Santa experience that has since been forgotten. Don’t Blink.