How to Write a GREAT Thank You Note

Helping kids write thank you notes turns manners into magic! From birthday surprises to sweet neighborly gestures, a fun thank you card teaches kids to slow down, say thanks, and share their sparkle. It’s an easy way to grow gratitude, boost writing skills, and make someone’s day—one doodle at a time!

A young boy in a blue shirt holding a handmade cardboard thank you sign

Thank you notes are a little bit of magic that we can all conjure up. It is so rare these days for someone to actually take the time to write and mail a handwritten thank you note. A personal note lets the person you are thanking know how special they are to you and how much their thoughtfulness means.

You don’t have to be a professional writer, you just have to be willing to take the time and follow the simple Magic Thank You Formula. Download the formula and practice worksheet below.

The Magic Thank You Formula

This Thank You Formula works perfectly for anything! It works for thanking Grandma for the hand knitted sweater, to Uncle Ethan for taking you fishing or for a zillion wedding gifts. It is Thank You perfection!

Who?

Who are you thanking? Start with what you call the person. Your kiddo doesn’t call Grandma, Mrs. Robert Paul Jones after all, so start with what your child calls that person. If your child doesn’t know the person well enough for an informal name then they will want to address them more formally. One thing I really love about the South is the custom of addressing adults as Miss Sue or Mister Bob–friendly but with a show of respect too.

What?

What are you thanking the person for giving you? This step is straightforward. “Thank you for the whatchmacallit you gave me.
Optional: Add a little more about the gift or the person — “It was so thoughtful of you to find it/ make it OR How did you know it was just what I wanted? OR I know you went to a lot of effort. Something along those lines.
Tell how you might use it or something about the gift you especially like— “It is the perfect lure and I’m sure I’ll use it to catch a lot of fish!”
Optional: Add a little more to the previous thought. “I’m sure the fish will go crazy for the red feather tail!”
A future looking sentence or something about your relationship to the gift giver— “I can hardly wait to go fishing with you this summer at the lake” or “I’m very blessed to have a Grandma who knits such beautiful things.” or “The whatchmacallit was just what I needed to finish my rocketship! Now we can finally take that trip to Mars!”

Closing

A repeat thank you— but this time make it a little more casual by saying “thanks again” instead of thank you.
Closing— This is super easy because it’s basically saying goodbye. You might dress it up if appropriate with “I love you to the moon and back” or “See you soon” or even just your name.

Thank You Notes From Pre-Writers

It’s never too early to get kids in the habit of expressing gratitude. It’s a big part of what psychologists call “moral development”. But what if they aren’t writing yet? It’s okay. You can lead them through the steps and write what they say.

For example: “Who gave you this gift?” “Gramma and Pops”. So we write Dear Gramma and Pops. What did they give you? “The little super heroes with capes and everything!” So we say “Thank you for the little super heroes with capes and everything!”

You see how this goes. Be sure not to “clean up” the cuteness of what your child dictates to you. (Sometimes, of course, a child may be brutally honest and say something unkind about the gift. This is an opportunity to teach how to say thank you even if they don’t particularly like the gift.

They are thanking the giver for the effort and for thinking of them. At the closing you can have them “write” I love you (or whatever). You put the translation under it and have your child sign it (again with a translation).

The preciousness quotient of the note is off the chart at this point! Make this a fun joint activity with your child (where you GET to write a thank you rather than HAVING to write one) and it won’t be long before he or she is telling you what the next step is!

Extra points if you and your kiddos make personalized note cards!