Fewer children than ever are writing letters to Father Christmas, literacy charity warns

Fewer children than ever are writing letters to Father Christmas as the tradition is replaced by email, the head of a literacy charity has warned.

The centuries-old custom is a valuable part of childhood and is “paramount to a child's development," Matthew Hickey, chief executive of the Children's Literacy Charity, said.

But he expressed fears that technology was “taking over” as time-pressed parents found it easier to help their offspring type an email rather than put pen to paper before taking a trip to the local post box.

"For me, being able to write a letter to Santa has a certain nostalgic feel to retaining what this time of the year is all about - which is making sure that children are able to be children,” he said.

"It is about developing children who are multifaceted, who can do everything to prepare them for the future.

"Not just being able to be prepared for the digital age, but actually being prepared to put pen to paper and use those multiple skills."

The tradition of writing letters to Father Christmas can be traced back to the 1200s, when a girl wrote a letter to the real Saint Nicholas, a bishop who lived in Myra, now Turkey.

For generations since, boys and girls have sat down with paper and pens or crayons to insist they have been good and list the presents they would like.

Among those who penned their own list this year was Prince George, who asked for a police car and whose letter was hand delivered by his father, the Duke of Cambridge, on an official visit to Finland.

Royal Mail has encouraged the tradition with its Letters to Santa service, launched in 1963, but while a spokeswoman revealed they received “hundreds of thousands” of children's letters annually, she said they did not publish specific figures and was unable to say whether the number written annually had dipped.

As long ago as 2007, a survey suggested that a third of primary school age children sent emails to Father Christmas rather than letters.

But Mr Hickey said his charity was keen to inspire parents to uphold the letter-writing tradition.

"It is paramount to a child's development," he added.

"Because if you can't handwrite, how can you answer an exam question properly, or fill out an application form?

"We know there is a lot of stuff happening online but having that skill of handwriting will always be needed."

He said writing letters was still an important part of creating a well-rounded child, who was prepared for the future as a whole and not just the digital age.

"We work with children who are primary school aged, particularly those from a deprived area and particularly those who are struggling with their literacy needs,” he added.

"We really work with them to enable them to write as well as have comprehension as well as having reading and everything else.

"But one of the key core skills we develop is writing."

Dr Jane Medwell, a leading academic in the field of handwriting and literacy who works with the Write Your Future Campaign, said: “It’s easy to lose sight of the importance of handwriting in a digital world – but ultimately, this skill is crucial to a child’s development leading to benefits in later life as well.

“We must work harder to support teachers and parents in fostering handwriting, so that their students can thrive.

“Making handwriting lessons fun and providing more tools for teachers is an important first step in helping children develop this literacy skill and making sure that handwriting remains a crucial part of the learning process.”

Royal Mail revealed last month that the gifts most requested by children who had written to Father Christmas via their service were Lego, a bike, games consoles and Hatchimals.

Conversely, the Mothers’ Union charity has urged parents not to encourage their children to write a Christmas list for fear that it places undue pressure on them to create as big a “present pile” as possible, spending more than they could afford.