It all starts with a letter to Santa. Your child writes down their Christmas wishes, draws their favorite toys, or carefully cuts pictures from a toy catalog. For them, it’s a magical moment filled with excitement and imagination.
For parents, that letter is also the starting point of a little Christmas mission: finding the right presents, checking prices and availability, sharing gift ideas with relatives, and making sure everything is ready in time for the big day.
Creating an online Christmas wish list helps turn your child’s wishes into a practical plan for the grown-ups. Here’s how to create a Christmas gift list for kids, from the original letter to Santa to the presents waiting under the tree.
1. Start with your child’s letter to Santa
Before opening an app or searching for toys online, let your child enjoy making their Christmas wish list.
Depending on their age, they might write a letter, draw pictures, circle items in a catalog, or simply tell you what they’re dreaming about.
There’s no need to turn this moment into a shopping exercise. Children don’t have to think about prices, delivery dates, or which stores sell their favorite toys. That’s the adults’ job.
Encourage your child to express their wishes freely, while keeping expectations realistic. Writing something in a letter to Santa doesn’t guarantee it will appear under the Christmas tree.
Once the letter is finished, keep it somewhere special. You can now use those wishes to prepare the online version of the list.
2. Find the actual products behind your child’s wishes
A child’s letter to Santa doesn’t always contain exact product references.
Your child might ask for “the big dinosaur LEGO set,” “a pink scooter,” or “the robot from the toy commercial.”
Before adding these wishes to an online list, take a little time to identify the products they’re talking about.
Search toy stores, brand websites, and online retailers to find the right models. If several versions exist, compare them carefully.
Check details such as:
- Product name and reference: is it the exact toy your child wants?
- Age recommendations: is the gift suitable for your child?
- Size, color, or model: are there several versions of the same product?
- Included accessories: does the box contain everything needed?
- Seller reliability: are you buying from a trustworthy store?
For example, if your child wants a particular LEGO spaceship, adding the correct set reference is much more useful than simply writing “LEGO spaceship.”
This preparation makes it easier for grandparents and relatives to buy the intended gift rather than a similar but different product.
3. Compare prices and keep the Christmas budget in mind
Once you’ve identified the products, compare prices before adding them to your Christmas planning.
The same toy may be available from several retailers at different prices. Promotions can help, but remember to consider the total cost, including delivery fees.
It’s also worth checking whether the product is sold by the retailer itself or by a third-party seller, especially when delivery times and return conditions differ.
Try to include gift ideas at different price points. Grandparents, aunts, uncles, and friends may have different budgets, and nobody should feel pressured to spend a particular amount.
If your child has asked for an expensive present, relatives might decide to contribute together, depending on your family’s preferences.
Tip: A wish list is not a promise to buy everything. You can keep the child’s original wishes while selecting realistic options for the online list.
4. Check stock availability and delivery dates before Christmas
Finding the right gift at a good price is only part of the challenge. It also needs to be available and arrive on time.
Popular Christmas toys can sell out quickly, and delivery services often become busier as the holidays approach.
Before adding a product link to your list, check:
- Whether the item is currently in stock
- The estimated delivery date
- Shipping costs and available delivery methods
- Whether local store pickup is possible
- The retailer’s return and exchange conditions
Don’t plan around a parcel arriving at the very last moment. Leave enough time for unexpected delays, checking the contents, and wrapping the present.
If a product is already difficult to find, consider adding an alternative that would also make your child happy.
Availability and delivery estimates can change after you create the list, so relatives should check them again before placing an order.
5. Create your child’s online Christmas wish list
Now that you’ve identified suitable products, it’s time to turn the letter to Santa into an online Christmas wish list.
With a tool such as itsmyList, parents can bring their child’s gift ideas together in one place and prepare a list to share with family and friends.
Start with the wishes from the original letter, then add the information you’ve found during your research.
For each gift, useful details may include:
- The name of the present
- A clear description or product reference
- A link to a retailer selling the item
- The correct size, color, or version
- Any important information relatives should know
If you have several children, creating a separate list for each can make things easier for everyone.
You don’t need to add dozens of products. A manageable selection of clear, well-researched ideas is often more helpful than a very long list.
The aim is simple: your child has made their wishes, and you’ve made those wishes understandable and accessible to the adults who want to participate.
6. Share the Christmas wish list with grandparents and relatives
Once the online list is ready, you can share it with the people who want to offer your child a Christmas present.
Copy the sharing link and send it through whatever communication method your family normally uses: WhatsApp, Telegram, Messenger, Facebook, SMS, email, or any other way of sharing a link.
Grandparents can consult the list from home, while relatives living farther away can find gift ideas without needing to ask you for suggestions repeatedly.
Before sending the link, check the list’s sharing settings and make sure you’re comfortable with the information recipients can see.
You can include a friendly message explaining that the list contains the wishes from your child’s letter to Santa and is there to help, not to create an obligation to buy.
For a complete walkthrough and ready-to-send family messages, read our guide on how to share your child’s Christmas wish list with family.
7. Let relatives reserve gifts, then make their purchases
When several relatives have access to the same list, they may be interested in buying the same present.
Imagine your child has asked Santa for a particular board game. Grandma decides to buy it, but an aunt has the same idea.
A gift reservation system helps adults coordinate their choices and reduce the risk of duplicates.
Remember: reserving a gift is not the same as buying it.
Reserving an item on the list indicates that someone intends to offer that present. The person still needs to purchase it from a retailer and organize delivery or collection.
Relatives should check prices, stock availability, and delivery estimates when they’re ready to buy, even if the parent checked those details earlier.
If someone can no longer purchase a reserved present, they should release the reservation so another family member can choose it.
For more advice on coordinating gift choices, discover how to avoid duplicate Christmas gifts for kids.
8. Decide where Christmas presents should be delivered
Once the presents have been purchased, there’s another practical question: where should they go before Christmas?
Different families may prefer different arrangements.
When relatives send presents to the parents’ home
A grandparent or relative who lives far away might order a present online and have it delivered directly to the child’s parents.
In that case, the parents can receive the parcel, check that the correct item has arrived, and keep it safely out of sight until Christmas.
It’s helpful for the relative to let the parents know that a delivery is expected, especially if the package might arrive in its original product packaging.
Some retailers offer gift packaging or discreet shipping options, but these aren’t always available. Don’t assume a delivery will arrive in an unmarked box.
When relatives keep the presents until Christmas
Other relatives may prefer to have the gift delivered to their own home or collect it from a store.
They can then bring the present when they visit for Christmas, already wrapped or ready to be wrapped.
Depending on the family’s traditions, the adults can arrange for the gift to appear under the tree at the right moment, perhaps as a present from Santa or directly from the relative.
The important thing is to agree on the practical arrangements in advance so nobody has to improvise in front of the children.
9. Hide, wrap, and prepare the gifts for Christmas Day
Once the gifts start arriving, the final stage of Christmas preparation begins.
Parents and relatives need to keep presents away from curious eyes, check that everything is complete, and leave enough time for wrapping.
A few simple precautions can help:
- Choose a hiding place your child won’t normally access.
- Be careful with delivery notifications and parcels left at the door.
- Check that the correct product has arrived before the return window becomes a problem.
- Keep track of which presents belong to which child.
- Prepare wrapping paper, labels, and any necessary accessories in advance.
- Agree with relatives on when and how presents will be placed under the tree.
For gifts that require assembly, batteries, or setup, it’s worth checking these details before Christmas Eve.
And remember that every family celebrates Christmas differently. Some children receive all their presents from Santa, while others also exchange gifts directly with relatives.
An online Christmas wish list doesn’t change those traditions. It simply makes the behind-the-scenes organization easier.
10. Keep the online list updated until Christmas
Even a carefully prepared Christmas list may need a few changes before the big day.
A toy might sell out, a relative might change their plans, or your child might mention another wish.
Instead of sending several new versions of the list, update the original one.
You can add alternative products, correct details, or remove gift ideas that are no longer relevant.
If a relative has already reserved a present, communicate before making a major change to that item. They may already have purchased it.
Keeping the list current helps everyone work from the same information, even when Christmas preparations stretch over several weeks.
From a letter to Santa to presents under the tree
For a child, Christmas begins with wishes, imagination, and a letter to Santa.
For the grown-ups, making those wishes come true involves a little more work: finding the right products, comparing prices, checking delivery dates, coordinating purchases, receiving parcels, and preparing everything for Christmas.
Creating an online Christmas wish list brings the gift ideas together and makes it easier for parents, grandparents, and relatives to organize themselves.
The child makes the wishes. The adults handle the details. And when Christmas morning finally arrives, the magic can take center stage.
For more inspiration, explore our Christmas Gift List for Kids guide.