08/21/2026
🎀❄️ What I Really Want Millie to Become ❄️🎀
I’ve shared a lot lately about rebuilding Santa’s Elf: Millie, but I want to share a little more about why I’m doing it — and what I’m hoping Millie can eventually become.
I’m not building Millie because I think I’m going to get rich selling Christmas letters. That’s never been the goal.
I want to build something that gives kids a little more of what I think they desperately need: magic, innocence, kindness, creativity, belonging, and a place where they can simply be kids.
Christmas has this incredible way of letting children believe that something impossible might actually be possible. That Santa really might be reading their letter. That an elf at the North Pole might know their name. That reindeer might really fly on Christmas Eve.
I don’t want kids to grow out of that any faster than they have to. ❤️
But I also think that magic can be used to do something meaningful.
My goal is to make Millie fun, interactive, and educational without making it feel like homework.
I’m currently exploring ways to offer things like free coloring pages, activity pages, puzzles, learning activities, creative challenges, and other little pieces of the North Pole that kids and families can enjoy together.
And I have a few other ideas tucked away that I’m not quite ready to share yet. 😉❄️
Because not every child enjoys the same things.
Some kids love to color. Some love video games. Some love books. Some love writing stories. Some would rather be in the kitchen baking. Some love music, puzzles, science, numbers, or creating things.
I want there to eventually be something in Millie’s world for all of them.
I want a child to learn without realizing they’re learning.
I want them to solve a problem, use their imagination, read a story, follow directions, create something they’re proud of, complete a challenge, or discover something new — all while having fun.
And I want as much of that as possible to be available for free.
Because giving back to kids is a huge part of why I’m doing this.
And when I say all kids, I mean it.
Even the ones who don’t necessarily believe in Santa anymore.
Maybe they’re getting older. Maybe they’ve figured things out. Maybe Santa just isn’t their thing — but they have a little brother, sister, cousin, or friend whose eyes still light up when they hear sleigh bells.
I don’t think those kids should suddenly be pushed out of the magic.
I’d love to create special letters for them, too — tailored a little differently. Instead of trying to convince them that Santa is something they have to believe in, Millie can talk to them about what “Santa” represents.
Generosity. Kindness. Giving without expecting anything in return. Creating joy for someone else. And sometimes, helping protect a little bit of Christmas magic for someone younger than you. ❤️
Maybe growing up doesn’t have to mean you’re no longer part of the magic.
Maybe it means you get to help create it.
That’s something I would love for Millie to teach.
Because more than anything, I want Millie to stand for kindness and belonging.
Kids are growing up in a world where it’s incredibly easy to feel different, left out, lonely, or like you don’t quite fit somewhere.
I want Millie’s world to be different.
There shouldn’t be a “right” kind of kid who gets to participate.
The artist belongs.
The gamer belongs.
The reader belongs.
The writer belongs.
The kid who loves to cook belongs.
The kid who learns differently belongs.
The quiet kid belongs.
The little kid who wholeheartedly believes in Santa belongs.
And the older kid who’s starting to understand what Santa really means belongs, too.
Through all of it, I want to encourage something incredibly simple:
Be kind. Help someone. Include someone. Make someone smile.
If Millie can help a child believe in Santa for another year, I will love that.
If she can make a child excited to read, create, learn, or try something new, I’ll love that too.
And if somewhere along the way she can help even one child feel a little more included, a little more confident, a little less alone, or inspire them to show kindness to someone else…
That’s the kind of magic I want Millie to create. ❤️
This is going to take time. I’m still figuring it out, building it, dreaming it up, and probably coming up with way too many ideas along the way. 😂
But that’s my goal.
Not just Christmas letters.
Not just coloring pages.
A little North Pole world where kids can believe, learn, play, create, give, belong, and most importantly — be kids. 🎅🏻💌❄️
And maybe, when they’re ready, they can grow from believing in the magic to helping create the magic for someone else. 🎀✨
— Kimberly
Creator of Santa’s Elf: Millie
