Walking out to the mailbox waiting for mail and finally finding a letter there with their name and address on the envelope can be such a fun experience for kids of all ages. At the same time, it is sometimes hard to know where to start, as a parent/caregiver, when trying to find the perfect pen pal for your child. Additionally, how should they be monitored? Can it be a way to teach them valuable skills? Absolutely, yes.
Without further adieu, here are a few tips for finding the right pen pal and helping your kids enjoy the relationship to its fullest potential with learning in mind.
1. Find someone you trust.
Whether it be a missionary’s child, or one of your friend’s children who live in another country/state, or someone who is from the church and simply wants a pen pal, as well, find someone that you trust to be your child’s pen pal.
When I was a kid, I had several pen pals. A few of them were the children of missionaries which I found fascinating since their experiences were so different from my own. It was so neat to see the pictures they would send and hear their stories that corresponded with the cultures they were a part of. Some of my best friends started as pen pals!
2. Encourage your child to write regularly and promptly.
Once writing to a pen pal gains some momentum, it is so fun to write and receive letters regularly. So, I recommend encouraging your child to write letters regularly and promptly in response to those received. It may seem like a small thing, but it is sad when letters are received and forgotten only to be found later when several weeks or even months have passed.
With that said, here are some topic ideas to spur creativity in their letters and keep them writing:)
- Birthdays
- Favorite holidays/traditions
- Pets
- Siblings
- Church/Sunday school
- Favorite things (colors, foods, animals, etc.)
- Hobbies
- Travels
- Dream occupations/professions
- Routines
- Life experiences and events
- School
- Books/movies
- Friends
- Goals
With that said, I thought this quote was a beautiful reminder of what we want to instill in our littles.
“Be yourself. Above all, let who you are, what you are, what you believe, shine through every sentence you write, every piece you finish.” – John Jakes
Yes, we want them to be creative and write well, but we also want to encourage them to be who they are and let their personalities and hearts “shine through every sentence” in their letters, as John Jakes said. Encourage them to be true to who they really are.
3. Treat the letters as fun creative writing assignments.
Now, before I continue, let me clarify something. These letters should not be only school, but I would also encourage you to consider these letters as writing assignments. My mom often allowed us to write our rough drafts completely on our own then helped us with spelling and neatness after which we wrote a final draft to be sent. By doing this, my mom was able to monitor what was being said in the letters along with helping us learn how to be better writers along the way.
I always liked adding stickers to my letters, as a kid. It was also super neat to receive pictures and post cards in the mail! Feel free to encourage your child to make and send small, thoughtful presents as well, knowing they do not need to be expensive to be extremely appreciated and exciting.
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Though it can be treated as a writing assignment, it is also so much more. These letters are opportunities for your children to make life-long friendships with people of like minds.
Do your children already have pen pals? How do you help them maintain healthy relationships through their letters? Do you have any suggestions regarding children and their pen pals?
I would love to hear your answers in the comments below!
Until next time
