Using the time of social distancing to encourage children to revive the art of letter writing.
The Postal Service and educational publisher Scholastic have again teamed up to promote letter writing as a critical English language skill for U.S. schoolchildren.
Related: Pen pal tips and ideas for kids
Activities to Get Kids Writing
I'm using the time of social distancing to encourage my girls to revive the art of letter writing. And I've got some help from two companies invested in writing. They are teaming up on a program called “Show Someone You Care.” This program is geared towards kids in 3rd and 4th grade, but the idea behind it can be used for kids of just about any age.
Parents and students have access to the Scholastic website here that is providing terrific content at home during the coronavirus pandemic.
Online resources include templates and activity sheets for eight daily topics: letters of gratitude, writing to an elder, letters across the distance, writing to a favorite author, letters of encouragement, writing to pen pals, letters of celebration and letters of reflection.
The lessons not only encourage self-expression around those topics, they also cover life skills such as properly addressing an envelope, buying and using stamps, and mailing cards and letters.
Download Hallmark Printable Card Templates
Among the templates online are printable greeting cards provided by Hallmark.
Click to get the printable for the card shown above. Color it in and send it to someone you care about.
Over the years, the partnership with Scholastic has allowed the Postal Service to reach around 90,000 teachers and 3 million students annually.
Letters Matter
While we love having zoom calls with my parents and it's fabulous to call my brother on the phone, the homemade cards and handwritten notes will survive COVID19 and be a tangible memory of this time. Written words truly matter.
“Right now, the social bonds reflected in letter writing are more important than ever,” said USPS Brand Marketing Executive Director Chris Karpenko. “We’re always excited to see new generations embrace handwritten letters as a way to share love, show thanks and build meaningful connections.”
MORE KID-CENTRIC FUN FROM MOMTRENDS
- Printable gratitude activities for kids
- Create a cozy reading nook for kids
- Toddler Puzzles and Sorting Games
PIN IT!
Need more ideas on what to do with the kids? Be sure to follow our Activities to Do with the Kids board on Pinterest here.
