There is nothing like getting mail! Especially the kind that involve stamps, envelopes, and paper. I have found that my kids are intrigued by it even in our electronic world. My kids rush to the mailbox when they are expecting a letter, and excitedly rip open envelopes they receive. This summer we have taken on a few pen pals, and are enjoying our correspondences. The following I hope will give you some ideas.
How do we find our pen pals? We asked a homeschool co-op friend who was living out of town. We found another person in the same program one of my kids is in. Sometimes we write our cousins. Grandparents are always wonderful pen pals.
What if I don't have anyone I know? A young woman started the Friends of Ida web site. From the site "Friends of Ida is a community program in which younger members of the community pair up with elderly 'buddies' in an effort to develop a close bond between the two groups. The volunteers learn about history from the perspective of people who saw it all, while their buddies get to relive their childhood in these young people " It is based in California, but I believe anyone can participate.
How do you keep it fun? I like to buy fun stamps from the post office. We also decorate paper or send pictures. We buy local postcards to send.
The part that I love as a mom is that my children practice their writing skills, review letter format, and practice addressing an envelope. But, I keep that under my hat as my grandmother use to say, and just encourage them to check out the mailbox.
Happy Writing!
Becky
PS If you are really adventurous. You can join the Postcard Geography program. I did this with my classroom many years ago. My guess is they will open registration in August. The program fills quickly so put it on your calendar. They do accept homeschoolers. Expect to send a great deal of postcards. Enjoy.
We did the postcard geography program and it was a lot of fun.
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