Several years ago we started a tradition that quickly became an enjoyable and integral part of our week. We call it Mail Monday! It’s simple, really. Each Monday, I pull out our Mail Monday box and each child writes a letter to a friend or family member.
In this blog post I explain why we practice penpalling in my homeschool, plus my favorite supplies for my Mail Monday basket.
In this blog post:
- Why we practice penpalling in my homeschool
- Favorite supplies for penpalling and letter writing
Why we practice penpalling in my homeschool
We practice penpalling because writing letters is an enjoyable way to practice writing skills, handwriting, sentence and paragraph formation, grammar, and build relationships! It’s basically a language arts lesson wrapped in a fun package.
I also love that all of my children can do it simultaneously at their own levels. My little ones can draw pictures and tell me what they want to say to grandma or a friend, and I can write the words. My 7-year-old may write a few sentences, and my 9-year-old a few paragraphs.
My children have done everything from drawing pictures, to writing jokes, stories, and general notes. Sometimes they use stationary and other times lined or computer paper. We collect the addresses of any friends or family members over time and they copy them into their personal address books. They address the envelopes with their own return address and the recipient’s address. They add postage and use a wax seal or sticker to decorate the back. Then, they pop them in the mailbox and wait for a return letter! All of the letters we receive back go into a special bag for them to keep and refer back to when they write their pen pal back.
Related: Favorite Homeschool Curriculum Choices for 4th Grade and Fix It! Grammar Curriculum Review
Favorite items for Mail Monday letter writing
Here are some links to some of our favorites you will find in our Mail Monday bin.
Address books
I love these because they are simple and alphabetized with wide enough lines for children to write on. Since using these weekly my children have gained skills in alphabetizing! We alphabetize by first name because the children don’t know their friends’ last names, but that is a personal preference. Each child has their own and when they think of someone new to write to, I just reach out and ask a parent for their address.
Stationary and envelopes
We have used various types of stationary over time, but here are some favorites. If you really want to focus on handwriting skills, I recommend choosing some with lines. Sometimes my children will also write on lined school paper and just draw on the blank stationary or cards.
Wax seal kit
This is totally unnecessary but totally fun! It’s also super easy to use.
Fine line markers and pens
We love brightening our letters with color with these pens. Any fine tip markers or pens could work though!
Stamps
I get themed Forever stamps that my kids will enjoy from the grocery store or post office.
It’s as simple as that! This idea was inspired by The Waldock Way. Tell me in the comments if you have tried Mail Monday in your homeschool.
Related: Hands-on Letter Formation and Recognition Activities
