Pen Pal Ideas for Kids

During Memorial Day Weekend our area here in Central Texas was devastated by flooding. The Blanco River which is normally very shallow and a perfect weekend spot for small kids surged 30 feet above flood levels during an evening of unusually heave rains. You likely saw it on the news; the devastation was horrific.

My husband’s cousin lives on the banks of the Blanco River and while his home and family were spared, the land they live on was covered in debris. My husband was helping his cousin clean up the day after the flood and he found a stack of 1950s letters. They were all from a woman to her husband who was away from home. The letters were bundled together and tied with a green ribbon. Such care was taken to save them and miraculously they sustained very little damage considering the distance they traveled in the raging river.

Seeing these letters takes me back to a time when handwriting was so personal. People didn’t have the ability to call one another as easily and they certainly didn’t have email. Handwritten letters were often the only way they could keep in touch and communicate. You see in movies set in earlier times how anxiously people waited for the postman to get letters with news from relatives afar.

In this digital age, I think we often lose that special, personal touch that handwriting brings. My own sons are only just learning to write. Jack can write his name and copy down words and sentences, if he has an example. I have loved watching him over the past year learn his letters and ever-so-carefully and cautiously begin to write his own name. I want to encourage him to keep writing and enjoy it.

So I partnered with BIC this month to help encourage everyone to “Fight For Your Write.” As a community we need to encourage the act of handwriting.  It distinguishes us and promotes individuality. Did you know that writing is also a critical learning tool for children? Writing helps kids become better readers, boosts their confidence and sparks their creativity.

For a beginning writer, it’s hard work to write. So I wanted to make it fun for Jack. I grabbed some BIC Xtra Craze Mechanical Pencils and we set out to write a letter.  Who better to write a letter to than his favorite Disney character: Baymax! Writing a letter to a favorite Disney Character makes writing fun and even better, Disney will send you a standard postcard in return. I told Jack that once we mailed the letter, maybe Baymax would send him a postcard and invite us to visit Disney sometime!

If you want to write a Disney Character, just address the envelope to:

Walt Disney World Communications
P.O. Box 10040
Lake Buena Vista, FL 32830-0040

You can only write so many letters to Disney characters. If you are looking for more PenPal ideas to keep kids writing. Here are some other letters I’m planning to write with the boys this fall:

• Write letters to out of town relatives
• Write letters to include in Operation Christmas Child boxes
• Write letters to your Compassion International Sponsor Child
• Write letters to Santa Claus

If you get creative I’m sure you can find think of more Pen Pal Ideas for Kids! I’d love to hear other ways you get your kids to practice handwriting.

For more ways to inspire creativity and encourage kids to write, check out other BIC “Fight For Your Write” projects and sign the pledge to save handwriting. I love the idea about asking kids to create an invention! You can also check out the hashtag, #BICFightForYourWrite. Did you know BIC Mechanical Pencils are celebrating their 30th birthday!? Head over to the BIC Pen Pals Facebook Page and enter to win a $1,200 BIC Prize Pack to help them write more at home.*

Compensation was provided by BIC via MomTrends Media.  The opinions expressed herein are those of the author and are not indicative of the opinions of BIC or MomTrends Media. 

*No purchase necessary, U.S. only, 18+. Ends 9/14/2015. For details and full rules visit www.bicfightforyourwrite.com