Pen Pal Kit and Handwriting for Kids

We’ve been so lucky to see so much family this summer, and the kids have loved seeing so many of their cousins! While we absolutely love living here in the Pacific Northwest, the one sad thing is that our kids can’t play with their cousins very often.

But I’m trying this idea as a solution. It’s a colorful Pen Pal Kit! You can make one yourself in just about 15 minutes.

Supplies for a pen pal kit

You’ll need:
Lined notebook paper
Envelopes
BIC Mechanical Pencils (lots of variety to choose from: Xtra-Strong, Xtra-Sparkle, Xtra-Comfort, Xtra-life, and more)
Washi tape
Paper cutter

Start by cutting the margins off of a few sheets of notebook paper. You want the final width to be just narrower than your envelopes (so they can fold up nicely, about 5.5 inches.)

Add a strip of washi tape down one side of each paper, folding the ends over to the back. Then add a piece to each envelope as well.

Now my kids can keep in touch with cousins and practice their handwriting at the same time. I’m thinking we should make some more of these kits to send to our cousins so they can write too! Sure, there’s email, but don’t we all love getting real mail?

With handwriting not really being taught in school anymore, opportunities to practice are mostly at home.

Benefits of practicing handwriting

Check out the following 6 benefits, all results of practicing handwriting.

• Improves cognitive development
• Builds self-confidence
• Betters school performance
• Helps reading skills
• Sparks creativity
• Sharpens critical thinking skills