Summer End of the Year Gift for Students | Pen Pal Kit
When I was in the first grade, my teacher had the amazing idea to give us all kids’ pen pal kits as a summer end of the year gift for students! She provided her address on the kits, and we started exchanging letters over the summer. I have such fond memories of writing about my summer adventures and feeling the anticipation of waiting for her next letter to arrive!
What started as a fun activity for the summer quickly turned into something more meaningful. To this very day, we still send each other letters! (20 something years later!) It is amazing that an end of the year gift for her students turned into such a beloved tradition. I love being able to keep in touch with her, and I know she has loved getting to see my growth since I was a little first grader.
After I became a teacher, I knew I had to create the same experience for my students. That was the inspiration for these super simple and fun end of year gifts for students: a kids’ pen pal kit!
This Summer Kids’ Pen Pal Gift for Students isn’t just any old end of year gift. It’s a fun activity for the kids, and meaningful too! It’s sure to become a tradition for you and your students. I love hearing about all the details of my students’ summer fun, and I know it makes their day getting letters from me too! I always hate having to say goodbye to my students at the end of the year. With these kids’ pen pal kits, now I don’t have to!
Kids’ pen pal gifts are especially great this year with everything going on in the world. If they’re stuck at home, they have another way to stay busy and entertained!
What are the benefits of kids’ pen pal writing?
Think the art of the pen pal is outdated? The truth is, there are plenty of benefits to kids’ pen pal writing that you might not know of, from developing their reading and writing skills to improving social skills!
Having a pen pal is so much more than a fun activity for your students. Writing to a pen pal lets them practice their handwriting skills, even during the summer months! I am always looking for fun ways for my students to sneak some handwriting practice in, so this is definitely a bonus in my book. These pen pal kits will be a great reading exercise for them too. They won’t even realize that they are doing “homework”!
Next, pen pals encourage patience. Students can learn to wait for your letters — it’s a rare skill these days, since virtually everything can be sent in an instant message. Having to wait for a letter introduces a new way to communicate where there isn’t that instant gratification. The reward they get from anticipating a response is sure to bring a special kind of joy!
Finally, with kids stuck in the house more often, regular pen pal writing lets them stay social while staying safe. Plus, they just might feel more motivated to find new activities to occupy their time. That way, they have more to write about. No summer boredom here!
How the kids’ pen pal kits work as end of the year gifts for students?
Your end of the year gift for students can’t get any easier than this! You only need to provide your students with the goodbye letter, your address, and writing paper. The letter is editable, so you can add all of the personalized touches you want. Feel free to make the paper a little extra special too with some fun stationary!
If you are wondering whether to give out your home or school address, it totally depends on what you are comfortable with. If it is fine with you, it is totally okay to use your home address. It is a little bit more convenient, since the letters will arrive right in your mailbox at home.
Personally, I use my school address when I give out these kids’ pen pal kits to my students. It gives me a little more privacy. Just make sure to regularly check your mailbox at school over the summer if you opt for this route. I typically check mine once a month in June and July!
To make things a little more personalized, you can also add special envelopes and a fun pencil to your gifts. With your download, you also receive fun tags that you can add to the pencils you include. The tags include cute and encouraging phrases, like “You’ll ‘bee’ amazing!” and “Donut give up!” I love these sweet personal touches, and your students will love them too.
Here’s a copy of the template I used for my Student Pen Pal Kits. Grab it today and you’ll be all set with an inexpensive, yet super special end of the year gift for students!
Looking for more gift ideas for the classroom?
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