While we do not expect our penpals to reply to us, they’re more likely to do so if you include a self-addressed, stamped envelope with your letters!
Keep your letters short! That way you can spread out your ideas for what to write about over the six weeks of Lent.
If you don’t know what to write about, send an activity instead such as a crossword puzzle, coloring page, or small gift such as stickers. A simple, “Dear Pen Pal, I hope you’re having a great week! Enjoy the stickers!” is perfectly fine.
To encourage engagement give your pen pal a job to do! For example, last year I printed off a “how to draw” page (example here). I drew the picture, then sent the printed instructions and my drawing to my pen pal. They drew it and sent it back! You could also color part of a picture and have your pen pal color another part and send it back to you.
No printer at home? No worries! Ask Suzanne to print things out for you if you have something in mind.
Here are a few more ideas for what to send from this pen pal article by Allison Marie:
a few puzzle pieces at a time
fun fabric scraps
unusual coins
clean feathers or other items from nature
newspaper clippings
riddles and jokes
a list of your favorite songs or hit songs from when you were your pen pal’s age
a small collage
a Bible verse to memorize together
a map of your neighborhood or city marked with favorite places
a packet of seeds
a teabag
any small, interesting thing!