A Fun Activity For Learning How To Write A Letter

Did you know that December 7th is Letter Writing Day? I sure didn’t, but it’s a neat opportunity. Learning how to write a letter is an important skill, and the holiday season is a great time to work on it. So why not pair cardmaking with letter writing?

In this blog post, I’m going to share a fun cardmaking activity that’s perfect for kids learning how to write a letter.

Why is learning how to write a letter essential?

It is essential to learn how to write a letter, even though it might seem old-fashioned. While we use email, text messages, and social media, there’s nothing like a handwritten letter. It’s a great way to communicate with people who live far away, and receiving a handwritten note always feels special.

What is the correct format for a friendly letter?

Let’s talk about how to write a friendly letter. Friendly letter writing is usually introduced around first grade. The format is simple, but it still needs to be formally taught and modeled.

A friendly letter starts with the date and greeting. Next, comes the body of the letter. Finally, the letter is wrapped up with a closing and the author’s signature.

A friendly letter template is helpful for kids just learning how to write a friendly letter.

Card making and friendly letter writing are a perfect combination.

Combining cardmaking with writing friendly letters gives the skill of writing a letter meaning. Kids naturally love to show off their work and make gifts. Cardmaking is the perfect extension activity. Requiring your students to write a friendly letter inside their cards ties the activity into many writing standards.

Let’s take a look at some easy Christmas card ideas for your students to make.

Materials And Supplies You’ll Need:

You probably already have most of the supplies you’ll need for this project in your classroom, but go ahead and take a second to look over the list. Grab anything you need. You could also stick to plain printer paper and crayons if you want to simplify things.

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• Friendly letter writing template
• Cardstock
• Watercolor paints and brushes
• Water
• Colored pencils or crayons

How to make the cards:

Print one copy of the friendly letter-writing template onto cardstock for each student. Have the kids fold their paper in half with the letter template inside.

If you have time, you can guide your students through the writing process and use cardmaking as the publication stage. Whether your students are going through the whole writing process or not, they should write their friendly letters on the inside of the card before decorating their cards. That way, they won’t have to worry about messing up their artwork or waiting for it to dry.

Once your students have written their letters, let them decorate their cards. Provide them with various art supplies and let them be creative. If they want to add circular details, lids or cups are helpful to trace. You could even do a directed drawing option if your kids enjoy those.

Other ways to practice friendly letter writing:

Letter writing is a skill that kids should practice throughout the year. In addition to cardmaking, kids can practice friendly letter writing by writing a letter to the principal to request a movie day or extra recess, a thank you note to classroom visitors, or a letter to businesses explaining why they enjoy their products. Classroom pen pals are another fun way to encourage letter writing.

Books to go along with your friendly letter-writing lessons:

Picture books are one of my favorite tools for introducing a new topic. You could read several and create an anchor chart exploring why people write letters. Many picture books pair well with a lesson on letter writing, but here are a few of my favorite ones.

• Click Clack Moo Cows That Type by Doreen Cronin
• I Wanna Iguana by Karen Kaufman Orloff
• The Thank You Letter by Jane Cabrera
• Dear Dragon, A Pen Pal Tale by Josh Funk and Rodolfo Montalvo
• The Day The Crayons Quit by Drew Daywalt and Oliver Jeffers
• Felix Explores Planet Earth by Annette Langen
• Dear Mr. Blueberry by Simon James
• Dear Mrs. LaRue: Letters from Obedience School by Mark Teague
• Diary of a Worm by Doreen Cronin

Have fun making cards.

Cardmaking is a great way to make friendly letter writing meaningful for your students. Pulling out the craft supplies to make holiday cards is a perfect way to spice up your writing block. You won’t regret it!

Don’t forget to grab the FREE friendly letter-writing printables!

Want the FREE friendly letter writing template and worksheets? Simply, enter your personal email below. (Many schools block outside emails with attachments.) Then, I’ll send you the FREE printables right away.

Looking for more fun writing activities?

Find more fun and engaging writing activities here:

Check out this persuasive writing activity, or try combining adjectives, art, and poetry. Combine slime and writing with a sensory writing project or explore arctic animals with craftivities and sensory play.