I have always been a big fan of Shel Silverstein’s poetry and drawings. They were great little quips to add to my tutoring sessions years ago with middle school students and I even used them once on a bulletin board in my high school classroom. My favorite Shel Silverstein book is Where the Sidewalk Ends.
During this time of social isolation and stay at home orders, staying connected is even more important than it was before. Since my three young grandchildren are staying home from school and community activities I decided to pull out some of my favorite books and share a couple of pages with them every day through snail mail. Kids especially love to receive snail mail. They think it’s pretty cool and it is something for them to look forward to.
You remember snail mail. That’s the kind that takes a couple of days to send/receive. It includes an envelope, a stamp and a return address. Oh, and a bit of moisture for closure.
How to Stay Connected Through Snail Mail
We all have old envelopes around. I have boxes of them. Even the kind you used to mail your check for the house payment works. I add pictures and jokes on the back of the envelope to dress it up and make it more fun.
Then find short stories, color pages, scavenger hunts, or poems to put in them. If they are old enough to read, write them a letter telling about some of your old memories of school, etc. I add math problems or words for my grandkids for practice since I am a teacher. Today, I cut one of the poems into four pieces to make it into a simple puzzle.
As long as you don’t put in more than three sheets of paper, one stamp will be enough on the envelope. You may even want to mail some stamps to your grandchildren so they can send you pictures or write a letter back to you. What a fun way to stay connected. Share how you are staying connected below.
“There is a place where the sidewalk ends and before the street begins, and there the grass grows soft and white, and there the sun burns crimson bright, and there the moon-bird rests from his flight to cool in the peppermint wind.”
–Shel Silverstein