South African Pen Pals? Trust The Answer

Among other things, self-isolation and local regulations ensure that wanderlust is at an all-time high. But travelers are born innovators. Refusing to let the pandemic wreck their bucket lists, many are flocking to virtual museum tours and “skipping the line” for Disney rides via YouTube.

But what about those of us who travel for connections? Meeting locals and fellow travelers is one of the most rewarding parts of any trip, and right now it’s also the experience many travelers miss the most. However, the days of mingling and making friends are not over. All you need is a new pen pal.

It may be a blast from school days gone by, but the world of pen pals is still here. And now these pen pal matching platforms are more relevant than ever. All platforms have safeguards in place to encourage quality international friendships – some offer SMS or video chat services, while others encourage handwritten notes.

Here are seven penpal platforms to maintain cross-cultural connections while practicing social distancing:

Compatible

Compatipal unites like-minded people for digital conversations about everything from football to food. This platform is a newer entry into the world of pen pals; It focuses on shorter and more immediate communication (no handwritten notes) and offers instant messaging through the website. Compatipal users can search for people by interests, location, and also form groups to build digital communities around common interests – business, art, travel, language learning. The site is free to use and accepts members from all over the world.

conversation exchange

Practicing a new language with a native speaker is one of the best ways to build cross-cultural friendships – and Conversation Exchange makes those connections possible, even during a pandemic. The global language learning platform allows users to choose from over 100 different languages, from English, Mandarin and Arabic to constructed languages ​​like Esperanto and even ancient Greek and Latin. It matches speakers with students who want to improve their fluency through speech, video or writing and also offers a collection of language resources. Basic membership is free, with the option to go ad-free for a small fee.

International Geek Girl Pen Pals Club

Founded in 2013, Geek Girl Pen Pals connects self-proclaimed nerds through written and digital communication. Despite the name, this community of 17,000 members is open to all gender identities, ages, cultures and backgrounds. Pen pals are matched by age group and interests; You can request international games, even down to a specific country. Most pen pals communicate using handwritten letters and small packages, although the founders are promoting digital communication during the COVID-19 crisis. Beyond writing, volunteers host digital get-togethers, like a virtual summer camp—including blankets and friendship bracelets. The platform is free, although its Patreon supporters get access to exclusive experiences.

Getty Images/Westend61

penpal world

Founded in 1998, PenPal World connects millions of users worldwide through its secure, fast matching portal. To maintain security, members make their first interactions directly from the site — and then convert their conversations to emails or handwritten letters. With a free membership you can reach up to three members every day, while with a VIP membership (for 10 cents a day) you can reach 50 members every 24 hours. The founders of PenPal World review each profile application and respond quickly to any reported issues or suspicious content.

post crossing

You might not be traveling anytime soon, but that doesn’t mean you can’t send postcards. Postcrossing is a project that connects people through the art of physical postcard writing. The idea is simple: send one to the address you provided, and then receive one from another random “postcrosser”. If you want to keep the conversation going, use the ID number on the postcard to find the sender through the Postcrossing website and send them a message. Membership is free and also includes online forums and face-to-face meetings.

wandering

Built by women travelers for women travelers, Wanderful brings thousands of members together through meetups, group travel and global events. The Wanderful community, which welcomes trans, non-binary and gender-biased travelers, is making the most of the pandemic with digital experiences focused on connection. Members can sign up for one-on-one language learning chats or participate in virtual yoga, happy hours, and travel souvenir show-and-tells with fellow jet-setters. Annual membership starts at $300.

Worldwide pen pals with snail mail

With over 43,000 members, Worldwide Snail Mail Pen Pals is an active Facebook group nurturing friendships around the world. Navigating the group is easy: members post calls for pen pals and interested parties reply in the comments. Moderators monitor interactions to ensure safe and friendly responses. At the time of writing, requests are popping up almost hourly as members seek a break from social distancing. All you need is a Facebook account to join the group. New members fill out a quick qualifying survey and, once accepted, can post calls to pen pals or reply to other posters for free.

A beginner’s guide to finding and texting a pen pal safely.

The changes we’ve all seen over the past year with the arrival of Covid-19 has led to a renewed joy in handwriting letters. A new appreciation of time, work-life balance, and friendships have led to a revival of the pen pal.

When I was in school, I dreaded the idea of ​​pen pals. Being forced to write monthly to another teenager from France, a person with whom I had no interests, led to a year of humorless correspondence. The ultimate threat at the end of this forced “friendship” was an exchange where I would go and stay and immerse myself in their language and culture. For me, that was the worst of everything at the time. Luckily chickenpox saved me! Now, twenty-five years later, my feelings couldn’t be more different. I love travelling, meeting people from other countries and cultures, immersing yourself in the unknown is a joy I long for. A joy that lockdown and travel restrictions have taken away from me. I like to write. I love pens and paper. What I love most is the relaxed schedule of handwriting a reply—not being rushed by an email sitting in my inbox waiting for a response.

So I decided to develop a friendship with a pen pal (or two). I did some research, and here’s a quick guide of my findings on how to (safely) start a correspondence with a pen pal.

I believe in the authentic pen pal experience, so for me it has to be handwritten letters. I admit, maybe a bit biased as a stationer! But I’m a stationer born out of a lifelong love of pens and paper.

All of the platforms I’ve researched have exceptional protections that give you the confidence to start correspondence friendships, be it international or with someone in a neighboring county.

International Geek Girl Pen Pals Club

Geek Girl Pen Pals – Where geeks and snail mail collide. Founded in 2013, Geek Girl Pen Pals connects self-proclaimed “nerds” through written and digital communication. Name aside, this community of 17,000 members is open to all gender identities, ages, cultures and backgrounds. Pen pals are matched by age group and interests; You can request international games, including specifying a country. Most pen pals communicate using handwritten letters and small packages. International Geek Girl Pen Pals Club platform is free.

Click Here For Geek Girl Pen Pals: Get A Pen Pal – Geek Girl Pen Pals

penpal world

Founded in 1998, PenPal World connects millions of users worldwide through its secure, fast matching portal. To ensure safety, members send their first messages directly through the site – and then turn their conversations into handwritten letters. With a free membership, you can reach up to three members every day. The founders of PenPal World review each profile application and respond quickly to any reported issues or questionable content.

For more information, click here: Welcome to PenPal World

Global pen friends

Lesser Known Global Pen Friends is a no-fuss and welcoming site with a wide range of pen pals from all over the world. Global Pen Friends is for those interested in making new friends, cultural exchange, language learning, travel and education. Your snail mail members love to exchange letters, postcards, mail art and more! It’s free to sign up and find pen pals. Click here for more information: https://www.globalpenfriends.com/

Worldwide pen pals with snail mail

Unlike the sites I’ve listed; this is a facebook group. Safeguards may not be built in, but it is actively moderated and you can make friends with potential pen pals and check their Facebook for additional reassurances. With over 19,000 members, Worldwide Snail Mail Pen Pals is an active Facebook group cultivating friendships worldwide. Navigating the group is easy: members post calls for pen pals and interested parties reply in the comments. Moderators monitor interactions to ensure safe and friendly responses. You need a Facebook account to join the group; New members fill out a quick qualifying survey and, once accepted, can post calls to pen pals or reply to other posters for free.

For more information click here: Worldwide Snail Mail Pen Pals

Check out my blog posts for my top tips for building a friendship with a pen pal and keeping pen pals safe during the Covid-19 era.

My friend Amy recently brought home some homemade cards that her pen pal sent in the mail. Amy explained that when she was in high school, her aunt suggested she find a pen pal online. She and her pen pal are still friends today, even though they left school five years ago. “I love getting things in the mail, especially letters,” says Amy. “We don’t write often, just three or four times a year, but I’m always looking for fun things to broadcast or write about. Writing a letter is a lot more fun than writing an email.”

Letter writing skills

Pen pals are a great way to get your student interested in learning the art of letter writing. Few people write social letters these days, but it’s an invaluable lesson on how to style a letter and how to write an interesting and engaging note. Letter writing is an integral part of every job and especially every job application, as applicants are required to submit cover letters with their resumes.

cultural exchange

Having pen pals from other countries helps teach your students about cultures different from their own. Your students will be able to discuss the social, cultural, culinary and religious differences between their countries and those of their pen pals. It’s a great way to get your student to be well-rounded.

Students can have friends around the world and choose to find pen pals who speak a different language to encourage them to practice their language skills.

If you are not interested in sending letters, there are many websites that offer online pen pals. As with all your online interactions, be careful not to let your student reveal too much personal information, and discuss with them what they will write in their correspondence. Make sure your student knows how to interact with others online without putting them at risk.

Pen Pal Pages

There are a number of ways to find pen pals, but websites probably give you the widest choice and you can choose what country, language and age group you want your pen pal to be from. Here are some helpful sites:

students of the world

Interpals

pen pals now

world of pen pals

Having a pen pal means your student can make international friends, learn about other countries, and practice speaking and writing skills. Not to mention the fun of getting letters in the mail! Who knows… your student might become a lifelong friend.

For many of us, our pen pal journey began and ended in elementary school, when our teachers arranged for us to exchange letters with a child from another school. In my case, we each sent a Christmas card to an assigned child in a class in France. That was when I was 10 years old and neither of us continued the friendship. When I think about it, I don’t remember it being particularly promoted.

For those of us who were encouraged to continue, most will have stopped after a short time. Some of us may have written to other pen pals as we got older, but in general, writing to a pen pal becomes less important as we work to learn, build our careers, have children, or pursue our dreams. “Real life” takes over, and we prioritize writing pen pals as unimportant – “at least,” some might ask, “what do I get out of it”? Continue reading…

Why write a pen pal?

Communicating with a pen pal can be so rewarding that it really is worth considering – no matter what stage of life you are in and no matter how busy your life is. Writing can be very therapeutic; Studies have shown that writing about thoughts, feelings, and events deeply involves the author, which means you forget about your daily frustrations. Even better, emotional writing can help you address any issues you may be having, and the narrative you create will help you deal with and then forget about the event that troubled you.

When you open up communication with another person, not only can you share with them – maybe things you might not want to share with those closer to you – but you can also learn everything about them, their life, their passions, their frustrations and their experienced culture. There is something very special when someone takes the time to write and mail you a handwritten letter and I feel like you are connecting in a way that is unlike any other. Besides, who doesn’t love coming home to find a beautiful, handwritten envelope on their doormat? So exciting.

In case you need another reason, it’s also a great excuse to use your favorite pens a lot!

Domestic or international?

This is entirely up to you as it depends on what you want from your friendship; International penpalling means longer gaps between letters and possible language barriers. On the other hand, you are learning everything about another culture and country, and you could help your friend with English, or he could teach you some phrases in his native language. It’s a personal choice, just as your new friend’s age or gender might be.

How to find a pen pal

If you’re looking for a pen pal, you can volunteer with a charity like The Silver Line, which will match you with a lonely elderly person who would like to exchange letters. If that’s not for you, there are many websites dedicated to pen pals – the biggest being Pen Pal World and Interpals. These sites require you to sign up and create a profile, and then you can search for the type of person you want to connect with. You start communication through the website and then you can take it offline whenever you feel comfortable.

First letter tips

It can be daunting when you sit down to write your first letter to a new pen pal. What do you write about if you don’t know the recipient? Below are some helpful tips to get you started:

Introduce yourself and briefly tell about your life and hobbies. Who are you living with? Do you have pets? What are you working?

Tell them what you did today. This is nice because it’s conversational and it breaks up the letter so your letter isn’t just a bunch of facts followed by a bunch of questions.

Ask your pen pal about their hobbies. Do you have pets and/or children? Who do they live with? Are you working or studying?

Remember, your first letter doesn’t have to be long. Keep it short, but give him lots of information about yourself and ask lots of questions so you can look forward to learning all about him in his reply letter.

Happy correspondence!

resources

psychology today. com

The pandemic has provided the general population with a deeper understanding of what life is like for older adults who may experience loneliness on a regular basis.

And while we’ve all struggled to connect during COVID-19, older adults have been overwhelmingly impacted due to strict social distancing measures and limited interactions. No one knows this better than family caregivers, who may have been their only social contacts over the past year.

While there is still a need to take precautions to protect many vulnerable populations, the need to connect has never been greater. In fact, nearly half of older US adults (49%) have felt less connected to loved ones since the pandemic began.

“Loneliness is one of the most devastating issues facing our aging population, but it’s also something we can address,” says Erin Albers, vice president of Social Purpose at Home Instead. “After a year of home isolation, it takes a little creativity and a lot of intention to ensure regular contact with neighbors and loved ones, even as some social distancing measures are relaxed. A simple act of kindness, like writing a letter, can really brighten an older adult’s day.”

National Pen Pal Day: How to get involved

Caregivers work every day to make the aging population feel connected and supported; Now is the perfect time to get others involved. To reduce feelings of loneliness and isolation, Home Instead encourages people to make a difference in their community by writing a letter to an older adult on National Pen Pal Day (June 1).

Generations of writers have made lasting friendships by becoming pen pals. To celebrate National Pen Pal Day, Albers suggests writing a letter to, or organizing a group for, an older adult through Ready to Care’s Pen Pal initiative:

How can I get involved? How can I get involved? Authors may submit a letter and/or photo online at ReadyToCare.com/penpals. From there, Home Instead checks each letter for security and passes it on to an aging adult. Entrants must be at least 13 years of age unless submission is coordinated by a parent or teacher.

How can I get involved? Authors may submit a letter and/or photo online at ReadyToCare.com/penpals. From there, Home Instead checks each letter for security and passes it on to an aging adult. Entrants must be at least 13 years of age unless submission is coordinated by a parent or teacher. What should I write about? The sky is the limit! Have fun with it – add details like your hobbies, your favorite books and movies, a positive moment in your day, or upcoming plans you’re looking forward to. Remember that you should not give out any personal or financial information such as B. Out of town dates or passwords. Check out our blog for more ideas.

The sky is the limit! Have fun with it – add details like your hobbies, your favorite books and movies, a positive moment in your day, or upcoming plans you’re looking forward to. Remember that you should not give out any personal or financial information such as B. Out of town dates or passwords. Check out our blog for more ideas. How can I keep the conversation going? Request to receive a return letter by sharing your email address or postal address online. Keep the conversation going by asking an older adult to tell you a fact or story.

Request to receive a return letter by sharing your email address or postal address online. Keep the conversation going by asking an older adult to tell you a fact or story. How can I involve others? Share information about the program with school teachers or summer camp leaders looking for new ways to engage children, or contact a church leader who wants to reach out more to their community. Many organizations would like to brighten the lives of lonely older adults in their communities. Download one of our free penpal toolkits to get started.

Share information about the program with school teachers or summer camp leaders looking for new ways to engage children, or contact a church leader who wants to reach out more to their community. Many organizations would like to brighten the lives of lonely older adults in their communities. Download one of our free penpal toolkits to get started. Why should I participate? Pen pals help an often overlooked segment of the population – older adults. It is also an opportunity for those other than caregivers and families to connect with older adults in their communities and spread much-needed joy.

Connecting in this unique, personal way isn’t a thing of the past—it can speak volumes. For lonely older adults, it can be one of the few interactions they’ve had in a long time. Join a network of over 10,000 pen pals by visiting www.ReadyToCare.com.

You might be the most talkative person alive, but when you’re given a blank sheet of paper and pen with the exciting yet daunting task of texting a new pen pal, everyone could be at a loss for words. So how do you write that all-important first letter? I’ve compiled some of my top tips below to make the task a lot easier. Of course, if you’re really concerned, you can always ask your pen pal to write the first letter, but I hope that after reading this article, you’ll be excited to grab your pen and paper and start writing! Cover the essential information

Depending on how much contact you’ve previously had online or in person, make sure your new friend knows your name, age, gender, and where you live in the world. Then tell them about a few of your hobbies and interests, or maybe your family—whatever you feel like sharing at the moment. You could even tell them what you did that week if it’s quite interesting and varied.

Let your pen pal know where you found their details

This may not apply if you found your new pen pal on a site that uses internal messaging, but if you found their profile and address elsewhere, let them know where.

Keep it personal

Don’t be tempted to send that pen pal the same first letter you sent to everyone else you’ve ever written to. This is very obvious as it doesn’t contain any specific questions about their likes and dislikes and the chances of getting an answer would be very slim. It would be a bad first impression to make someone, and it wouldn’t be fun at all to write, so don’t do it!

Do not exaggerate

It might be tempting to tell your whole life story in your first letter – from your favorite instrument to the unusual way you hold your knife and fork. Stop! Keep the first letter short so it’s not overwhelming and give him time to get to know each other. Let your friendship blossom naturally; Throwing a bunch of facts at someone at once isn’t going to help.

Ask your pen pal a few questions

This isn’t a monologue, so make sure you also ask some questions about your pen pal’s life and make sure you do this in every single letter you send them. A letter with no questions not only comes across as rather selfish, but is also difficult to answer; Give your friend a few questions to answer – they’ll be happy and you’ll learn more about them too. If you ever have questions, take a look at this article which contains 75 questions to ask a pen pal.

Mention what you have in common

Chances are, you chose your new pen pal because you have something in common — whether it’s a love of jazz music, vegetarianism, an obsession with dogs, or a positive outlook on life. Mention these similarities in your first letter to build a sense of familiarity and learn more about the topic from their perspective when they respond.

Add a little more

Add something to your letter to give it extra dimension if you like – maybe a photo or newspaper clipping of your town, the view from where you sit down to write letters, or even a tea bag if your Pen pal lives abroad. Take a look at this article for 50 ideas for things to put in an envelope with your pen pals.

In short, just be yourself and show interest in your new friend, and you’ll write a great first letter. Good luck and happy correspondence!

No one wants to waste time with someone who isn’t interested in them and you would think that the people you are talking to through a dating app or website would like to meet and go on a date, but this is not always the case even though it is the same website as you. It seems like with the growing popularity of dating apps and websites, people’s behavior towards potential matches/partners/connections has only gotten weirder. Take ghosting for example. The idea that you could magically disappear on someone without ever having to deal with the ramifications of their actions was relatively unheard of before we started searching for people on our smartphones. Do you think that would fly back to the days when most people lived in small communities where everyone knew each other’s business? Absolutely not. Ghosts would have been caught by a village mob calling for a witch trial.

That’s how history worked, right?

Well, alas, this is the way of life. But even more confusing than your average ghost is the virtual pen pal. You may have met them in the wild: they seem to get along well, they speak fairly consistently, and the next logical step would be to plan a date. And yet that never seems to be addressed, no matter how many clues you drop or try to make plans. Don’t feel bad about it. People are on dating sites for all sorts of reasons, one of which is they just want someone to talk to. So here are the best ways to let your conversation partner know they have no intention of taking it to the next level.

1. You’ve been talking about an app/site for weeks

I’ve been told before that if the person you’re speaking to doesn’t ask you out for a drink within three conversations, they’re not getting to the point fast enough. While I’m not one to get things moving quickly – I want to talk to you a little first, to make sure we have some things in common and that you’re not completely awkward to date – there’s some truth not too much Spending time on online conversations. Like I said, for your own peace of mind, it’s nice to get to know someone a little first and be reasonably sure you’ll be comfortable meeting them. But once you’ve established that you’re interested (maybe after a few days of talking or something), it’s time to finally do something about it. Someone who is comfortable talking to you on the site and doesn’t make a move to ask you out or pick up on your signals to do so, doesn’t want to date you for some reason. Serious red flag for pen pals.

2. When you move on to text, there’s still no talk of hanging out

It’s usually a good sign when you finally step off the site and start texting each other. This is usually how I let someone know that I’m seriously considering dating them (or why bother?). But if you find that even texting doesn’t spark discussions about meeting up, they’ve put you in a pen pal zone.

Is that even a thing? If not, I’ll make it a thing now. Write that down and add my bad pun please.

3. You find excuses easily

This happened to me a while back with a guy I was talking to on Tnder. He was fine texting me and even snapchatting me cute pics of his dog, but every time I tried to hang out with him he would apologize. Yes, he was in law school, but I’m a firm believer that someone who wants to see you will make time for you. And for some reason, this guy just didn’t want to meet in person, no matter how many hours we spent chatting about it.

4. They don’t live anywhere near you

That’s a huge red flag. If you get messaged by someone on OKCupid or even Tinder and that person doesn’t live near you, chances are they want a pen pal, and usually of the sexting variety. It might be true that he/she is excited at the prospect of meeting someone from another place, but the point of most dating sites is to encourage real connections. You know, personally. And if that’s not really possible, then what’s the point of dating someone anyway?

5. They’re open about how they’re looking for a boyfriend

You know how some people’s profiles say they’re interested in friendship, and that’s about it? While sometimes you meet friends along the way, there are some people on dating sites who are really looking for buddies instead of lovers. And if they openly state from the start that they just want someone to talk to, you’re unlikely to change their minds, unconventional as they are.

6. They confide in you pretty deeply very soon

That’s not always the case, but I’ve learned to be very careful with someone who gets very serious very soon. If a person is already telling you their deepest, darkest secrets and you’ve only been chatting for a week, you either have serious chemistry or you’re looking for a stranger to confide in. The prospect of sharing has some sentimentality with someone you don’t know, that’s extremely inviting; because they’re a stranger, they’re less likely to take a different side to yours because they don’t know the full story. Additionally, if you know someone you know, you don’t really have to be vulnerable. Just be careful. If you feel like you’re becoming their sounding board but aren’t getting anything back, chances are you became pen pals.

7. Or they respond fairly sporadically

The key to keeping someone hooked is paying attention to that person just before they have completely given up talking to you. This gives that person hope, however fleeting, that the other person is still interested. Some pen pals are insanely good at it. They can have a really good conversation here or there, and then they disappear for a while. But just when you think all hope is lost, they reappear. A person who doesn’t give you enough time hardly thinks about actually meeting up and taking the next step. You’d better keep going unless that’s what you want too.

Want more of Bustle’s sex and relationship coverage? Check out our new podcast I Want It That Way, exploring the tough and downright dirty sides of a relationship, and find more on our Soundcloud page.

Pictures: Giphy (7); pixel

How to find a pen pal for your child

THIS ARTICLE INCLUDES A FREE PRINTABLE

Have you ever thought about finding a pen pal for your child?

There are many benefits to your child having a pen pal. It encourages deeper connections and builds patience (having to wait for letters to arrive). Having an international pen pal for your child can also open up their perspective of how people live in different parts of the world.

Written communication is often a more meaningful and genuine way to connect and get to know someone. It also offers great reading and writing fun.

A pen pal can be a classmate, a friend, or a relative, whether near or far. Sometimes pen pals help each other learn different languages ​​and cultures, and there are websites and apps that connect long-distance pen pals.

If you are concerned about safety, you can also start a pen pal relationship with someone your child already knows.

Before you continue, be sure to sign up for our FREE weekly printables, carefully crafted to teach your kids growth mentality, resilience and more. Sign up below to make sure you’re on the list! Once you’ve signed up, you’ll instantly receive our popular printable Pen Pal Kit for kids.

Where to find a pen pal for your child

If you want to find a pen pal in another country, there are several places you can look online. Please note that it is up to the parent/carer to research these suggested sites and groups.*

*Big Life Journal is not responsible for verifying your child’s pen pal.

If your child would love to have a pen pal, check out these tips, topic suggestions, and more to get started.

3 tips to help kids be great pen pals

1. Be yourself

Encourage your child to write as they would normally speak. The best pen pal letters are conversational, so you can almost “hear” the writer as you read.

Your child’s natural personality, interests, and sense of humor should shine through. You don’t have to impress your pen pal with fancy stories or big words. Of course, if you want to practice some vocabulary, it’s okay to add some vocabulary too!

2. Ask questions

Just like with normal conversations, it’s important to show an interest in learning more about the other person. Encourage your child to alternate between talking about themselves and asking their pen pal a few questions.

Some questions may be related to what your child just wrote. For example, if your child is writing about a fun trip to the beach, they might ask, “What was your favorite vacation you’ve taken?” or “Where have you always wanted to go?” Once the letters begin to flow, your child can ask for updates Asking for information the pen pal has shared, e.g. B. “How was your baseball game last week?”

If you ask questions, your child’s pen pal is also more likely to continue to respond. Another rule of thumb to encourage responses is to limit letters to two pages or less. Sometimes a letter that is too long can overwhelm the recipient.

3. Keep it up

At the beginning of the pen pal, decide together how often letters will be exchanged. This ensures that both pen pals are on the same page and don’t feel ignored, neglected, or impatient when a pen pal prefers to only write once a week or every two weeks.

Once you’ve agreed to some basic guidelines, move on. Try to answer in time. Creating a basic routine, like writing to your pen pal every Wednesday after school, will help make it a habit.

If there is a delay in sending letters, let the pen pal know so they don’t worry. At the same time, try to be patient if the pen pal takes l to reply. Your child can also send a short message to make sure everything is ok.

Topics to write to your pen pal about

Sometimes the hardest part of being a pen pal is coming up with something to write about. Here are some themes to try:

Places you have visited or plan to visit Favorite hobbies and interests Something interesting to learn about family members Favorite family ritual or tradition Your pets Your town and what you enjoy doing there Favorite food Your bedroom or favorite part of your house Your latest artistic or crafting activity Favorite -Outdoor and indoor activities A famous person you want to meet Favorite board or card game Favorite podcasts Favorite season Favorite color and how it makes you feel Favorite vacation Books and movies you love or are currently enjoying Your nickname or what name would you like to use and why? Your biggest dream (e.g. What do you want to be when you grow up?) Favorite animal Your morning routine and/or evening routine Favorite YouTube channel A sport you play and how often you do it Three things you do right now are grateful for your experience as a volunteer your previous pen pal (if you had one before) your favorite book or movie character your goal and what you are doing to achieve it your recent dream something good you did for someone recently something you hope for proud are your idea for a recent invention things you would like to know about your recent trip music or singers you like a gift you recently received and why you like it fun or interesting information since your last letter what about you happened recently? The musical instrument you learn and how often you practice

Should your child use snail mail or email?

Finally, you may be wondering whether your child should communicate with a pen pal through handwritten letters or emails.

Ultimately, it’s up to you, your child, and your child’s new pen pal. Handwritten letters have a special personal touch. They allow your child to work on their handwriting and there is certainly something to be said against receiving a letter in the mail with your name on it.

On the other hand, email is faster and easier. Plus it’s completely free. Sending emails can help your child learn more about computers and typing.

Alternatively, you can have your child write a letter, then scan it and email it. You can also print emails from your child’s pen pal.

Weigh your options, talk to your child, and decide what works best for you and your family.

Learn how to find snail mail pen pals and email letters online

Want to find pen pals to exchange letters with but not sure where to start? You are in the right place!

Nothing beats the excitement of sending and receiving letters from a new friend through the mail, but the entire process can be quite lengthy. Fortunately, DoNotPay can do most of the work for you! Continue reading our guide to find out how you can easily find pen pals and send letters online.

Where can I find a snail mail pen pal?

Communicating with people from all over the world via social media is easier but not as exciting as sending physical letters. Finding a pen pal is easy these days. There are many websites, organizations, and online communities dedicated to connecting people through the art of handwritten correspondence.

Some of the most popular are:

General advice is not to give out your home address but get a separate PO box. box instead. Once you get to know your pen pal better and feel confident enough, you can exchange personal mailing addresses.

How to write a letter to your pen pal

Letters to pen pals are usually informal. If you’re writing to someone much older than you, you should use semi-formal language, at least initially. While you don’t have to follow any specific structure when writing informal letters, these are the general letter formatting rules that most people follow:

Sections to Include Description Date In the upper right corner, write the date the letter was written. Informal Salutation Skip a line after the date and begin your letter with an informal salutation on the left. Most people open with: Dear + recipient’s first name

Hi

Hi

Hey there Don’t forget to follow the salutation with a comma. Body of the letter Divide your letter into several logical sections. You can start by introducing yourself and then move on to what you want to write about. The best topics for the first letter are your hobbies, your job, your field of study and the like. Finally, ask a few questions about the recipient and thank them for reading your letter. Informal conclusion End the letter with an informal conclusion. These are some of the examples: Take care of yourself

cheers

Adios Signature Skip a line and sign your letter by hand

Find out how to properly label the envelope

In order to address your letter correctly, you should include the following information on the front of the envelope:

The return address in the top left corner

The postal address in the middle

Both the return and postal address must be formatted as follows:

Surname

Address (or PO Box)

City, State and ZIP Code

After writing the addresses, attach the stamps to the upper right corner of the envelope.

Is snail mail expensive?

The cost of sending a letter through the post depends on the class of post and the size, weight and shape of the envelope.

If you mail a regular 1 ounce letter via First Class Mail, you only have to pay $0.55 for postage, which is affordable. If your letter is larger or heavier, or if you choose a different shipping class, the postage price will increase.

Here is a brief overview of the current postage rates:

Mail Class Price First Class Mail Letter $0.55 for 1-ounce letters $0.20 for each additional ounce First Class Mail International $1.20 and up First Class Mail Flat $1 for 1-ounce letters $0.20 $ for each additional ounce Priority Mail Express $22.75 and up Priority Mail $7.16 and up

Note that these prices change from time to time. Be sure to check the latest price list before attempting to determine the postage price for your letter.

The main problem with Snail Mail

While sending letters through the mail can be exciting, most people are frustrated by how time-consuming the entire process can be. Not only do you have to worry about finding the right envelope and labeling the letter correctly, you also waste time:

Try to determine how many stamps to place

Buying the stamps

Waiting in a long queue at the post office

Because of this, many people avoid sending letters and rely on email instead. If you want to avoid all the above problems and conveniently send your emails, you should sign up with DoNotPay.

Sign up for DoNotPay and send letters online

Communicating with a pen pal should be a pleasant experience, but the lengthy mail process usually spoils the fun. DoNotPay has developed a nifty product called Send Mail that allows you to send your letters without wasting time buying stamps or going to the post office. With us you can conveniently send letters to pen pals from home.

To send emails hassle-free, follow these steps:

Access your DoNotPay account. On the Search tab, type send email. Answer our questions. Upload your letter in one of the following formats: PNG

JPG

pdf

HTML

When you click Send, DoNotPay addresses the envelope, affixes the stamps, and sends the letter to the recipient.

Do you need to create a legal document? DoNotPay can help you!

You can definitely use our Send Email feature to send any legal document to the recipient, but that’s just the last step.

Figuring out how to write a simple contract yourself can be a nightmare, and hiring a lawyer will likely burn a hole in your wallet. Still, you need a professionally written document.

DoNotPay helps you:

Create any legal document you want Notarize your documents online Send a physical copy of the document to any destination Fax your documents using just your phone

DoNotPay protects your data

Our award-winning app is here to keep your data safe.

Scammers are everywhere trying to get your personal information, but with DoNotPay’s anti-spam tools you can protect yourself from email, postal, online spam and text spammers, and even get compensation for robocall fraud .

That’s not all! You can use DoNotPay’s virtual credit card to sign up for free trials without revealing your credit card information. When a website asks for your phone number to verify your profile, our Burner Phone tool protects your privacy!

Money saving tools from DoNotPay

Don’t let greedy corporations stick their fingers in your wallet! Let us introduce you to a super easy way to manage your finances.

Your virtual assistant will help you:

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Article overview

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If you’re writing with a pen pal for the first time, introduce yourself and ask them a few questions about themselves. Since your pen pal probably won’t know anything about you, it’s best to tell them something about yourself first. For example, tell them your name, age, and gender. Then tell them what you like to do in your free time or what you would like to do professionally. You can also tell them why you want to write to them. For example, you might want to learn about new cultures or improve your communication skills. In return, ask them a few questions, e.g. B. what they do for fun or what their favorite movies are. This gives them something to write about when they reply to you. For more tips, including how to deepen your relationship with your pen pal in future letters, read on!

“Pleasant”

Within the first week of having an account I made 3 friends. I’ve been using this site for 7 months now and I’ve made a lot of friends

Female, 19, United States of America

Learn how to find snail mail pen pals and email letters online

Want to find pen pals to exchange letters with but not sure where to start? You are in the right place!

Nothing beats the excitement of sending and receiving letters from a new friend through the mail, but the entire process can be quite lengthy. Fortunately, DoNotPay can do most of the work for you! Continue reading our guide to find out how you can easily find pen pals and send letters online.

Where can I find a snail mail pen pal?

Communicating with people from all over the world via social media is easier but not as exciting as sending physical letters. Finding a pen pal is easy these days. There are many websites, organizations, and online communities dedicated to connecting people through the art of handwritten correspondence.

Some of the most popular are:

General advice is not to give out your home address but get a separate PO box. box instead. Once you get to know your pen pal better and feel confident enough, you can exchange personal mailing addresses.

How to write a letter to your pen pal

Letters to pen pals are usually informal. If you’re writing to someone much older than you, you should use semi-formal language, at least initially. While you don’t have to follow any specific structure when writing informal letters, these are the general letter formatting rules that most people follow:

Sections to Include Description Date In the upper right corner, write the date the letter was written. Informal Salutation Skip a line after the date and begin your letter with an informal salutation on the left. Most people open with: Dear + recipient’s first name

Hi

Hi

Hey there Don’t forget to follow the salutation with a comma. Body of the letter Divide your letter into several logical sections. You can start by introducing yourself and then move on to what you want to write about. The best topics for the first letter are your hobbies, your job, your field of study and the like. Finally, ask a few questions about the recipient and thank them for reading your letter. Informal conclusion End the letter with an informal conclusion. These are some of the examples: Take care of yourself

cheers

Adios Signature Skip a line and sign your letter by hand

Find out how to properly label the envelope

In order to address your letter correctly, you should include the following information on the front of the envelope:

The return address in the top left corner

The postal address in the middle

Both the return and postal address must be formatted as follows:

Surname

Address (or PO Box)

City, State and ZIP Code

After writing the addresses, attach the stamps to the upper right corner of the envelope.

Is snail mail expensive?

The cost of sending a letter through the post depends on the class of post and the size, weight and shape of the envelope.

If you mail a regular 1 ounce letter via First Class Mail, you only have to pay $0.55 for postage, which is affordable. If your letter is larger or heavier, or if you choose a different shipping class, the postage price will increase.

Here is a brief overview of the current postage rates:

Mail Class Price First Class Mail Letter $0.55 for 1-ounce letters $0.20 for each additional ounce First Class Mail International $1.20 and up First Class Mail Flat $1 for 1-ounce letters $0.20 $ for each additional ounce Priority Mail Express $22.75 and up Priority Mail $7.16 and up

Note that these prices change from time to time. Be sure to check the latest price list before attempting to determine the postage price for your letter.

The main problem with Snail Mail

While sending letters through the mail can be exciting, most people are frustrated by how time-consuming the entire process can be. Not only do you have to worry about finding the right envelope and labeling the letter correctly, you also waste time:

Try to determine how many stamps to place

Buying the stamps

Waiting in a long queue at the post office

Because of this, many people avoid sending letters and rely on email instead. If you want to avoid all the above problems and conveniently send your emails, you should sign up with DoNotPay.

Sign up for DoNotPay and send letters online

Communicating with a pen pal should be a pleasant experience, but the lengthy mail process usually spoils the fun. DoNotPay has developed a nifty product called Send Mail that allows you to send your letters without wasting time buying stamps or going to the post office. With us you can conveniently send letters to pen pals from home.

To send emails hassle-free, follow these steps:

Access your DoNotPay account. On the Search tab, type send email. Answer our questions. Upload your letter in one of the following formats: PNG

JPG

pdf

HTML

When you click Send, DoNotPay addresses the envelope, affixes the stamps, and sends the letter to the recipient.

Do you need to create a legal document? DoNotPay can help you!

You can definitely use our Send Email feature to send any legal document to the recipient, but that’s just the last step.

Figuring out how to write a simple contract yourself can be a nightmare, and hiring a lawyer will likely burn a hole in your wallet. Still, you need a professionally written document.

DoNotPay helps you:

Create any legal document you want Notarize your documents online Send a physical copy of the document to any destination Fax your documents using just your phone

DoNotPay protects your data

Our award-winning app is here to keep your data safe.

Scammers are everywhere trying to get your personal information, but with DoNotPay’s anti-spam tools you can protect yourself from email, postal, online spam and text spammers, and even get compensation for robocall fraud .

That’s not all! You can use DoNotPay’s virtual credit card to sign up for free trials without revealing your credit card information. When a website asks for your phone number to verify your profile, our Burner Phone tool protects your privacy!

Money saving tools from DoNotPay

Don’t let greedy corporations stick their fingers in your wallet! Let us introduce you to a super easy way to manage your finances.

Your virtual assistant will help you:

You might be the most talkative person alive, but when you’re given a blank sheet of paper and pen with the exciting yet daunting task of texting a new pen pal, everyone could be at a loss for words. So how do you write that all-important first letter? I’ve compiled some of my top tips below to make the task a lot easier. Of course, if you’re really concerned, you can always ask your pen pal to write the first letter, but I hope that after reading this article, you’ll be excited to grab your pen and paper and start writing! Cover the essential information

Depending on how much contact you’ve previously had online or in person, make sure your new friend knows your name, age, gender, and where you live in the world. Then tell them about a few of your hobbies and interests, or maybe your family—whatever you feel like sharing at the moment. You could even tell them what you did that week if it’s quite interesting and varied.

Let your pen pal know where you found their details

This may not apply if you found your new pen pal on a site that uses internal messaging, but if you found their profile and address elsewhere, let them know where.

Keep it personal

Don’t be tempted to send that pen pal the same first letter you sent to everyone else you’ve ever written to. This is very obvious as it doesn’t contain any specific questions about their likes and dislikes and the chances of getting an answer would be very slim. It would be a bad first impression to make someone, and it wouldn’t be fun at all to write, so don’t do it!

Do not exaggerate

It might be tempting to tell your whole life story in your first letter – from your favorite instrument to the unusual way you hold your knife and fork. Stop! Keep the first letter short so it’s not overwhelming and give him time to get to know each other. Let your friendship blossom naturally; Throwing a bunch of facts at someone at once isn’t going to help.

Ask your pen pal a few questions

This isn’t a monologue, so make sure you also ask some questions about your pen pal’s life and make sure you do this in every single letter you send them. A letter with no questions not only comes across as rather selfish, but is also difficult to answer; Give your friend a few questions to answer – they’ll be happy and you’ll learn more about them too. If you ever have questions, take a look at this article which contains 75 questions to ask a pen pal.

Mention what you have in common

Chances are, you chose your new pen pal because you have something in common — whether it’s a love of jazz music, vegetarianism, an obsession with dogs, or a positive outlook on life. Mention these similarities in your first letter to build a sense of familiarity and learn more about the topic from their perspective when they respond.

Add a little more

Add something to your letter to give it extra dimension if you like – maybe a photo or newspaper clipping of your town, the view from where you sit down to write letters, or even a tea bag if your Pen pal lives abroad. Take a look at this article for 50 ideas for things to put in an envelope with your pen pals.

In short, just be yourself and show interest in your new friend, and you’ll write a great first letter. Good luck and happy correspondence!