When was the last time you received a handwritten letter, sent by snail mail?
A personal letter sent by snail mail, with stamps glued on the envelope? Not bills, leaflets from real estate agents, or politicians thinking they can persuade someone to vote by spamming mailboxes with smiley faces and naive slogans.
I used to receive many letters when I was a tween. There were no computers or social networks at the time, but I had penpals from all over the world. Pretty much every morning, I would find a couple of envelopes addressed to me.
Each envelope was covered in colorful stamps and contained a letter from a friend from near and far. I simply loved receiving mail and writing letters back. It brought so much joy.
In fact, that is how I learned the English language. I would read the messages from my friends with a massive English dictionary next to me. I used it to write the letters back, and my mom would fix the grammar. It’s incredible what a powerful language learning tool that was.
Revolutionizing snail mail for kids
Snail mail seems to be a thing of the past now. Why bother writing a letter when you can send an email? Unfortunately, there is no joy in that.
I wanted my daughter to experience the excitement of snail mail, so I wrote a couple of letters for her. Those letters were not from her mom. They came from a postal pigeon I came up with. I named him after a cool guy that I know called Patrick. (Not the Patrick from the Sponge Bob Square Pants cartoon!) Those letters were a huge success, and slowly this idea developed and expanded. Fast forward one year, and it is not only Thea who receives personalized letters every week. Hundreds of children all over the world find weekly joy in their mailboxes! This is how a snail mail subscription for kids, called Your Letters from Patrick, was born.
Who is Patrick?
Patrick is a travel-loving bird that flies all around the world, knows how to write, and happens to speak multiple languages. Just like me, Patrick loves snail mail!
So this charming bird visits new countries every week and posts letters to children.
A new state is featured every week. Patrick writes about all the fascinating things he sees and learns. From endemic animals to cultural differences, there is so much to learn. And the fun part is that children learn without even realizing that they are learning! For kids, it is a pure adventure that opens their eyes to the beautiful world that surrounds them.
How does this snail mail subscription for kids work?
Patrick travels the world. The beloved bird spends seven days in each country. Patrick discusses with local animals, observes people, savors local dishes, learns the language, and is busy with sunbathing, hiking, swimming, and other local adventures. Despite his busy schedule, Patrick does not forget to write letters to his little friends worldwide and post them by snail mail. The old-fashioned way. Children receive four letters each month.
What do children receive?
The map of the world
When Patrick sends a letter to new friends, he encloses the map of the world in his first envelope. The aim is for children to distinguish the continents, learn about the oceans and track Patrick’s travels. You never know where the next letter will come from!
Stickers
Just like the children, Patrick loves stickers! Therefore each envelope contains stickers related to the country of the week. If Patrick sends a letter from Australia, children receive stickers of kangaroos, koalas, and other animals endemic to Australia.
Can you guess which country would a sticker of a panda represent?
Folktales
Do your children ask for a bedtime story? If so, Patrick has got you covered. During his travels, he writes down folktales told by local people.
Don’t you think that way too often, the tales for children qualify for a horror movie scenario? Think about the poor Snow white. Mirror mirror on the wall, who’s the fairest of us all? Unhappy with the response, her evil stepmother sends the girl to the woods to be killed by the guard. However, killing is not enough. The guard must cut out her heart and bring it to the evil queen as proof. How’s that for a child’s bedtime tale?
The folktales that Patrick collects and writes down are cruelty-free. Therefore, you can read them without censoring and enjoy the beautiful hand-drawn illustrations for every single tale.
Speaking of illustrations, all folktales come with sketches that kids can color by themselves.
Coloring is so beneficial for children! Therefore, Patrick aims to provide the means that help them learn and develop diverse skills every week.
Positive Affirmation Cards
Thea and I believe in the power of positive affirmations and positive thinking. Every week Patrick reminds children that they are loved, smart and healthy by sending positive affirmation cards.
The cards have been created to instill self-confidence, a positive mindset, and self-growth. I know moms who started the jars of positive affirmations. That’s where children keep their cards from their penpal bird.
Other moms include those cards with positive affirmations from Patrick to lunch boxes. So that kids who can already read see an assuring and loving message when they open their lunch boxes at school or kindergarten.
Additional Activities for kids
And finally, Patrick sends additional activities to foster curiosity and imagination.
Plant a tree with Patrick!
By the way, with every new subscription, Patrick plants a tree. So every child contributes to cleansing the air we breathe and helping the animal kingdom.
To learn more and to subscribe, visit www.yourlettersfrompatrick.com
Follow Patrick on Instagram @yourlettersfrompatrick or say hi on Facebook
If you would like to receive a sample letter or have any questions, email us: hello@yourlettersfrompatrick.com
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