Everyone loves to get mail. I know not a single person who lacks excitement when she opens her mailbox to find a real note addressed with handwriting from a real person. (As opposed to junk mail and bills, I mean. No one is excited about those.)
Allie and I wrote "letters" to send to her friends yesterday afternoon. She had a great time doing it.
I am taking part in a 40-day blog series on the The Jesus Storybook Bible, each day highlighting one of the stories from the book along with a hands-on activity that relates. This is the activity that goes along with the “Operation No More Tears” chapter.
This chapter is about Isaiah. Isaiah was a prophet who heard from God Himself. He tried to spread God's message of salvation to the Israelites over and over. They didn't listen, but that didn't stop Isaiah's message. He persisted.
In Operation No More Tears, Sally Lloyd-Jones likens Isaiah's message to a love letter from God to the Israelites.
So Allie and I wrote letters.
Letter-writing materials:
- Two pieces of construction paper (to write the "letters" on)
- A pencil
- A marker (I do not recommend a Sharpie, but they were on the table, and Allie grabbed it.)
- Stickers (for stamps)
- Envelopes (the self-stick ones are really nice, but any envelopes will do)
- Scissors (these were Allie's idea)
- A pretend mailbox, if you have it
Letter writing instructions:
You might not think that letter writing is a good activity for preschoolers, but the benefits are almost endless. It is such a good way to practice so many early writing skills.
1. Draw some guidelines across the sheet of construction paper. If you child wants you to, write Dear SoAndSo at the top.
This step models letter formation for your child, and it also teaches her that a letter begins with a greeting.
2. Help her to scribble or make lines across the page from left to right. Allie started with scribbles but got tired and just made lines. It's okay either way.
This is so good because it teaches her to move her marker across the page in the right direction. It doesn't matter that she's scribbling!
It's also good because she's learning to keep her marker inside the guidelines, some great fine motor skills, and hand-eye coordination.
Bonus if she holds her marker with the correct pencil grip!
3. I'm not sure where this step came from, but Allie decided to cut her letter into strips, one for each of her friends. I love to let her use the scissors whenever she wants to practice, so I went with it.
4. Tuck a letter into each envelope.
More motor skills practice!
5. Address each envelope with a name or name and address. Model writing for your child. Add a stamp to the outside, showing her where it belongs on the envelope (but let her put it wherever she wants, don't fight about stamp placement).
6. Seal up the envelopes and send them away in the pretend mail.
For more book recommendations, check out the Reading & Writing Index.
Visit My Mundane and Miraculous Life for activities for the other chapters in The Jesus Storybook Bible.
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