3 Keys to Making Letters to Grandchildren More Fun

​Including 40 ideas for things to mail to your grandchildren!

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I consider myself incredibly fortunate to be a grandparent in the digital age. Don’t you? The tools we have for building relationships with our grandchildren are so far beyond what our parents had! Instantly shareable pictures, video chat, texting—they all add so much to our interactions with our grandkids, especially for long-distance grandparents. But even if you live in the same town as your grandchildren, you’ll want to keep this post bookmarked. It’s full of ways to make the simple act of sending a letter into something that will make your grandchild feel special.

There are three keys to making letters to grandchildren more fun, and none of them involve writing skill! You just need to think about the outside, the inside, and the surprise. What you write is almost unimportant if you use these three things to tailor your letter to your grandchild.
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KEY #1: THE OUTSIDE
Never underestimate the power of an exciting looking envelope. Use a bright color, or decorate a white envelope with a sticker or two. Get some fun stamps: I send letters to my grandkids with Sesame Street postage stamps I got at USPS.com. The UK Royal Mail site has stamps with Marvel characters among others that would appeal to children. Canada’s pickings are slimmer, but stamps change regularly, so keep checking!

KEY #2: THE INSIDE
Get some stationery that ties into an interest of your grandchild. Notecards can be found with all sorts of images. Does your granddaughter love dinosaurs? Get some dinosaur cards to send her notes on. Is your grandson going through a building phase? Print pictures of construction equipment and write on the backs. Amazon has all sorts of fun options. I’ve collected a couple of my favorites and are showing them below—just click on any image to learn more. I’m a fan of the Sanrio stationery sets, which have several characters with wide appeal. 

Fun stationery for letters to grandchildren from Amazon

​KEY #3: THE SURPRISE
Not every letter to your grandchild needs to have a surprise inside, but there are so many fun things to send grandkids in the mail that it’s a shame not to include one! This doesn’t need to cost any money; many of the ideas to mail to grandchildren are things you can make or gather yourself.

Scroll down for a list of 40 things that will fit in a regular envelope. Click on any photo or green link to shop now on Amazon.

40 Ideas for Things to Mail to Your Grandchildren

1. Band aids

2. Book plates

3. Bookmarks

4. Canceled stamps

5. Cartoons

6. Confetti

7. Coupons

8. Crosswords

9. Die cut images

10. Envelopes

11. Fake mustache

12. Flash cards

13. Fortune from fortune cookie

14. Friendship bracelet

15. Glow in the dark stars

16. Googly eyes

17. Hair ribbons

18. Inspirational quotes

19. Joke cards

20. Labels

21. Magazine articles

22. Maps

23. Message written in invisible ink

24. Mini flags

25. Note cards

26. Origami insects

27. Paper crowns

28. Paper dolls

29. Photos

30. Play money

31. Poem

32. Pressed flowers or leaves

33. Recipes

34. Seed packet

35. Small notebook

36. Stencils

37. Stickers

38. Sticky notes

39. Temporary tattoos

40. Washi paper​

What else can you think of?
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Now that you’ve gathered your letter-writing tools, you do need to write something on your notecard or pretty paper. For a year’s worth of answers to the question “What should I write to my grandchild?”, order our Grandparent Love Letters! Sending mail is an easy part of building a strong relationship between grandchildren and grandparents. Get started now!