Happy Mail for Sick Kids

Nothing delights me more than young children who love receiving mail. 

When I heard about a young girl who had a relapse on her childhood cancer journey was looking to receive some mail to brighten her day, I KNEW I had to send her an Olivia The Superhero story card. 

The next time you hear about a child in hospital, or a child who might need some extra cheer, consider taking the time to send some snail mail in 3 easy steps.

Step 1: Gather your supplies - envelope, paper or card and postage stamp. 

Step 2: Have your child help out.  They can draw a picture, make a card, or write a letter, depending on skill level.

Step 3: Visit the post office or mailbox and send your happy mail on its way. 

I am not the only one to do this, I've had several previous Petit Mail customers purchase story cards to be sent to sick children. Unlike our Petit Mail story card subscriptions, individual story cards can be purchased at any time and are addressed and sent directly to the child in a colourful envelope.  What a wonderful way to brighten someone's day!

A variety of fun, double-sided story cards are available, including themes like art, nature, and science.  Olivia The Superhero just happens to be one of my favourites, empowering and self-esteem building!

Of course, you can also choose to send a story card to a child just because. 

Happy Mail is never a bad idea. 

-Alison

10 Sources of Inspiration for Reading with Kids

Our March story card "Oliver Loves Reading" has mailed out to subscribers and I've been having a lot of fun sharing kids book ideas on Instagram and Facebook. 

I love discovering new books to read with NJ.  There are so many options out there.

Here are 10 sources of inspiration for reading with kids

1.  The Indigo Crew - Three Chapter Books for a Four Year Old

2. I Love Books and I cannot Lie on Instagram 

3. Petit Mail's Reading With Kids Pinterest Board

4. Here Wee Read on Instagram

5. No Time for Flash Cards - 30 Books About Being Different and Being Yourself

6. KCE Adventures - Around the World in 30 Books

7. Life On Island - shares "morning books" inspiration on Instagram

8. Childhood 101 - 20 Classic Chapter Books to Read with 5-8 Year Olds

9. Growing Book by Book on Instagram 

10.  Library List by Tiffany Dahle on Pinterest

Top 5 Reasons to Choose Gift Subscriptions for Kids

I've been thinking lately about gift subscriptions, and why they make the best gifts for kids.

Our kids. They want our attention. They want us to spend time with them. They want to know we are there, close by, engaged with them.

As a full-time working outside the home mom, I feel like my time for presence is SO limited. That's part of the reason why I created Petit Mail - a story card to read together, a link and ideas for easy activities we can do together. Sometimes it's hard to come up with activities on the spot - it's a little easier with a helping hand. Plus, snail mail is the MOST FUN. Don't you agree?

Here's a list of my Top 5 Reasons to Choose Gift Subscriptions for Kids

Reason 1

Gift subscriptions keep giving well past the initial "open".  It is the age-old "gift that keeps on giving" when something new and fun arrives in the mailbox each month. 

Reason 2

Kids LOVE to get mail. Mail with their name on it. Bright, colourful mail.  It can be a really joyful experience, especially the first time a subscription arrives.

Reason 3

During gift-giving times, especially during the holidays, there are SO. MANY. TOYS. Yes, the toys are exciting for a short period of time, but often lose their appeal quickly. Subscriptions do not add to the pile.  They offer something deeper.  See reason 4. 

Reason 4

Subscriptions spark learning and imagination in a fun way. They encourage creative play and quality time spent together as a family. They are the perfect non-toy gift. 

Reason 5

Subscriptions offer you the ability to give the best gift of all - your presence.  Your presence while you read together each month and your presence in the parent-child activities your subscription provides. 

I created Petit Mail Monthly Story Card Subscriptions for kids for all of the above reasons.

Give your child the perfect non-toy gift. Each month, your child will receive a fun letter via snail mail. Petit Mail provides something to look forward to receiving and encourages quality time together as a family. Some months include little extras, like stickers and other goodies.

How Does Petit Mail work?

Order: Choose from Canadian, USA, or International subscriptions and from 3, 6 or 12 month options. 

Receive: Check the mailbox together regularly, talk & connect, explore your surroundings

Read & Play Together: Read your story card & use the monthly adventure as inspiration for family time activities.  Oliver's putting on a puppet show? You can too! 



Connecting and spending time together through reading and play makes a perfect gift.  Your PRESENCE is the best present. 

Preschool Pen Pal Exchange

Inspired by our Olivia's Pen Pal story card, I wanted to try a preschool pen pal exchange, to see what NJ would think of the experience.  She already LOVES getting mail, so I thought this would be something fun to try. 

So far, our pen pal exchange is exceeding my expectations, and has led to all kinds of exploration - learning about new places in the world, practicing our printing, learning how to address a letter, and more!

We have exchanged letters with two other four year olds (between Canada and the US).  Obviously, writing a letter is hard at this age, so I created an easy-to-use letter writing template for kids, which our Petit Mail subscribers received in the envelope with their story card, to share some simple details like name, age, where I live, my favourite thing, etc. We also cut out a photo, so got in some scissor cutting practice as well. 

I love the template, and the experience, so much, that I'm giving you the letter writing template for free. Sign-up below to receive your template. You can print it out as many times as you would like.

To make the experience a little more educational, I added a hand-written note from me, telling a little bit more about our family, where we live, and the things we enjoy doing together.

Given that it is still WINTER, one of our letters got a little wet, and our package turned into a little bit of a rainbow, but that's ok, we are embracing the wild color combination.

NJ was so excited to read something from another little girl her own age, and our "mom notes" back and forth sparked even more engagement.  We looked up Michigan on a map, and compared it to where we live in Newfoundland and Labrador.

Madelyn wondered about what it's like to live near the ocean
(quick answer: our ocean is COLD and often stormy, but it's still oh-so-beautiful) so our project for our next pen pal letter will be to find a nice day and to take some pictures (if we are REALLY lucky, we'll find a day to get our picture taken with an iceberg in the background as it's almost iceberg season when pieces of ice start to break off in the Arctic and float their way South).

Maybe we will also share some fun facts about animals that we find here, like Puffins and Whales.

Photo Credits: Les Petits Clarks and Blissfully Insane

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