6 Fun, Creative Letter-Writing Ideas for Kids

Children have their own unique ways of expressing themselves, and letter writing is versatile enough to accommodate them. ElenaYakimova/Shutterstock

Encouraging your kids to write a simple thank you note or a short letter can be challenging. Maybe your kids are reluctant because they’re not good spellers or are struggling with penmanship. Quite possibly, they see it as another homework assignment. There are alternatives, though, that can bolster creativity and motivation.

So if you have a reluctant, struggling, or uninterested writer, introduce him or her to some of these easier, fun, nontraditional letter formats, and be ready to get out the stamps.

Rebus Story

So, what is a rebus? Simply put, a rebus tells a story using a combination of written words and simple pictures that represent words. Pictures can be hand-drawn, stickers, or cut out from magazines.

For example, to say “My cat loves watching birds,” the child could write: My (picture of a cat) loves (picture of a pair of eyes) birds.

To help your child get acquainted with the format, visit LoveToKnow.com and try some of the free rebus puzzles with your child. Once your child understands the concept, go to DailyEnglish123.com and read a few actual rebus stories together. If your child is younger, you may want to collaborate on his or her first rebus letter. Otherwise, offer help when requested.

This is a fun way for younger children to get excited about writing.

Q&A

Resistant writers might prefer the simplicity of a Q&A letter. The answers can be simple—a single word, a phrase, or a list is fine. The idea is to eliminate the stress of worrying about writing complete sentences, perfecting grammar, or using correct punctuation.

If you need a little inspiration, here are some examples:

Q: What’s new at school? A: Pizza for lunch + a school store + no homework Mondays

Q: How is the dog? A: Rolling over + giving his paw + 2 new tricks

Q: What do I want for my birthday? A: Lego superhero sets, gel pens, and a kite

Cooperative Letter

Don’t you just love it when your children are getting along and working well together? It’s like paradise! Well, seize the moment and suggest that they work together on writing a letter to Grandma, a faraway cousin, or even the president of the United States.

This is a terrific project for older and younger siblings; the older child can help with spelling and brainstorming ideas. Writers can use different-colored pencils or pens to help distinguish one from the other.

Comic Strip

Is your daughter a promising artist? Or maybe your son is a comic book fan who loves to doodle. Bingo! Tap into those passions and suggest writing a comic strip letter.

For inspiration, read some favorite comic strips together and work with your child to brainstorm ideas.

Mixed Media

This is where your kids can really let their creativity shine. So, gather the art supplies, such as alphabet stamps, colored pencils, markers, and stickers.

It can be helpful to work with your child to write a rough draft of the letter first. Then, your child can go back and choose words, phrases, or entire sentences and add a bit of dazzle to them.

Writers may want to add a rebus picture here and there or use symbols such as plus or minus signs or a stop sign instead of a period to end sentences. Kids can even add real photos or parts of photos to express their thoughts.

Photographs and Captions

Photographs are everywhere these days. With a couple of taps on your phone, you can capture anything you want to remember. If you’re like most parents, the majority of pictures on your phone are of your kids and pets.

And because kids love to be in the spotlight, keep the momentum going and propose that they write a photograph-themed letter by adding captions to chosen photos.

Sit with your child and scroll through photos of him or her at an event, at a celebration, or simply enjoying an everyday activity. Talk about the pictures with your child, prompting him or her to take the lead as much as possible. Point out how the pictures tell a story.

Now ask your child to choose several photos highlighting the same activity or event, organize them in chronological order, and then write captions for each photo.

For each of these letter formats, remember to have your child add a greeting and a closing in the proper places.

Yes, these letter-writing ideas are meant to make it easier for your kids to compose correspondence because there is less actual writing and more creating. That’s the beauty of it, because the ultimate goal is to encourage and empower kids who don’t want to write to put pencil to paper. So gather a bunch of stamps and imagine that great big smile on a grandparent’s face when he or she opens the envelope and discovers such a special letter from a beloved grandchild.