Letter Writing Activities in Lockdown

Get writing! Here are 10 projects to help you beat loneliness and stay connected during lockdown.

Kids of 2020 Letter Writing Project

Together with the National Literacy Trust, Usborne Publisher and P.G. Bell’s The Train to Impossible Places, we would like to invite you to join our project for children to write a letter about their experiences during the pandemic to a child in 2030. What was 2020 like for you? What was different? Did you learn new things?

One day the letter you write might help children in the future learn about how coronavirus impacted children today, just like letters from important historical moments many years ago (such as the First and Second World War) tell us what life was like then.

The Postal Museum’s team will choose a selection of the submitted letters to be included in an exhibition, both online and hopefully in real life too!

Find out where to post, download free resources and join the conversation on social media using #KidsOf2020

The Great British Valentine Exchange

During the coronavirus crisis, more of us are isolated and alone than ever before. The Mental Health Collective’s Kindness-by-Post initiative enables members of the public to sign up for free to send a message of goodwill (not romance!) to someone else in the UK and have someone allocated to send a card or letter to them.

Take part by registering at kindnessbypost.org by Wednesday 3 February and follow #KindnessByPost on social media.

Let’s Talk Loneliness this winter

The UK Government’s Let’s Talk Loneliness campaign brings together practical advice, inspiring stories, and support routes to encourage people to take the first steps to alleviate loneliness in themselves and others. During the festive season and into 2021, it encourages to write a greetings card or letter as a great way to let someone know you’re thinking of them.

Find out how to get involved here and join the conversation on social media using #LetsTalkLoneliness

Open Letters to Queer Britain

Throughout history, the experiences of LGBTQ+ people have often been erased, overlooked or marginalised, leaving a gap in our national story. Queer Britain wants to change this so that future generations can see themselves represented in history. With the support of Levi’s® and Post Office, Queer Britain is inviting members of the LGBTQ+ community and its allies to share an open letter with the museum. The letters will live in Queer Britain’s ever-growing archive and will help to record and preserve valuable accounts of what it means to be LGBTQ+ in Britain today.

The letters will be studied by historians at both Goldsmiths, University of London and Kent State University, as part of the ‘Queer Pandemic: Resilience in Times of Crisis’ research project. The study looks at how queer identities and communities have been shaped and strengthened by both the COVID-19 pandemic and previous crises, including the AIDS epidemic, violence, criminalisation and restricted access to healthcare. Find out more about how to get involved.

Lost Letters Creative Challenges

It’s Not Your Birthday But… are all about people connecting through letters, words and visual arts. Their flagship project for this year is Lost Letters, a creative response to private and public letters in the Surrey History Centre archives. In response to the pandemic, their team have designed a series of 10 creative challenges around different letters in the collection. To take part and download them all visit itsnotyourbirthdaybut.com

Post Quarantine – Letters to open when this is all over

Writing is one of the most helpful things you can do during a time of stress. The slower pace of putting pen to paper allows you to order your thoughts and find some clarity. So what better time to write than during a global pandemic? The team behind the Post Quarantine project invite you to get creative and write to your future self. You know, the ‘you’ when this whole COVID-19 thing is done with. This is a chance for you to show off your creativity and feature in an exhibition in the near future where you’ll be reunited with your letter.

Send your letter or postcard to Post Quarantine, Unit 34786, PO Box 6945, London W1A 6US and look out for it on their Post Quarantine Instagram.

My Dear New Friend

This #MyDearNewFriend initiative, supported by the National Literacy Trust, encourages children to write letters to people living in care homes. Their letter will brighten someone’s day, and might even get a reply! It’s a great opportunity for them to make new friends despite social distancing, whilst practising their writing skills.

To take part and download free resources for home learning visit literacytrust.org.uk/mydearnewfriend

Letters from Lockdown

The Charity From Me to You encourages everyone to write a letter to a friend or family member with cancer or donate a letter to a stranger in a hospital to help keep them connected at these difficult times.

Visit frommetoyouletters.co.uk to donate your letter and for useful writing tips.

Paddington’s Postcards for Unicef

Perfect for children aged 4-10 to discover wonderful people and places with Paddington Bear. Paddington will send your child a personalised postcard (and more!) every month. With each pack, they’ll explore a different country with Paddington and learn about the life of a child who lives there. Also included will be an extra blank postcard within the packs so that children can send two postcards on to any friends or family they are missing during the lockdown. Your donation will go to support Unicef’s work around the world.

Letters Live – #ReadALetter

The world’s population is in lockdown. Hundreds of millions of people are in isolation. Never before has it been so important for us all to stay connected. Letters Live are now opening the stage to everyone and asking the world to share letters of hope, education, love, appreciation, respect, thanks, solace and support — letters to the heroes on the frontline; letters to relatives in need; letters to strangers who have stepped up and made a difference; letters to neighbouring families, streets, towns and countries; letters from teachers to their isolated pupils or to the parents who now find themselves home-schooling; letters to those in power; letters to a population crying out for words of comfort.

Get involved at letterslive.com/readaletter

Need more inspiration? Check out our Make a Connection hub packed with things to make, do, read, watch and listen to.

If you’re looking for letter writing gift ideas, try the Mr Boddington range, read an exclusive edition of 100 Letters That Changed The World and browse our beautiful selection of stationery in our online shop. Every purchase directly supports the museum.

– The Postal Museum Team

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