Safe Penpals for Kids?

Would she be interested in writing to a soldier? My son did that last year in first grade and the kids really enjoyed it!

Here are some websites that should be able to help you:
http://www.anysoldier.com/
http://www.soldiersangels.org/
http://www.adoptaussoldier.org/
http://www.supportasoldier.org/adopt.htm…
http://www.operationadoptasoldier.com/
http://www.mysoldier.com/
http://adoptaplatoon.org/new/
http://www.operationmilitarypride.org/ (this site is just awesome, they have tons and tons of ways to adopt or support a soldier)
http://www.booksforsoldiers.com/
http://www.americasupportsyou.mil/Americ… (another really, really, really good site to find a pen pal and other info)
http://hometown.aol.com/adoptasoldierusa…
http://www.50degree.com/custom/index.cfm…
http://www.treatsfortroops.com/foster

if you are looking for snail mail penpals just visit www.globalpenfriends.com.
Its safe and secure and for all ages.. no dodgey profiles on this site as everything is reviewed by profile admins.

Try the Salvation Army, and Girl Scouts.

What are your daughter's interests? start there and look into where it is a site or a magazine that might have ways for others to meet? I had a ton of pen pals when i was a teen, but we all liked the same musical groups and shared names and made 'fan books' with each others names in them.

Here is a site:
http://www.studentsoftheworld.info/menu_penpals.php
http://www.friendship-by-mail.com/pen-pals-for-kids.html

I really loved and got such sweet gifts from pals in Japan and the UK

I found a US penpal for my daughter through this organization. It took a few months but we have been very happy with the experience. You can check to see if they do international penpals.

http://www.amazing-kids.org/penpals

Is your child involved with Girl Scouts? If so, maybe they can link you up with an international penpal. Good luck!

I'm with Page on this – sending letters is thrilling. Kids get actual mail, stamps and all, from a child in another country. While it's not as convenient, it's much more satisfying, and safer.

I wish I could tell you where to get started; an international children's magazine (Skipping Stones) that I'm connected with used to list addresses for kids seeking penpals, but dropped that feature. Hope somebody else has a good suggestion.

Hi
Try contacting the language department at your local high school or community college. Sometimes they do exchange penpals as part of the course. They may have pen and paper contact information on how to obtain a foreign penpal.

Good luck.

Great coincidence...just this morning I looked at the local paper (online) and found that the local library has a program for matching kids with pen pals. In this case, it's for pen pals within the state, but I hadn't realized that they would be a resource. Check with them - maybe your library can help. Good luck - I think it sounds like a great activity.

I am having the same problem with my 11 year old daughter! If your daughter would like to be penpals with her than email me/her at ____@____.com!

My suggestion may not be exactly what you're looking for, but I would suggest you and she consider signing up as a penpal with a deployed soldier for correspondence. When I was 11 years old my school arranged for each student to be penpals with a soldier stationed in the Mideast and this was during the time of the Gulf War. Many of the soldiers stationed far from home may not have family to correspond with back in the states and would welcome mail correspondence, plus your daughter would be able to gain some insight into what the experience is like for them. Just a thought...