Postcard Trade
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As summer travel plans come to a complete stop, my family and I have been brainstorming new ways to creatively make memories. It almost seems as if we’ve traveled to a different time period with the activities we’ve thought of under the stay-at-home orders. With so many videos and stories of families baking bread from scratch, I know we’re not alone in that feeling.
This back-to-basics era that we’re in reminded me of my own childhood memories of writing and collecting postcards. As a kid, I loved postcards. I wouldn’t even send most of them; I just loved collecting them. All the fun colors and faraway places kept my spirits high, even when I was stuck at home. I collected postcards from every single place I visited with my family, near and far. Even when we re-visited the same places, I’d pick up a new postcard because they were all special and represented a different memory of a particular place. For example, when I think of San Francisco, my mind immediately goes to the Golden Gate Bridge. But I also have postcards from SF with beautiful images of Fisherman’s Wharf, Union Square, and Lombard Street, all capturing the unique perception each photographer had of San Francisco in that moment.
I figured, if homemade bread is making a huge comeback, why not postcards? Now is as good a time as any to return to the beauty of the written word and instill in our children the value of a handwritten sentiment over the immediate digital responses we’ve become accustomed to.
Nowadays, our kids don’t necessarily collect things that withstand time. My kids collect video games and BeyBlades, but by the time they have children of their own, the gaming systems that were required and the different components of the BeyBlades may be long gone. My postcard collection, on the other hand, can be passed on like a family heirloom. I can pull them out and share memories of my favorite childhood travels with my own children, and it’s like I’m experiencing those memories all over again, only now I get to share them with Ben and AJ.
Since we’re all staying at home for the time being, this is a great opportunity for our rascals to trade postcards with friends in another city. Encouraging our kids to write, keep, and trade postcards can offer them the chance to make their own memories, mirroring the experience we had growing up. It will also help parents feel excited about mail again. So many of us have grown used to dismissing mail as an addition to our task list: another bill to pay or simply another nuisance to handle - I know I have. My kids, however, get so excited to see their names on our mail.
One activity you can do with your kids this summer is to pick a city they would like to visit every week and have them mail a postcard to a friend in that city to (hopefully) get one in return. This captures the wonder of the postcard trade and receiving mail while incorporating a written, sentimental touch. Remember to pick a postcard with your child’s favorite place in their hometown; kids have such a wonderful imagination - they only need a good picture to “travel” there.
Here are a few tips for writing postcards with your little rascal:
Encourage them to draw a picture. Do they have a favorite park? A favorite local spot or monument? Tell your kids to paint a picture of what their city looks like through their eyes and share this vision with their friends.
Brainstorm tips about future trips to your city. Maybe you and your child take a more scenic route through the park. Or maybe your child has discovered the perfect spot to crunch leaves beneath their feet. Sharing these details with their friends will get them excited to visit once it is safe to do so.
Share about your city. Prompt your kids to share a bit more, such as a fun fact about their city that not many people will know, like the best place to bird watch or spot people walking their dogs. Encourage your children to share fun facts that are meaningful to them.
Share a favorite memory. Get your kid thinking about a favorite memory they made in their hometown, whether it’s the first time their parent walked them to kindergarten or their favorite time playing outside.
Good eats in town. Write about food trends in your town, or your child’s favorite restaurant. They can even share recipes that they’ve mastered during quarantine that are kid-friendly.
Share something special. Is your city known for anything special? Be sure to share it!
The neat thing about postcards is that they’re short and sweet. You get the meaningful, handwritten note without the stress of writing a full-blown letter. We hope you and your rascals are able to trade a few postcards, start your own collections, and create wonderful memories along the way.
Written by Head Rascal (Ngoc Nguyen Lay), mother of two rascals, ages 5 and 7.
