All-In-One Envelopes

Letter-writing takes a new turn with this stationary that wraps right up into its own envelope.

• 1.

  Look carefully at the picture here to see how the envelope is constructed. On both long sides of a piece of paper, measure in about the width of three fingers. Fold both sides of the paper in and crease the edges all the way down the sheet. Unfold the paper.

• 2.

  At one end of the paper, measure down the flap about the width of three fingers. With Crayola® Scissors, cut from the edge of the paper up to the fold. At the fold, cut up to the top of the paper at about a 90 degree angle. This forms the closing flap for the envelope.

• 3.

  With Crayola Fine Tip Markers, Erasable Colored Pencils, Metallic Colored Pencils, and/or MiniStampers, write and illustrate a message on the inside of the envelope.

• 4.

  Fold in the sides of the envelope. Fold up the bottom of the paper until it almost touches the flap at the top. Fold over the flap. Crease all the edges.

• 5.

  Design the outside of the envelope using symbols that hint at the contents. Write the return address and correspondent's address-friend, pen pal, relative, or famous person.

• 6.

  When the message is finished, seal the envelope with a Crayola Washable Glue Stick.

Benefits

• Students think about various types of communications people send, such as mail, phone, or E-mail, and discuss the purposes and similarities and differences of each.
• Students create all-in-one stationery/envelopes in which they can write and illustrate their own messages.
• Students properly address an envelope and weigh it for mailing.

Adaptations

• Make a chart of different kinds of messages that children and their families receive-letters, catalogs, flyers, E-mail, answering machine messages. Discuss the purposes and advantages of each.
• Children who are beginning to write will be most successful if they use Crayola Write Start Colored Pencils, Large Size Crayons, or So Big Crayons. Some assistance may be required to mark cuts and fold flaps.
• Ask older children or volunteers to write messages dictated by children who are not yet able to write their own. Or children can type their messages, then paste them to the inside of the envelope.
• Use a larger sheet of paper, perhaps to write an invitation from the whole class to an artist-in-residence or a thank-you note to a field trip guide.
• On a map, children mark the places where their messages are going. Talk about distances, time zones, cultures, and other related ideas.
• Visit the post office. Walk along with a mail carrier for part of a day's rounds. Set up a classroom mail system or dramatic play post office.
• Make personal seals to close each envelope.