Penpal for 11 year old

[kerikadi]

I posted this at TAO and got responses for my 9 year old but not my 11 year old so I thought I would try here.

So the boys are home for spring break and after watching today's episode of Arther they both think it would be cool to have penpals. I told them I would see what I could do

My oldest is 11 and would prefer a boy penpal, he plays basketball and enjoys playing outside.

DS#2 is almost 9 and is more of a computer/lego kid but also enjoys the outdoors, he would also like a boy - girls have cooties ya know

Anyway, when I was in grade school I had a penpal that was set up through girl scouts. Both of the boys are in scouts but this isn't something they do. So, does anybody have children they would like to hook up with other kids so that we can get back to the lost are of letter writing?

Keri

[Red]

Are you willing to pay???

I wanted my kids to have a penpal from overseas, and I had a hard time finding one and then the kids would stop writing after a short time. It was very aggravating. I was homeschooling my son and felt it was imperative that I make social studies come alive.

Then I remembered sposoring a child when I had been a kid. I had gone through Christian Childrens Fund then. I had a little girl in the Phillipines who I wrote back and forth with me. Each week I collected money from my parents, siblings, etc and once a month I mailed it in. It was a great experience.

Since I am not as comfortable with the missionary part of that particular charity now, I decided to go with Save the Children. I started by putting a dollar a day in a jar and at the end of the month we went online and found a child we felt we connected with. That was years ago and we recently just spossored another child. (BTW, my kids picked a little girl that I would't have thought they would.) I usually write the letters, though they could. (my kids have language difficulties and hate writing) Our first letter from this little girl described her family and home. We had so much in common! We all raise goats, live a good distance from our families and her father and my DH both cut firewood to make extra cash. It made Africa and the children there very real to my kids. And at the same time they know they are helping this childs community to provide fresh water for themselves,a nd a school for the kids.

Pretty cool, cheaper than a cup of coffee.

[kerikadi]

Thanks for the reply. We have actually already found Cory a penpal here at MDC but thanks for the info.

Keri