Make Writing Fun: The Pen Friend Letter Activity

Encouraging students to practice writing in English can sometimes be challenging, but making it interactive and fun can boost their confidence and creativity. One exciting way to do this is through a pen friend letter activity, where students invent a fictional pen pal and write a letter to them. This activity not only enhances writing skills but also encourages students to use their imagination.

How to Conduct the Pen Friend Letter Activity

Step 1: Introduce the Concept of a Pen Friend

Begin by discussing the idea of a pen friend (or pen pal) with the class. Ask students:

What would you write if you were introducing yourself to a new pen friend?
What kinds of questions would you ask them?
What details would you include about yourself?

Step 2: Set Up the Activity

Divide the class into groups of eight and give each student a copy of the pen friend worksheet.
Ask each student to invent a name and age for the person writing the letter. They should write this in the space provided on their worksheet.

Step 3: Create the Letter – One Sentence at a Time

After writing the name and age, students fold the paper so that their sentence is hidden, leaving only the next sentence visible (starting with “I’ve got…”).
They pass their worksheet to the student on their left, who completes the next sentence.
Students continue folding the paper and passing it along after each sentence, gradually building a full letter with contributions from different classmates.

Step 4: Read the Completed Letters

Once all the sentences are written, students open the completed letter they received. This is their new pen friend!
If they find words or phrases they do not understand or that seem incorrect, they can ask the person who wrote them for clarification.

Step 5: Write a Reply

To extend the activity, students can use the same worksheet to write a response to their new pen friend. This helps reinforce grammar, sentence structure, and creativity in a meaningful way.

Final Thoughts

This pen friend letter activity makes writing fun and interactive while helping students practice self-expression, sentence structure, and vocabulary. It’s a great way to boost confidence in English writing and create a lively classroom experience!

Try out these free worksheets and games in your classroom today!

Make Writing Fun: The Pen Friend Letter Activity

Make Writing Fun: The Pen Friend Letter Activity – Engage ESL Students with an Interactive Letter-Writing Exercise – Free Printable PDFs

Make Writing Fun: The Pen Friend Letter Activity

How to Conduct the Pen Friend Letter Activity