How to Write a Friendly Letter: A Fun & Creative Lesson Plan for Kids

Discover a complete, engaging lesson plan designed to teach elementary students how to write a friendly letter. This resource breaks down the five essential parts of a letter—date, greeting, body, closing, and signature—using fun, hands-on activities. Includes a warm-up mystery letter, a memorable hand mnemonic, a creative writing mission, and a handy self-editing checklist. Perfect for classroom, homeschool, or tutoring settings to build essential writing skills.

Create Your Own Custom Lesson Plan
PDF

Friendly Letter Fun: A Special Delivery for Ariesrose410

Materials Needed:

  • Paper (can be lined, plain white, or colorful construction paper)
  • An envelope
  • Pencils, pens, and colorful markers or crayons
  • Optional Fun Extras: Stickers, washi tape, or rubber stamps for decoration
  • A sample friendly letter (can be a silly one you write beforehand to use as an example)
  • A shoebox decorated to look like a "Special Delivery Mailbox"
  • The "Friendly Letter Five" checklist (see bottom of lesson plan)

Lesson Plan

1. Learning Objectives

By the end of this lesson, Ariesrose410 will be able to:

  • Identify and name the five parts of a friendly letter (Date, Greeting, Body, Closing, Signature).
  • Write a complete friendly letter that includes all five parts in the correct format.
  • Decorate and personalize a letter to express creativity and thoughtfulness for the recipient.

2. Warm-Up: The Mystery Mail (5 minutes)

  • Activity: Present Ariesrose410 with a pre-written "mystery letter." This could be from a favorite stuffed animal, a family pet, or even a superhero.
  • Instructions:
    1. Have Ariesrose410 open the sealed letter and read it aloud.
    2. The letter should be fun and simple, but intentionally missing one part (like the greeting or the closing). For example:
      "I went to the park today and chased a squirrel up a tree. It was so fast! I wish you could have been there to see it. Woof woof!"
    3. Ask: "That was a fun message! But does it feel like something is missing at the beginning or the end? Who is it from? Who is it to?" This sparks curiosity about the proper structure.

3. Mini-Lesson: Cracking the Friendly Letter Code (10 minutes)

  • Activity: Introduce the "Friendly Letter Five"—the five essential parts of a friendly letter. A great way to remember this is by using your hand as a guide.
  • Instructions:
    1. Draw a large hand on a piece of paper or just use your own hand to demonstrate.
    2. The Date (Thumb - Top Right): This tells your reader WHEN you are writing. It goes in the top-right corner. (e.g., October 26, 2023)
    3. The Greeting (Pointer Finger - Left Side): This is your friendly "hello." You are "pointing" to the person you're writing to. It starts with "Dear" and is followed by the person's name and a comma. (e.g., Dear Mom,)
    4. The Body (Middle Finger - The Longest Part): This is the main message and the longest part of your letter. This is where you share your news, stories, and questions.
    5. The Closing (Ring Finger - The Next to Last Part): This is your friendly "goodbye." It's a short phrase followed by a comma. (e.g., Your friend, or Love,)
    6. The Signature (Pinky Finger - The Last Part): This is where you sign your name!
    7. Look back at the "mystery letter" and identify which parts were missing. Add them together to make it a complete letter!

4. Creative Mission: Write Your Own Letter! (15-20 minutes)

  • Activity: Now it's time for Ariesrose410 to be the letter writer!
  • Instructions:
    1. The Mission: "Your mission, Ariesrose410, is to write a friendly letter to someone you care about. This is your chance to make someone's day!"
    2. Brainstorm: Who could you write to? (A grandparent, a cousin, a friend who lives far away, a teacher, or even your future self!)
    3. Provide a starting idea if needed:
      • Tell a family member about the most exciting thing you did this week.
      • Invite a friend to a pretend magical tea party. What will you do there?
      • Write a letter to a character from a favorite book and ask them three questions.
    4. Write the Letter: Encourage Ariesrose410 to use the "Friendly Letter Five" as a guide. She can use the checklist below to make sure she has all the parts.
    5. Get Creative: Once the writing is done, it's time to decorate! Use the markers, stickers, and other fun materials to add personality. A drawing in the margins or a border of colorful tape makes the letter extra special.

5. Wrap-Up: Special Delivery! (5 minutes)

  • Activity: Prepare the letter for its journey.
  • Instructions:
    1. Once the letter is finished and decorated, show Ariesrose410 how to fold it neatly to fit inside the envelope.
    2. If you plan to mail it, this is a great time to practice addressing an envelope together.
    3. Have her "mail" the letter in the special shoebox mailbox. Celebrate a successful mission!

Differentiation & Extension

  • For Extra Support: Lightly draw lines with a pencil on the paper to show where each of the five parts should go. You can also offer sentence starters for the body, like "Guess what happened today..." or "I am writing to you because..."
  • For an Extra Challenge: Challenge Ariesrose410 to write a longer letter with at least two paragraphs in the body. Encourage the use of exciting, descriptive words (adjectives). She could even try writing from the perspective of a fictional character!

Assessment: The Friendly Letter Five Checklist

Use this checklist to self-edit the letter before sending.