This is a classic around the holidays, and we’d be remiss to leave it out. Print these fun Dear Santa templates, and encourage your students to practice their persuasive writing skills as they convince Santa they really need that special gift this holiday. The classroom mailbox can be the spot where students send off their missives. Add a "Santa Post” or “Special Delivery” design to the mailbox using white vinyl, or hand paint a design. Provide the prompt “Dear Santa, I was framed …” and encourage them to get creative! Tradition Trees The Teach Starter teacher team has created a number of letter-writing-specific resources to help kids learn the parts of a letter and more, but here are some of our very favorite for using around the holidays and with your DIY mailbox! Letters to Santa Make sure students who don’t celebrate Christmas are part of the classroom letter-writing practice and celebrations by pairing students off to write cards to one another using these 8 Generic Special Person Cards. You can also use the snowman card from the holiday collection to make it more wintry!

Glue the other side of the hinges to the outside of the mailbox with the super glue. Only use a small dot so it doesn’t leak out the sides of the hinges. No need to hit the store for an expensive classroom mailbox — so long as you have an empty photocopy paper box, you can make one pretty easily or challenge students to create their own.As an alternative, your students can write creative letters to Santa explaining why they don’t belong on the naughty list. Now the mailbox is ready for paint. I learned that the red spray paint does not cover well. It took 5 coats of paint to hide the design of the cereal box. Set up a “card buddies” program to make sure that every student in the card will receive a holiday card For the second magnet, paint it (if desired) with brass acrylic paint so it looks like a little pull and matches the hinges. First thing’s first. If you’re going to be writing letters, you’ll need a way to deliver them to the recipients. Introducing the Christmas mailbox craft tailormade for the classroom.

To add the “Santa Post” and “Special Delivery” design to the mailbox, I used white vinyl cut out with my Silhouette Cameo. Don’t forget that you can adapt this design to create a not so holiday-like mailbox for students if you have any students in your classroom that do not celebrate Christmas.

Our top picks

The art of letter writing is far from dead, and that’s thanks to teachers like you who devote a little time in the classroom every year to helping students learn the craft — from the greeting all the way to the closing. It was easy to let the magnets clasp together showing me where to attach it. But make sure to open the door while the glue dries in case there is any squeeze out or you will glue your door closed.

With its canal-side setting and luxurious reputation, the restaurants in the Mailbox in Birmingham are a favourite destination for diners. With a mix of fantastic eateries, there is a choice of top-quality cuisine from around the globe.Situated at the top of The Cube and affording stunning views across the Birmingham canal-side vista, Marco Pierre White Steakhouse Bar and Grill offers fine dining at its best.

If you do not have an electronic cutting machine, you could also hand paint a design on your Santa Mailbox. Glue one of the magnets on the inside of the mailbox opening with the super glue. This will be one side of the door catch. The restaurant offers delightful Italian favourites (pasta, pizza and Risotto to name a few, with gluten-free pasta options available on request) and an enviable view over the Mailbox’s patio and canal. For a fun holiday literacy activity, encourage your students to write a postcard from the North Pole to a classmate. As a class, learn about the northernmost point of the Earth — explore the climate, animal life, and landscape. Next, encourage your students to write a simple postcard that includes:

Make a beautiful Santa mailbox for your letters to Santa with this easy tutorial.

Have your students write letters to one another sharing their winter traditions (or holiday traditions). Our funky Christmas tree template is lined, which offers a great tree-shaped template for this activity! Postcards from the North Pole And now you can display your beautiful new DIY Santa mailbox! No one but you will ever guess it was made from 2 old cereal boxes!!!! Want to bring a little more holiday cheer to the classroom? This Christmas mailbox craft has got everything that you need to add a little joy to their days. Find out how to make a mailbox and how to use it to practice letter-writing with your class this holiday season. Teaching Kids to Write Letters