Sharing a love of handwritten letters with kids, through Facebook

If your children have never experienced the excitement of getting a handwritten letter in the mail from a friend, one Newfoundland woman has a solution via Facebook.

Amanda Parsons started the Facebook group NL Pen Pals because she wanted her kids, and other kids like them, to have the fun of a pen pal, the way she did growing up on the Eastport Peninsula.

"There's something special about receiving that letter in the mail. The kids are so excited when they see their name on an envelope," Parsons said.

"And to have something handwritten? It's just so special."

'He's going to be so excited'

The way the group works is simple: parents can post about their child, listing their age and some interests, and other parents can get in touch if they think their own child would be a good match as a pen pal.

Her own school-aged son is excited to be part of the project, Parsons said.

He's going to be so excited when he gets that first letter in the mail.- Amanda Parsons

"He loves it. He just finished his first pen pal letter over the weekend and we posted it yesterday, and he's just anxiously waiting for the reply in the mail," she said.

"He's going to be so excited when he gets that first letter in the mail."

The group now has more than 150 members from various parts of Canada including Alberta, Ontario and the Northwest Territories. Parsons hopes it will continue to expand, eventually including children from around the world, because writing to people with different lives sparked such an interest for her.

In fact, she remembers and believes she still has her own favourite piece of mail from a pen pal: a postcard of a Shetland pony. She recalls her excitement at receiving that postcard, and how eager she was to write back and learn more.

"It just sparked my interest of learning about places all around the world," she said.

"I just wanted to bring back something that was special for me for my children to be able to grow up to as well."

Read more from CBC Newfoundland and Labrador