Another virtual school crowdsource
October 3, 2020 1:57 PM Subscribe
What is flattish and light and cheap and fun and mailable that is not a sticker?
I enjoy sending my virtual music students postal mail very occasionally as a surprise/reward for...whatever, everyone needs an occasional pick-me up and it makes them feel special. I get around to all students eventually with a personal note and something fun.
I have cool stickers, which I can successfully sell to them as cool even though they are middle schoolers- they have really liked them. I have made some custom postcards as well. What else could I include in the rotation? Must be quite cheap, and be something I can mail in a large Manila envelope.
I enjoy sending my virtual music students postal mail very occasionally as a surprise/reward for...whatever, everyone needs an occasional pick-me up and it makes them feel special. I get around to all students eventually with a personal note and something fun.
I have cool stickers, which I can successfully sell to them as cool even though they are middle schoolers- they have really liked them. I have made some custom postcards as well. What else could I include in the rotation? Must be quite cheap, and be something I can mail in a large Manila envelope.
Iron on (or sew on) patches.
posted by Melismata at 2:03 PM on October 3, 2020 [2 favorites]
posted by Melismata at 2:03 PM on October 3, 2020 [2 favorites]
Response by poster: OH MY GOD TEMPORARY TATTOOS!!
posted by charmedimsure at 2:08 PM on October 3, 2020 [10 favorites]
posted by charmedimsure at 2:08 PM on October 3, 2020 [10 favorites]
Balsa wood airplanes wood (sorry couldn't resist) be fun.
Could be used as a prompt, where would you go? Learning about flight? Aerodynamics?
And they're just fun.
posted by jennstra at 2:12 PM on October 3, 2020 [1 favorite]
Could be used as a prompt, where would you go? Learning about flight? Aerodynamics?
And they're just fun.
posted by jennstra at 2:12 PM on October 3, 2020 [1 favorite]
Magnets?
posted by gnutron at 2:52 PM on October 3, 2020 [4 favorites]
posted by gnutron at 2:52 PM on October 3, 2020 [4 favorites]
Mad libs. Teachers Pay Teachers has some if you didn't have time to make your own.
Masquerade masks
Pre made
DIY
Pirate hat - DIY
Award ribbons
music ribbon
outstanding achievement
star student
posted by rakaidan at 2:53 PM on October 3, 2020 [2 favorites]
Masquerade masks
Pre made
DIY
Pirate hat - DIY
Award ribbons
music ribbon
outstanding achievement
star student
posted by rakaidan at 2:53 PM on October 3, 2020 [2 favorites]
I've said it before and I'll say it again: googly eyes.
posted by gideonfrog at 3:29 PM on October 3, 2020 [11 favorites]
posted by gideonfrog at 3:29 PM on October 3, 2020 [11 favorites]
I plan on mailing inexpensive sets of tangrams to some math students this semester. I picked up a bunch of sets about 10 years ago for 25 cents each at a dollar store.
posted by wittgenstein at 3:36 PM on October 3, 2020 [2 favorites]
posted by wittgenstein at 3:36 PM on October 3, 2020 [2 favorites]
Origami or other papercraft sort of things. I have a papercraft fox-spirit mask that lives on my WiFi router on the wall and protects it from bad internets. There are a bazillion papercraft things that start out as a couple or three printed sheets of paper that with some scissors and tape turn into something pretty cool.
posted by zengargoyle at 4:02 PM on October 3, 2020 [3 favorites]
posted by zengargoyle at 4:02 PM on October 3, 2020 [3 favorites]
Send each student 1 playing card and get the kids to assemble into competing poker hands or something.
posted by mookoz at 4:49 PM on October 3, 2020 [1 favorite]
posted by mookoz at 4:49 PM on October 3, 2020 [1 favorite]
Pin badges, balloons, wire puzzles?
posted by ManyLeggedCreature at 4:55 PM on October 3, 2020
posted by ManyLeggedCreature at 4:55 PM on October 3, 2020
Snap bracelets
posted by warriorqueen at 5:46 PM on October 3, 2020 [3 favorites]
posted by warriorqueen at 5:46 PM on October 3, 2020 [3 favorites]
Light up balloons, glowsticks, recipe for food or slime, magnetic poetry kit (you could diy with printable magnet sheets), dollar store kite, stamp and stationery, funky coin, seeds, mini embroidery kit, laffy taffy/airheads, buttons/pins, flavoured tea bags, koolaid packet and a sample size conditioner, fun mask that matches their fave fandom/sport/animal etc, patterned/glow in the dark bandaids, tarot cards (doesn't have to be a full deck), little puzzle. Definitely temporary tattoos!
posted by Lay Off The Books at 5:53 PM on October 3, 2020 [2 favorites]
posted by Lay Off The Books at 5:53 PM on October 3, 2020 [2 favorites]
seed packets, colorful paperclips, glow in the dark stars, sticks of gum, paper flowers, tiny crocheted things, teabags, bookmarks, magnets, collages, blank cards, printed quotations and bits of poetry, sheet music,
posted by mochapickle at 6:16 PM on October 3, 2020 [1 favorite]
posted by mochapickle at 6:16 PM on October 3, 2020 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: You guys are so smart!
Googly eyes! Glorious! Anyone know how thick a regular first class envelope can be and still run through the machine and not incur extra cost? I remember screwing this up with baby shower invitations with tiny clothespins a while ago, enough so that I second-guessed and did not include puffy stickers in my last one .
posted by charmedimsure at 7:10 PM on October 3, 2020 [1 favorite]
Googly eyes! Glorious! Anyone know how thick a regular first class envelope can be and still run through the machine and not incur extra cost? I remember screwing this up with baby shower invitations with tiny clothespins a while ago, enough so that I second-guessed and did not include puffy stickers in my last one .
posted by charmedimsure at 7:10 PM on October 3, 2020 [1 favorite]
Laser cut puzzles that become 3D, like dinosaurs. Origami paper. Paper impregnated with wildflower seeds.
posted by quercus23 at 7:32 PM on October 3, 2020 [1 favorite]
posted by quercus23 at 7:32 PM on October 3, 2020 [1 favorite]
I think it’s a 1/4” max
posted by brilliantine at 7:38 PM on October 3, 2020 [2 favorites]
posted by brilliantine at 7:38 PM on October 3, 2020 [2 favorites]
Paper dolls.
Small models printed on light cardstock to be cut out and assembled like these.
posted by Jane the Brown at 7:48 PM on October 3, 2020
Small models printed on light cardstock to be cut out and assembled like these.
posted by Jane the Brown at 7:48 PM on October 3, 2020
My dad worked on those fancy expensive post office machines and I can't tell you how many times I got told DO NOT PUT ANY OF THESE THINGS IN YOUR REGULAR FIRST-CLASS ENVELOPE THEY WILL FUCK UP THE FANCY SENSITIVE MACHINES and lots of mail goes everywhere, it takes time to fix it, it holds up LOTS of mail, etc.
Many many many times I was told this. This is probably extra relevant now during voting season with a bunch of those very machines intentionally removed.
Only paper that is fitted to the envelope goes in the regular first-class envelope. No lumps, no bumps.
posted by aniola at 8:18 PM on October 3, 2020 [1 favorite]
Many many many times I was told this. This is probably extra relevant now during voting season with a bunch of those very machines intentionally removed.
Only paper that is fitted to the envelope goes in the regular first-class envelope. No lumps, no bumps.
posted by aniola at 8:18 PM on October 3, 2020 [1 favorite]
Lenticular bookmarks and styrofoam bird gliders!
Also: Oriental Trading Company is a place you want to check out. They have ALL the things.
posted by Vervain at 10:50 PM on October 3, 2020 [2 favorites]
Also: Oriental Trading Company is a place you want to check out. They have ALL the things.
posted by Vervain at 10:50 PM on October 3, 2020 [2 favorites]
Credit-card sized fresnel lenses 12 for $7.
Magnet viewing film is a little bit more expensive.
posted by sebastienbailard at 10:53 PM on October 3, 2020 [1 favorite]
Magnet viewing film is a little bit more expensive.
posted by sebastienbailard at 10:53 PM on October 3, 2020 [1 favorite]
If the whole class does well, you might send Monster Hand Tattoos (they are temporary) and have a Monster hand singalong. They are sometimes packed as party favors.
Also, some mail that is lumpy gets hand-sorted, which can take a day or two more-my mom tried this with hand sewn masks. They came through just fine but she was anxious enough to send more when it took three days. Both puffy envelopes came through just fine, but I would have gone with a sturdier envelope and more postage. Mildly lumpy things behave better when encased in a tri-folded paper.
posted by childofTethys at 11:19 AM on October 4, 2020
Also, some mail that is lumpy gets hand-sorted, which can take a day or two more-my mom tried this with hand sewn masks. They came through just fine but she was anxious enough to send more when it took three days. Both puffy envelopes came through just fine, but I would have gone with a sturdier envelope and more postage. Mildly lumpy things behave better when encased in a tri-folded paper.
posted by childofTethys at 11:19 AM on October 4, 2020
DIY fortune cookie style fortunes
A riddle on a slip of paper
A dad joke
posted by donut_princess at 7:40 PM on October 4, 2020 [1 favorite]
A riddle on a slip of paper
A dad joke
posted by donut_princess at 7:40 PM on October 4, 2020 [1 favorite]
Comic books? There are lots of bulk lots available on Ebay for around $1 per comic. You'd probably have to check for child-appropriateness, though.
posted by suetanvil at 1:19 PM on October 5, 2020
posted by suetanvil at 1:19 PM on October 5, 2020
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Temporary tattoos are always a hit (just bought my nephew truck themed ones).
posted by teststrip at 2:01 PM on October 3, 2020 [5 favorites]