Penpals 101
March is an exciting month here at Greystone as it marks the start of one of our favorite camp traditions: Penpals! So many life-long Greystone friendships begin after two campers are paired as Penpals. We hope your newest camp bestie is just a postcard away.
Today, we’re diving into the details of Penpals: the how, the why, our best tips, and a NEW way to find your Penpal’s contact information this year. Spoiler on the highlights from below: please write your Penpal, and read more below on how we’ll be emailing Penpal names to parents this year. Let’s get to it!
The Logistics of Penpals
In March, we pair up campers who are currently in 1st - 8th grades at all of our sessions with a Penpal. We are in the process of pairing up Penpals now, and all Penpal cards will be mailed in the next few weeks, so be on the lookout for yours coming in the mail soon.
When pairing Penpals, we put girls together who are in the same grade going to the same session this upcoming summer. We want you to be able to meet and connect with your Penpal once you are here at Greystone. We don’t automatically place Penpals in the same cabin. If you’d like to be in a cabin with your Penpal, make sure to request her on your Cabinmate Request Form by May 1.
The Why of Penpals
Why do we do Penpals? So many reasons! Here are just a few.
- Camp is all about friendships, and your Penpal is a friend you can make before you even arrive. It’s a great way to start the camp fun this spring!
- Many girls attend Greystone without knowing anyone; “meeting” someone before the summer is a great relief to these girls. If you are a returning family, help be that friend to someone new!
- It can be difficult to meet everyone in your age group during your session at camp. Unless you share classes or sit at the same table in the Dining Hall, you may never meet some campers that are your same age. We love for girls to meet new people in their age group through our Penpal program; over the years, you’ll have so many more friends!
- We have campers from all over the country who attend Greystone. How fun to have a friend in Florida when you live in Colorado? It’s truly the quintessential camp Penpal experience to have a letter-writing friend across the country.
How to Connect with your Penpal
We can’t say this enough, but please write your Penpal! Connecting with a new camp friend before the summer is so much fun, but it requires both Penpals to participate. Many Penpals are brand new to camp or even new to a particular session; connecting with someone before coming to camp is a big deal to these families! Please make sure you write your Penpal - your new camp best friend could be on the other side of that letter.
As you’d expect, we sure do love some snail mail here at Greystone. We encourage you to write in that way; we’ll even send you some postcards to use in your Penpal packet. Handwritten letters are a treasure, but the mail process takes time. Make sure to write your Penpal soon after you receive her name, and be patient as she sends her response back to you!
Some Penpals share further information with each other when they start writing, such as parent emails or phone numbers. It is up to you on how you connect before you arrive. Some Penpals love to Facetime while others stick to only writing handwritten letters - anything is great as long as you are connecting!
We have a great blog from a few years ago explaining how you can write your Best Penpal Letter and also a new camper blog about Making the Most of your Penpal that includes some great parent tips. Check these out for even more ideas.
New this Year! Finding your Penpal’s Contact Info
This year, on top of sending a Penpal packet in the mail, we will also email you (the parents) with your daughter’s Penpal information. We know that mailings can often get lost in that huge pile of papers collecting on your counter! Now, you’ll be able to easily find your Penpal’s name and address. Be on the lookout for this email!
Haven’t Heard from your Penpal yet?
Most of our campers write their Penpals often, but we always have girls who don’t write. One of our most common calls we receive at camp in the spring is about Penpals - it can be so disappointing to write letters and never hear anything back!
Even if you’ve been attending camp for many years and already have so many camp friends, please write your Penpal. At Greystone, we talk often about being kind and how kindness to others is one of the greatest gifts you can give to someone. Writing your Penpal is the kindest thing you can do for her, so please write! Let’s make 2025 the year of perfect Penpal correspondence; can we do it?
If you’ve written your Penpal and still haven’t heard, here’s what to do:
- Write again. March and April are busy times with spring break and Easter holidays. Sometimes a Penpal hasn’t written because they just haven’t had time. If you haven’t heard from your Penpal, please try writing again! She may just need another reminder to send a letter back to you.
- Give it some time. Some Penpals write as soon as their Penpal name comes in the mail, and others don’t write for a week or two (once again, they may be out of town). Be patient as you wait for that letter to come. Some mail takes longer to arrive depending on the city, so in some instances, your Penpal may have already written, and the letter is making its way to you.
- Reach out to us. If you have written at least 2 letters and have given it a few weeks after your last letter, then feel free to reach out to us. At that point, we’re happy to try a few things on the backend to remind your Penpal to write.
Look How Much Fun Penpals Can Be!
We have this great video about two Penpals connecting and becoming best friends - you don’t want to miss it. The Penpal experience can be magical!
If you have any questions about Penpals or haven’t heard from your Penpal and are concerned (make sure to read our tips above!), feel free to reach out to us. Happy Penpal writing, Greystone Girls!
