Get Involved: Schools
Thinking Of You Week in the Classroom
Thinking of You Week is an event which promotes actively thinking of others, expressing our caring natures and spreading positivity. The aim of the week is to create a wave of love, caring and happiness by making or choosing cards and writing positive messages to different people.
A handwritten card has been shown to have far greater emotional impact than any form of e-communication. As cards are displayed in the home, they also provide a lasting reminder of the sender and of the positive message written inside, reinforcing a state of well-being.
Writing a card actively promotes empathy, helps with emotional communication and conveys the value of doing something special for others, as well as being a fun way to practice handwriting!
Ideas and inspiration for school activities
Cards for classmates
Express gratitude
Expressing gratitude: Make or write cards to thank ‘unsung heroes’ in the local community, eg lollipop ladies, friendly shop keepers, local police or firemen.
Team Up
Encourage the children to enjoy writing, and maybe designing, a card and also hopefully receiving one back!
“..when we practice writing it can improve composition, expression and may even aid fine motor-skill development. Because the physical movement of hand writing engages and helps the brain to learn.” Dr Lynda Shaw
Involve the whole school
Bring the whole school together to make and write cards.
Key Stage 1: Let's be friends project
Card-making to help build relationships and promote class cohesion in the early years. The choice of text frame and timing of delivery are flexible. The plan is written as an induction/‘getting to know you’ activity in which children make and send a simple card to a classmate containing a positive message.
Download the KS1: Let’s Be Friends Project from the TES website.
Key Stage 2: Hurrah for Ra!
Art, design and history come together in this ‘Thank you’ card-making project dedicated to the Egyptian sun god, Ra.
Children will learn about paper-making, the origins of writing and, in a specially designed power point presentation included in the resource, learn about Ancient Egyptian art and culture, expressed through the art and artefacts discovered in King Tutankhamun’s tomb.
Hurrah for Ra! comprises three one-hour lessons in total, starting with a session on Ancient Egyptian history, stylised art and paper-making, which sets up the historical context and the greeting card making project.
The KS2: Hurrah for Ra! project is available to download from the TES website. This project has a 5* rating from teachers.
GCA / Royal Mail Primary School Activity Pack
The plans can be used as a source of ideas for units of work on communication and celebrations, for ‘one-off’ lessons on measuring, handling money, writing rhymes and designing and making cards, or for special end-of-term/year activity.
The Primary School Activity pack is available from the GCA website.
More Resources for Schools from the GCA
There are more resources for schools on the Greeting Card Association Website here.
Don't forget our Toolkit!
Our Thinking Of You Week Toolkit contains a beautiful new banner, flyer and event poster, new retailer and consumer handouts, as well as social media cover images and email sign offs. We’ve also updated our list of local press contacts, and will be adding a new template press release soon to help you publicise your Thinking of You Week initiative that we’re very keen for you to organise!