Suggestions Wanted For Promoting Youth Collecting

I've told the story here of my eight-year-old niece discovering stamps for herself when she found some scattered around a computer of mine she asked to use to get online (search "stamps are cool"). I suggested leaving packets of inexpensive stamps around library computers in the kids' section to allow those attracted by them to get the idea for themselves.

Sounds like that's how Phil got started... he discovered them where he happened to be.

Start up a Chain-Mail.

Hand out some blank envelopes to a group of kids & have them self-address the envelope to themselves. Then take the names/addresses of all of them and list them on a sheet. Make copies of the sheet & stick one in each self-addressed envelope along with an instruction sheet that explains that they are supposed to address and send a stamped envelope to each person on that list plus add one more name & address of someone new to the sheet and send them one too. If ten kids do this they will only have to mail 10 envelopes out and they will receive 100 back if nobody breaks the chain. I'd be happy to donate some cash towards Postage to get it started.

Lucky

Just came across this link of a USPS promotional brochure to entice kids to get interesting in stamp collecting. Nice graphics and text written to interest kids, so maybe useful for your purpose:

http://www.nalcbayarea.com/USPS%20P...20Stamps.pdf

I also agree with a hands-on approach. But rather than talking -- or in addition to talking -- or getting brochures of fliers into kids hands, getting actual stamps into their hands: up close and personal.

Make that 'letting them get up close and personal with stamps.'

[Why couldn't my previous post simply be edited? The edit icon doesn't show.]

Here are a few links to helpful youth orientated stamp stuff:
http://www.stamps.org/Education/edu_AlbumPages.htm
http://www.stamps.org/kids/kid_ActivityPages.htm
http://www.stamps.org/kids/kid_FunFacts.htm
http://www.stamps.org/kids/kid_BeginnersInfo.htm
http://www.stamps.org/kids/kid_ClubLeaders.htm
http://www.stamps.org/kids/kid_youthlinks.htm
http://www.stamps.org/kids/kid_YouthClubs.htm
http://www.stamps.org/kids/kid_StampFun.htm

As you can see the APS has a ton of info and links available to help promote stamp collecting.

Was reading the latest American Philatelist last night...it states that many or most schools now require volunteers..such as stamp collectors wishing to work with children at the school...will have to be fingerprinted at their own expense...they do not make it easy to try and interest the kids !!

Another link that might be helpful ... right off of the USPS web site:

http://www.usps.com/communications/...lassroom.htm

Topicals and FDCs.
Inexpensive and fun.
My daughter went topical only so she could tinker
with the stamps when I worked on them. She wanted
to do what daddy does, but had to find something
to hold her interest. Without topical interest,
the hobby is a bit too dry for today's kids IMO.