Teaching Letterboxing

Your group is more likely to have a good time on their letterboxing adventure if you teach them about it first. MO UR4Me's classes usually take about an hour for explaining/demonstrating the hobby and carving a simple stamp. If your group will also find letterboxes, you will need to add in more time.

We can't stress enough the importance of leaders finding letterboxes on their own before teaching this subject because some aspects of this hobby have to be experienced for yourself.

Outline

You are free to use this outline if you would like. This file is the teacher notes about each point. (I often skip the points about hitchhikers unless I think we might find one.) Printing the outline for the participants isn't really necessary because they usually are paying attention, but here's the outline in Word if you want to edit it. You are also welcome to use/edit this Powerpoint presentation to show some photos of actual stamps, containers and logbooks.

See also Teaching Stamp Carving.

Supplies

Consider having all supplies they will need prepackaged in zipper baggies. Don't let them touch the supplies until you are ready! Have permanent markers for them to write their names on baggies. 

MO UR4Me uses the following supplies for large groups. For a small troop or pack, it would be nicer to use better carving tools and stamp mediums. In addition, you could make real logbooks in advance.

Stamp medium - I get a certain kind of rainbow colored erasers in packs of 6/$1 from a local dollar store. Other erasers work, but they need to be smooth and not grainy. See Stamp Carving page for more details.

Pencil - for drawing design

Carving tool - cheapest/safest tool is a cuticle trimmer. If you plan ahead, you can order in bulk online. Better are carving gouges from an art/craft store.

Broadline marker (Crayola, RoseArt or whatever), but must be thick for coloring with the side. Use as their "ink pad" for their signature stamp.

Napkin - for wrapping up their inky stamp

4x6 blank index cards - as pages for their future logbook. Or make logbooks or provide some. 4x6 photo albums (which you can find for about $1 at Walmart) make great books for holding these blank index cards. In addition, they can flip over the cover that comes with it to personalize it, and even add photos into their book. Whatever you choose, pages need to be UNLINED or you will not be able to fully appreciate the beauty of the stamps you find.

Zipper bag - for holding the above stuff

Pen - the group should have a pen for logging into the letterboxes you find.