Sharing Stamp Collecting with Youth
In these difficult times, many may be faced with the challenge of isolation at home and wondering how to keep the children stimulated and educated…stamp collecting may prove one answer.
Parents, grandparents, friends of those with children…as people begin to design at-home learning opportunities for kids, please know that Stamp Active and the American Philatelic Society are committed to supporting these efforts. #Stampsteach is a mantra understood by philatelists; in these unprecedented times of quarantine, we have a unique space to share our love of philately through philatelic-based lessons. The following news item (adapted from an article shared by the American Philatelic Society) is a thought-starter to get you inspired. Stamp Active will support these efforts.
Stamps communicate ideas and make bridges between people. There are many activities that can help you to build bridges that connect your love of collecting with others, and that might inspire them to learn more about the hobby.
Stamp organisations frequently receive requests from members who would like ideas for sharing their love of philately with others. The goal of this column will be to provide ideas and resources that can be used with all types of non-collectors. Feel free to use them “as is” or modify them as needed. All we ask is that you share your ideas and activities with us so that we, in turn, can share them. Together, we can build a resource library of effective practices for promoting the hobby to both children and adults.
The APS Education team visited local schools to introduce stamp collecting to students.
One of the most successful activities that Stamp Active has used with children is the KIDSTAMPS “My Stamp Album”. All who participate find it to be engaging, and most are not happy when the activity is over. For this activity, you will need lots of loose stamps, pencils, glue sticks or hinges and one copy of the stamp album for each participant. Children prefer stamps that are off-paper, colourful, and depict familiar people, animals, places, and things; we refer to these stamps as “kid friendly.” The KIDSTAMPS “My Stamp Album” is appropriate for children ages 7 to 11.
Stamp Active also produces a range of activity books which are illustrated in the “Fun & Games” section of the Stamp Active website. Copies can be downloaded from there. If you would like a print copy, just send a stamp-addressed C4 envelope to us, specifying the activity book you require and we will post a copy to you. The albums are available to UK residents only. Write to: Stamp Active, 3 Longfellow Road, Banbury, OX16 9LB
Older children enjoy the task of identifying issuing entities and placing stamps on their correct page. Once they have selected a stamp, help them to identify the country of issue and then locate the country on a map. This will help them to place the stamp on the correct page of their album. Participants can be challenged to locate a specific number of stamps for each page. They can also be encouraged to use their phones or a computer that might be handy to search for an interesting fact about some of the people, places, and things depicted on their stamps.
Sharing can be done as a whole group, with one person sharing at a time. Children can also share their stamps with partners Consider placing participants in groups of two and have one share their “collection” for one minute while the partner listens, then switch. Be sure to share some of your own favourite stamps during this time. Your passion and enthusiasm will be contagious!
Other resources can be found on the website of Stamp Active and the American Philatelic Society. They have PDF versions of the “Young Stamp Collector’s Album” and the “Youth Stamp Collector’s Album.” You can also log into their C3a learning platform, click on the Videos & Resources tab, and look for the bridge icon. When you open the “Bridges — Activities for Sharing” folder you will find the album resources. If you have not yet logged onto the C3a learning platform, visit aps.buzz/C3aPlatform for more information. Expanding the hobby is a matter of building bridges. To build our “sharing bridge,” we need your ideas, resources, and success stories. Please email your ideas, activities, and resources to education@stamps.org. With your help the “Bridges — Activities for Sharing” folder will become a bridge to the future.
Stamp Active acknowledges the excellent work of the APS in sharing this information on Facebook for the benefit of the wider philatelic community.