World languages activity
Alien Pen Pals
Draw a friendly alien and tell them about Earth! Practice saying hello and describing things you love about your home planet.
Materials and setup
- paper
- pencil
- crayons
How this changes by age
Pre-K (ages 3–4)
Draw a friendly alien and tell them about Earth! Practice saying hello and describing things you love about your home planet.
Steps
- Draw a friendly alien and give it a name.
- Pretend the alien just arrived on Earth. Tell it about 3 things you love here.
- A grown-up writes down what the child says as a letter to the alien.
Learning objectives
- Practice descriptive language about familiar topics
- Dictate ideas for an adult to transcribe
- Use friendly, welcoming language in conversation
Kindergarten (ages 5–6)
Write a letter to a friendly alien explaining life on Earth. Describe your favorite food, game, and place.
Steps
- Start your letter with 'Dear Alien,' and introduce yourself.
- Write 3-4 sentences about Earth: your favorite food, game, and place.
- End with a question you would ask the alien about their planet.
Learning objectives
- Write a friendly letter with greeting, body, and closing
- Use descriptive language to explain familiar things to an outsider
- Formulate questions using proper question structure
Early elementary (ages 6–8)
Write a two-letter exchange between you and an alien pen pal. Your letter describes Earth; the alien's reply describes their planet.
Steps
- Write your letter to the alien describing Earth's seasons, foods, and customs.
- Write the alien's reply letter describing a made-up planet with different features.
- Compare the two planets in a short paragraph.
Learning objectives
- Write from two different perspectives with distinct voices
- Use comparative language to contrast two settings
- Maintain proper letter format across multiple letters
Upper elementary (ages 8–10)
Write a 3-letter correspondence between you and an alien pen pal that develops a plot across the letters — include a misunderstanding caused by cultural or linguistic difference, then resolve it.
Steps
- Letter 1: Write your first letter to the alien describing a specific Earth custom (holiday, school, mealtime) using precise sensory and cultural detail.
- Letter 2: Write the alien's reply that misinterprets your custom in a logical but funny way (e.g. thinks "blowing out candles" is a threat).
- Letter 3: Write your clarifying letter that explains the misunderstanding with examples and invites the alien to share a custom of theirs; close with a paragraph reflecting on how communication across cultures works.
Learning objectives
- Develop a plot across multiple linked letters with a setup, complication, and resolution
- Maintain two distinct voices and perspectives consistently
- Analyze how cultural context shapes meaning in written communication
Safety and evidence note
Read the full activity before beginning. An adult should supervise tools, heat, food, outdoor work, movement, and experiments as appropriate. Completion records that the activity was done; the child’s explanation, work sample, photo, or demonstration is stronger evidence of learning than a completion check alone.
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