Zip's Mailbox Club › The Wonder Library
Published September 28, 2026
To address an envelope, write the name and address of the person you are mailing in the middle of the front, write your own name and address in the top left corner, and put a stamp in the top right corner. That is the whole job, and a child can practice it long before their handwriting is tidy.
Addressing an envelope is one of the few pieces of writing a child does that has a real result: get it right and a letter travels across the country to exactly one door. This guide shows the three parts of an envelope, how to write each line, how much help to give at each age, and the mistakes that slow a letter down. At the bottom is a free printable practice envelope you can print as many times as you like. If your child is still working on the letter itself, start with letter-writing prompts for kids.
Everything goes on the front of the envelope, the smooth side without the flap.
| Part | Where it goes | What to write |
|---|---|---|
| Delivery address | The middle of the front | The name and address of the person getting the letter, in the biggest writing on the envelope |
| Return address | Top left corner | Your own name and address, written smaller |
| Stamp | Top right corner | Nothing to write. One stamp, stuck on straight |
A United States address has three lines, and they always go in the same order:
Here is what that looks like with a made-up address:
ROSE MARTIN 45 OAK LANE APT 2 ANYTOWN NJ 12345
The U.S. Postal Service recommends printing neatly in capital letters, using a pen or permanent marker, and leaving out commas and periods. Sorting machines read capitals most easily. Neat everyday handwriting is delivered all the time, so do not let a wobbly lowercase letter stop a child from mailing something.
Print this page with your browser's Print button (Ctrl+P on Windows, Command+P on a Mac). Only the two practice envelopes below will print, so you can run off as many copies as your child needs. Have them fill in the return address with their own name, then address the envelope to someone they would really write to.
Practice addressing an envelope
Line 1: name. Line 2: street address. Line 3: city, state, ZIP Code. Free to print and share: zipsmailboxclub.com/guides/how-to-address-an-envelope-for-kids
Practice sticks when the envelope is real. A cousin, a grandparent or a friend who moved away is the best first address, and our guide to starting a pen pal covers how to set that up safely.
It is also how Zip's Mailbox Club is built. Every Zip's Mailbox Club package ships with a plain envelope and a real postage stamp, so your child has a real envelope to address when they write back, and what they write is remembered and used in later letters. Zip's Mailbox Club is $20 a month or $200 for the full year and covers ages 3 to 12. The club launched in July 2026.
The stamp goes in the top right corner on the front of the envelope, the same side as the address. Keep it clear of the address lines so the post office can cancel the stamp without covering any writing.
The return address goes in the top left corner on the front of the envelope. It is the sender's own name and address, written smaller than the delivery address, in the same three-line order: name, street address, then city, state and ZIP Code.
Write the person's name on the first line, the street number and street name on the second line with any apartment or unit number, and the city, state and ZIP Code on the last line. The U.S. Postal Service recommends printing neatly in capital letters with a pen or permanent marker.
Yes, it is worth including. If a letter cannot be delivered, the return address is how the post office sends it back, and it tells the person who receives the letter where to reply. A grown-up can write it or use an address label while the child writes the rest.
A child who cannot write yet can stick on the stamp, make their mark or first initial next to the return address, decorate the back of the envelope, and carry the letter to the mailbox with a grown-up. The grown-up writes the address and reads each line aloud, which is how a young child starts to learn that an address has parts.
Each month brings a letter from Zip and a second letter from that month's Mailbox Crew member. Your child's replies can shape a later letter, so the story remembers what they share. Behind the scenes, Zip's Mailbox Club was founded by Mack, a dad who writes, personalizes, and hand-packs the mail behind these guides. Read the founder story →
A personalized letter from Zip every month, with a plain envelope and a real stamp for writing back. Ages 3 to 12.
Join the Mailbox Club →A collection of essays about childhood, curiosity, imagination, and slowing down.