Grab your printable Flat Stanley this summer and help your kids to learn a little bit about geography. Guess what? They will even have fun doing it! A friend of mine had a great idea and I want to share it with all of you! Let me introduce you to Flat Stanley.
This is a part of our Cricut Family Fun event this week. If you have missed any of the fun, be sure to catch up with the hangman game, vacation fund jar, and printable would you rather game. You can also scroll to the bottom of this post to see even more from our bloggers for this series.
This was first posted on May 26, 2011, however, I am republishing with more information.
What is Flat Stanley?
Flat Stanley is a series of children’s books. Once your child reads the first one they will be hooked. First, let’s learn a little more about Stanley. “
“Poor Stanley. He’s a perfectly normal boy until one morning he wakes up flat. After his parents peel the incriminating bulletin board off of him, Stanley must adjust to life as a pancake. He is a boy who takes this kind of thing in stride, though, and soon he’s enjoying the advantages of squashedness. Sliding under closed doors is fun, and it’s gratifying to be of use to his mother when she drops her ring through a narrow metal grating. Expensive plane fare to California? No problem. Svelte Stanley folds comfortably into a brown paper envelope. There’s even room left over in there for an egg-salad sandwich.”
Flat Stanley and Geography
So how will Flat Stanley teach your kids about geography? You can print your own version of this guy and let the kids color him then send him to family and friends all over the world. Stanley will come back with pictures and stories from these far off places and you can map those at home. Sounds like fun right? See how to use our printables to do just that below.
Free Printable Flat Stanley
First, grab your printable Flat Stanley below. Just sign up for our newsletter in the box below and the files will be sent directly to your email. From there, you can download and unzip the file to print or upload to your Cricut for print then cut.
Please remember that these are for personal use only. You can also email me if you have any issues with your download.
Print and Color
Then, print and let your kids color their own little guy and laminate them if you can. Lamination will keep Stanley safe! No laminator? Sandwich him in clear contact paper for the same effect. Y
ou can also do print then cut with Flat Stanley on your Cricut to make this project a bit easier. Cutting with scissors is also an option. I also used glue to attach him to a craft stick to make him easier to pose with.
Print Instructions and Questionnaire
You will also want to print out a set of instructions as well as a questionnaire. The instructions are as follows:
Hello Friend, and thank you for agreeing to host my Flat Stanley. Stanley Lambchop is a storybook character who is painlessly flattened by a bulletin board. Being flat allows him to go on all sorts of exciting adventures. My Flat Stanley is very excited to go on an adventure with YOU!This is what Stanley and I would like you to do:
- Take him with you when you go out in the next day or so.
- Snap a few digital photos of Stanley on his adventure with you, and e-mail them to my mom.
- Fill out the enclosed short questionnaire so I know what Stanley did with you.
- Return Stanley, the questionnaire, and this instruction card as soon as possible.
You will also get these printables in the download above. Please send a self-addressed stamped envelope with Stanley to make it easy! Then send your Flat Stanley on adventures around the globe.
When Flat Stanley returns to your home, you can mark on a map where his adventures have taken him. Use the opportunity to learn more about the places Flat Stanley has been. Plus you can take him out to eat for a well-deserved meal after his long journey.
Make as many Flat Stanleys as you wish. The more you have, the more places they can visit! This is a fun way for kids to spend the summer learning! Where will your Stanley go? You may be jealous when he gets back.
So get your printable Flat Stanley ready for some adventures today!
Super cute! I got Stanley printed out and we’ll start sending him on adventures next week. 🙂
We still have our Flat Stanley project and my daughter is in college! Too funny!
Last fall we went on a trip across the United States. From Iowa by the northern route to California and back by the southern route. Along with us for the ride was “Flat Wyatt” He was with us every step of the way. What great fun! When we got back we got to share in Wyatt’s class the many adventures of his flat self. Hysterical fun! Enjoy!
At the beginning of the year, my 3 (homeschooled) fourth graders hosted Flat Stanley from Portland Oregon, here in our hometown of Plymouth, MA. We showed him all of the historical landmarks in our town, and he was also here for our Superbowl party. We did a blog post on his visit too. I had too much fun taking photos of him, for that project. It really is such a fun and educational grade school project.
I know and love the books and the plan for Flat Stanley to tour, but we have granddaughters and would llike to have a girl traveler. She could be Flat Susie. (but she needs longer hair)
I think they could definitely color a flat susie and use the same idea!