By Melanie Linn Gutowski

Did you know that October 9 is World Post Day? The day commemorates the establishment of the Universal Postal Union in 1974 in Bern, Switzerland.

Help your niece or nephew appreciate the place that "snail mail" still holds in our lives with these fun activities.

-Start a stamp album. Also known as philately, stamp collecting is a popular pastime that everyone can enjoy. Buy your niece or nephew a fun album or journal (use acid-free, lignin-free paper to keep it from falling apart, Auntie!) and use a photo-safe adhesive to paste in stamps cut out from used envelopes. You can also take a trip to your local post office and see which new stamps you may want to include!

-Find a penpal. Many of us Aunties remember having a penpal in elementary or middle school. Your niece or nephew might enjoy learning about another culture or another part of the country in this way. Ask your friends if they may have nieces, nephews or kids of their own who might be interested. (Bonus points for overseas correspondents!)

-Write a letter to your future self. Have you ever looked back on your life choices and wish you could have told yourself some important information back then? Your young nieces and nephews still have the chance to benefit from this activity. Come up with some questions to ask them to help them think about what their life is like now and what they hope for their own future.

Taking it a step further, write a letter to your niece or nephew for them to open at a set date (after they graduate high school, when they turn 21, etc.). Write your advice, your hopes for them, and your description of who they are right now. Chances are, your letter will become a treasured possession.

-Surprise someone. Make or buy a "just because" card (or postcard!) and mail it to someone special. Take the opportunity to brighten someone else's day as much as your nieces and nephews brighten yours.

Melanie Linn Gutowski, Savvy Auntie's Associate Editor, is a proud Godmother and ABC.