Dearist Finder FAQs

Instead of using home addresses to mail letters, pen pals use the addresses of participating stores, known as Finder Stations. Your Finder Station is the store where you register your child for a pen pal match - think of it as a mailbox for receiving pen pal letters!

Registration occurs in-person at participating retailers, known as Dearist Finder Stations. Both the parent/guardian and participating child must be present to register. Children must be between 2nd and 8th grades (about 8-13 years old).

The parent/guardian will receive a confirmation email after registration AND when a pen pal match is made. See the Mailing Instructions above for how to address letters. We highly recommend purchasing Letter Quest, the Pen Pal Game, specially designed for the program. Available online and at Finder Stations. 

No, home addresses are not collected or used for Dearist Finder. We partner with trusted brick-and-mortar retailers to facilitate pen pal matches and letter pick-up. 

When a pen pal match is made, only the addresses of the assigned Finder Stations and randomly-generated Dearist IDs will be shared. Pen pals use their Dearist IDs to mail letters to the Finder Station addresses. Dearist IDs let station helpers notify the registered parent/guardian when letters are ready for pick up. That's the beauty of Dearist Finder, designed with both community and privacy at its core. 

Participating children must be between 2nd and 8th grades (about 8-13 years old). Dearist will attempt to match pen pals in the same grade level, using registrations throughout the Finder Station network. If a match in the same grade is unavailable, participants will be matched by either one grade level above or one grade level below. These guidelines help with program participation and matching criteria.

We are actively building the Dearist Finder retailer network (starting Fall 2026). Pen pal registration will begin in early 2027, with the first group of pen pal matches made soon after.

More retailers joining the network means more locations for parents/guardians to register kids for pen pals! Know a store that'd be perfect for Dearist Finder? We'd love for you to share this page.

Letter Quest, the Pen Pal Game, is the NEW approach to pen pals for kids. The game guides kids on a mission to gather supplies, crack a code, and make contact with each other!

The catch: Pen pal identities are a mystery, and only handwritten letters mailed to Finder Stations are allowed. 

After completing the mission, the parent/guardian can sign up their child for another pen pal match to play again. Letter Quest is available for purchase online and at Dearist Finder Stations. Pen pal registration must occur in-person at Dearist Finder Stations.

We encourage parent/guardian(s) to discuss with their kids what information they feel comfortable sharing in a letter. Dearist Finder is designed so that home addresses and names do not need to be disclosed in order to participate. It is your choice if you wish to provide any personal or identifying information in the contents of a letter. For more, please see our Privacy Policy. 

Dearist Finder is designed with both community and privacy at its core. The program facilitates pen pal matches through participating retailers, known as Dearist Finder Stations, using minimal data collection. Please see our full Privacy Policy and Terms of Service.

We love growing our network of brick-and-mortar pen pal locations, called Dearist Finder Stations. Please fill out our Retailer Interest Form and we will be in touch ASAP!