Free Printable Flat Stanley Template 2 | USA Guide – Looking for a free printable Flat Stanley Template 2? This page explains what that second template usually is, how U.S. families and teachers use it, and where you can download a legitimate free version without guessing through random pop-up sites.
Template 2 is most often the blank or alternate cutout: a simple body outline with little or no face, clothes, or shoes. Kids draw themselves onto it, then mail the paper traveler to relatives, pen pals, or classrooms across the country.
What Flat Stanley Template 2 Is?
Flat Stanley comes from Jeff Brown’s 1964 book Flat Stanley. In the story, a bulletin board falls on Stanley Lambchop and leaves him flat enough to fold into an envelope.
In 1995, Canadian teacher Dale Hubert turned that idea into the Flat Stanley Project. Children color a paper Stanley, send him through the mail, and get photos, notes, or a journal back. The project is still used in many U.S. elementary classrooms and homeschools.
Template 1 is usually a pre-drawn Stanley (face, shirt, shoes).
Template 2 is usually the blank body, so a child can make Stanley look like themselves, a classmate, or a custom character.
That blank version is the one many U.S. teachers prefer for “make-it-look-like-you” projects and 50-states mailing challenges.
Where to Get a Free Printable Flat Stanley Template 2?
Use these trusted pages. All five links below open in a new tab. Confirm the file is free on the page before you download, and skip any site that asks for payment for a basic outline.
1. Official Flat Stanley Project
Start with the original project site run by Dale Hubert. It explains how exchanges work and how classrooms arrange mailings. It does not always host a single “Template 2” PDF, but it is the best official reference before you print and mail anything.
Visit the official Flat Stanley Project
2. Super Teacher Worksheets (blank cutout marked free)
This U.S. classroom site lists two cutouts with the book unit. The Flat Stanley Cut-Out Template (Blank) is labeled free and is the closest match to Template 2: a plain body with no face, shoes, or clothes. The illustrated cutout on the same page may require a membership, so use the blank file if you only need a free outline.
Download the free blank Flat Stanley cutout
3. DocTemplates collection (labeled Template 02)
This gallery names files in order, including Sample of Flat Stanley Template 02. That is one of the few public pages that uses the exact “Template 2 / 02” label. Click the download icon next to Template 02 rather than a random thumbnail.
Open Flat Stanley Template 02
4. TemplateLab letter and character pack
TemplateLab hosts a large free set of Flat Stanley outlines and host letters. Useful if you need a matching letter to send with the cutout. Downloads are listed by file size next to each sample.
Browse free Flat Stanley templates and letters
5. Fun with Mama journal pack
If you want more than a body outline, this free PDF adds state facts, a map page, and adventure-journal sheets for U.S. trips. Use it with Template 2, not instead of a sturdy cutout.
Get the free Flat Stanley activity PDF
Avoid sites that hide the file behind a paid “premium template,” a software install, or an email maze. A real Flat Stanley outline is a simple PDF or image.
Free Printable Flat Stanley Template 2 | USA Guide
How to Print Template 2 at Home or School?
- Download the blank outline (PDF prints more cleanly than a screenshot).
- Print at 100% scale on letter-size paper (8.5 x 11 inches).
- Use white cardstock (65–110 lb) so Stanley survives the mail. Plain copy paper tears after one trip.
- Color with crayons or markers. Let ink dry before cutting.
- Cut just outside the outline. Leave a small white border so edges do not flake.
- Optional: laminate and trim, or cover both sides with clear packing tape. Leave a little flexibility so he still folds.
For a two-sided traveler, print a front and a back, then glue them together before you laminate.
How U.S. Families and Teachers Use It?
Classroom project. After reading the book, each student decorates Template 2 to look like themselves, writes a short introduction, and mails Stanley to a relative in another state.
50-states challenge. Homeschool families send one Stanley from state to state and track visits on a U.S. map.
Pen-pal or sister-school exchange. Two classes swap Stanleys and return photos plus a filled journal.
Family vacation tag-along. Keep Stanley in a folder and photograph him at landmarks, then write a postcard-style recap.
Keep the figure about 8 to 12 inches tall so he fits a large envelope after a gentle fold at the waist or arms.
Mailing Tips for the United States
- Use a large envelope (often 9 x 12 inches) if you do not want a tight fold.
- A rigid, overstuffed, or oversized piece can cost more than a regular First-Class letter. Letter-size mail generally stays within 6-1/8 x 11-1/2 inches and 1/4 inch thick. Larger pieces are priced as flats.
- Include a short host letter: who Stanley belongs to, the return address, and what to do (photo, note, local fact).
- Add your email so a host can send pictures if they do not want to mail souvenirs back.
- Put a slightly larger return envelope inside only if postage and size still make sense; otherwise ask the host to use their own envelope.
- Write “Please do not bend” only if the mailpiece can still go through normal handling. A fully rigid laminated board may be charged as a package.
Check current postage at your local post office before a class mails 20 envelopes on the same day.
What to Send With Template 2?
Pack a thin set, not a scrapbook:
- The colored Flat Stanley
- A one-page host letter
- A half-page journal or questionnaire
- A return address label
Ask hosts for one or two photos, the city and state, and one local detail (food, weather, landmark). That is enough for a good classroom report.
Quick Quality Checklist
- File opens as a PDF or a clear PNG, not a locked “editor” app
- Outline is a single figure, easy to cut
- No watermark across the body
- License allows personal or classroom printing
- Site does not charge for the basic outline
If a page labeled “Template 2” is only a letter and not a body outline, grab the blank cutout from Super Teacher Worksheets and use the letter from TemplateLab.
FAQ
Is Flat Stanley Template 2 different from Template 1?
Yes. Template 1 is usually a ready-made character. Template 2 is usually blank so kids can design the face, hair, skin tone, and clothes.
Can I print it in color?
You can, but a blank black-and-white outline is better for personalization. Color copies of a pre-drawn Stanley are closer to Template 1.
Do I need the official project site to participate?
No. Many U.S. families mail Stanley to relatives on their own. The official project is helpful if you want a classroom exchange list.
Is the Super Teacher blank file really free?
On their Flat Stanley unit page, the blank cutout is marked free. Other worksheets on that same page may require a membership, so download only the blank template if you do not have an account.
What paper works best in U.S. classrooms?
Letter-size cardstock from a drugstore or big-box store. Print extra copies; first-graders often tear the first attempt.
Can I make a Flat Stella instead?
Yes. Use the same blank-body approach and change hair, clothes, and name. Some activity packs include both names.
Start With One Good Print
Download a free printable Flat Stanley Template 2, print it on cardstock, and keep the first copy as your classroom master. Once the outline cuts cleanly and fits your envelope, you can print a set for every student.
The project works because it stays simple: one paper traveler, one envelope, and a short story about where he went next.