Role play is a wonderful way to spark imagination and development in little ones.
Let’s pretend to be mail carriers and we can practice number, shape and color recognition as well as problem solving as we act out real life scenarios! Mail carriers are an important part of our community – they deliver the mail and make sure it gets delivered to the right place! Some drive mail trucks, and some walk down the street to put the mail in the right mailbox. Let’s make some crafty mailboxes so we can help deliver the mail, too! Be sure to check out our ideas to spark role play using these mailboxes at the bottom of the page.
Things You Need
- Two sheets of cardstock, any color you like!
- Glue stick
- Pencil
- Ruler
To Decorate Your Mailbox (optional)
- Pompoms
- Stickers
- Patterned or colored paper
- Decorative tape
- Foam sheets
- Hole punch (for the post flag)
- Round head faster (for the post flag)
Steps
To make the top part of your mailbox, draw a line half an inch away from the shorter edge on either side of a piece of cardstock. Then fold both on the line so the edges point inward.
To make the base of the mailbox, fold the second piece of cardstock in half lengthwise.
Cut along the folded line so you have two halves. Put one aside – we’ll use it later! Line up one of the sides with the top piece of your mailbox, and trim the excess length of the bottom piece to size.
Next, place the bottom part of your mailbox inside one of the edges of the top part, and glue the folded edge onto the bottom piece.
Then add glue to the other edge and glue it to the other side of the bottom piece.
Flip it over and you will have a mailbox shape!
To make the front and back flaps of the mailbox, we will use the other side of the cardstock we cut in half earlier. Make a line half inch away from the shorter edges of the cardstock and fold along the line for the edges are pointing inward.
Place one of the edges under the mailbox on one side. Using a pencil, trace the curve of the mailbox onto the cardstock.
Do this on both sides and cut them out! Check the sizing and adjust if needed.
To secure the end piece to the back of the mailbox, cut and fold three paper tabs and glue them along the curve edge.
Glue the tabs and the folded edge at the bottom to the inside of the back of the mailbox, about half an inch inside. Secure the tabs and edge inside with your hand from the other side of the mailbox.
We’ll need a handle for the front of our mailbox! Glue a pom pom to the centre of the front piece.
Now our mailbox is ready to decorate! To decorate our mailbox, we cut out long strips of colored paper and used circular stickers to look like rivets.
We also added a post flag! When there is mail in the mailbox, the mail carrier puts the post flag up so you know there is mail inside! To make a post flag, draw and cut out a post flag shape from a piece of cardstock. Using a hole punch, make a hole at the bottom of the post flag and make a hole where you want your post flag to go on your mailbox. Attach the post flag to the mailbox with a round head fastener.
Now your mailbox is ready for mail!
To play mail carrier, you can make some letters to deliver using some plain paper. You can add numbers, colors or shapes to your letters and mailbox, depending on what you want to focus on. Then little ones can match the numbers, colors or shapes on the letters with the right mailbox!
See Caitie match letters to the right mailbox using shapes in the Caitie’s Classroom episode Community Helpers!
Here are some more ideas for mail carrier role playing!
- Try placing a few mailboxes around the house and have your little one find the right mailbox to deliver letters.
- Try writing different family member names on each mailbox and write a letter to each family member, placing it in the correct mailbox for them to receive.
- If practicing colors, find a few small toy items around the house that match the color of your mailbox and place them inside to color match.
- When you go out for a walk, take a look at the numbers on the houses or mailbox. Point out the numbers and see if your little one can tell you what they are.
- Use stickers as stamps! Practice peeling stickers and putting them on a piece of paper to be delivered.
- Don’t forget to put the post flag up once a letter is delivered!
We hope you have fun building your mailboxes and pretending to be a mail carrier!
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