Postal services

CIRCLE TIME

Explain how the postal system works, from the mailbox, to the sorting office to the letter which arrives at their front door or at the post office. Postcard(Open postcards) Print and laminate the models.

PICTURE GAME

The pictures may be used as a memory game or to spark a conversation with your group. Use them to decorate your daycare or a specific thematic corner. (Open picture game-Postal services) Print, laminate, and store in a "Ziploc" bag or in your thematic bins.

WRITING ACTIVITY

Print the activity for each child or print one copy and laminate it for use with a dry-erase marker. (Open writing activity - Postal services)

ACTIVITY SHEETS

Activity sheets are suggested for each theme. Print and follow instructions. (Open activity sheets - Postal services)

VARIOUS WORKSHOPS

Have fun with these wonderful workshop ideas provided by Caroline Allard.

Construction and building blocks:

• This theme is perfect for exploring various means of transportation. Letters can be transported many ways... cars, trucks, airplanes, trains.
• Wooden blocks can be used to build a post office.

Arts & crafts:

• Cardboard boxes (shoeboxes) can be decorated to look like mailboxes.
• Stamps and stamp pads are perfect for this theme.
• Stickers off all kinds can replace stamps on envelopes.
• Different types of paper may be used to prepare original letters.

Drawing:

• Coloring pages related to the theme.
• Creative coloring activities related to the theme.

Role play:

• Children will love pretending to work in a post office. Provide blue shirts, caps, and a mailbag for the costume. Add envelopes, stickers, crayons, stamps, boxes, and office material to your role play area. You may create your own mail truck using a large box.

Manipulation:

• Association games.
• Puzzles related to the theme.
• Memory game using educatall.com picture games.
• Various board games.
• Objects related to postal services... your mailman can help you here!

Pre-reading:

• Books about various jobs and professions.
• Posters of stamp collections...your local post office can most likely provide you with free samples.

Pre-writing:

• Games with educatall.com word flashcards.
• Various activity sheets related to the theme.
• Simple maze activities.

WORD FLASHCARDS

The flashcards may be used to spark a conversation with your group, in your reading and writing area, or to identify your thematic bins. (Open word flashcards - Postal services) letter, stamp, postcard, mailman, mailbox, stationery, envelope, mailbag, package, delivery truck, postal code, address.

PHYSICAL ACTIVITY AND MOTOR SKILLS

Mail obstacle course
Organize an obstacle course throughout which children must transport a letter or package to its final destination without dropping it. Simply set up a tunnel, hoola hoops to jump in, a balance beam, etc. Keep the physical capacities of the children in your group in mind.

I am the mailman
Invite children to follow you, single file, and imitate you. Begin by walking toward the post office. Transport your mailbag on your shoulder. Lean to one side to show how heavy your bag is. Change direction to walk towards the houses. Pretend to take letters out of your mailbag. Count the letters out loud and use your fingers. Distribute the mail, pretending to give each child a letter.

Mailman's route
Have children crawl under the legs of chairs, under a coffee table, under a rope attached to two chairs, have them leap over an exercise ball, etc.

Pretend mailman
Children take turns playing the role of the mailman and pretend to distribute mail.

Letter shapes
Glue the letters of the alphabet on the floor. Children sing the alphabet while jumping on the corresponding letters.

OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES

Mail rally
Take a walk in your neighborhood with your group and search for mailboxes... on street corners, on each house, etc. When you are done, have children draw one of the mailboxes they saw.

ACTIVITIES INVOLVING PARENTS

A letter for me
Ask parents to write a letter to their child during the theme. You may ask parents to actually mail their letter to the daycare or use a mailbox set up within the daycare. At the end of the week, choose a calm period to read the letters to the children. Make sure each child has a letter.

Visiting the post office
Ask parents to accompany you on a visit to the local post office. You may only have a postal counter nearby but if you ask, the employee will most likely be happy to provide a brief explanation of how everything works.

Material
Ask parents to collect envelopes they receive at home for use throughout the theme. Children will love looking at the different types of stamps, envelopes, etc.

COGNITVIE ACTIVITIES

Magnifying glass game

(Open magnifying glass game - Postal services) Print and laminate the board game and the illustrations. Cut them out and store them in a box or in a plastic bag. Children pick an illustration and search for it on the board game, using a magnifying glass. Once they have found a match, they deposit the illustration in the correct square, on the board game.

Sequential story
(Open sequential story - Postal services) Print and laminate the sequential story. Let children have fun placing the illustrations in the correct order to recreate the story.

Educ-association
(Open educ-association - Postal services) Print the pages and follow the instructions included in the game to assemble everything in a file folder. Children must associate the illustrations according to the instructions on the board game. Once they have found the correct association, they must deposit it in the corresponding square using Velcro or adhesive putty.

My letter
Provide children with stationery so they can write their own letters, place them in envelopes, and deposit them in a mailbox within the daycare.

Postal codes
(Open game - postal codes) Print. Cut out and laminate the number and letter cards. Have children reproduce various postal codes. This is the perfect occasion to teach children their own postal code.

Hunt and seek
(Open hunt and seek - Postal services) Print and laminate. Children pick cards and search for the items in the large illustration.

Postal services puzzles

(Open puzzles - Postal services) Print, laminate, and cut out. Children must place the pieces correctly to complete the puzzles.

Pre-writing activity-Writing a letter
Provide stationery, different types of crayons, an old typewriter, envelopes, etc. Encourage children to write. Use any type of paper you may have on hand.

MORAL AND SOCIAL ACTIVITIES

My post office

Transform your pre-writing area to look like a post office. Add a desk, a chair, envelopes, stickers, stationery, a mailbag, a mailbox, pencils, stamps, etc. The more tools you offer, the more children will enjoy practicing to "write". Thank you Mr. Mailman. Fill an envelope with drawings and give it to the mailman to thank him for his good work.

EARLY SCIENCE

I am the lightest, you are the heaviest
Set a scale on a table and provide children with packages they can weigh and compare. Ask them to identify the lightest and heaviest packages. Explain how the weight of a package determines the cost to send it to its destination.

Sensory bin
Fill a bin with different types of envelopes to show children how many different kinds of envelopes there are. Include paper envelopes, padded envelopes, onion peels, orange peels, fabric envelopes, etc.

CREATIVE RECIPE

Homemade Stickers

Ingredients:
4 tablespoons of hot water
2 tablespoons of gelatin (Jell-O)
A few small pictures or drawings
A paintbrush

1. Combine hot water and gelatin in a bowl.
   
2. Using the paintbrush, spread a thin coat of the mixture behind the picture you wish to make a sticker with (magazine cutout, picture, etc).
   
3. Allow to dry 30-45 minutes.
4. Simply moisten the back of the sticker with a damp towel and stick!

Children are big fans of stickers! They will love this activity and the best part is...it's simple!

CULINARY ACTIVITIES

My snack package
Deposit each child's snack in a box. Wrap and label the box like a real package. Ask another caregiver or adult to deliver the snacks.

ARTS & CRAFTS

My postcard
You will need cardboard, markers, magazines, scissors, and glue. Ask children to decorate one side of the cardboard by drawing on it or by gluing various items to it. When they are done, write a short message on the back along with each child's address. Mail each child's postcard to his home or to a daycare friend.

My giant stamp
Use a 5 inch x 8 inch piece of cardboard per child. Ask children to cut around the contour using fancy scissors. Next, let children draw on their stamp. Remind them to add the cost of the stamp in the upper right-hand corner. Once all the children are done, laminate the stamps and display them in the role play area.

My sticky stamp
Use tiny squares of adhesive paper (Mac-Tac). Let children draw their own stamp models. When they are done, invite them to stick their stamps on real envelopes or on a large crafted envelope.

My mailbag
Provide each child with a fabric bag. Let them decorate the bag as they wish using arts & crafts materials, glitter glue, etc. They will love their unique mailbags.

My message box
Ask parents to provide a shoebox. Have children decorate their box as they wish. Children may use their box as a message box within the daycare or at home when they are done.

My giant envelope
Cut a large piece of white paper. Transform it to make it look like a giant envelope. Invite children to decorate and address the envelope. Hang it in your daycare throughout the theme. Parents may add to the envelope too!

CREATIVE COLORING

(Open creative coloring - Postal services) Print for each child. Ask them to complete the picture by drawing their dream destination on the postcard.

COLORING PAGES

(Open coloring pages theme - Postal services) Print for each child.

SONGS & RHYMES

I'm a little letter

by: Patricia Morrison
sung to: I'm a little teapot

I'm a little letter
Folded up
Tucked in an envelope
A stamp on top
The mailman takes me from the mailbox
He delivers me to the right address

Have fun!

The Educatall team