|
Learning happens everywhere. Why not the post office? February is the perfect time to look at the many learning opportunities associated with valentines, mail and the post office in general. From making cards, to writing letters, and getting things ready to post, children learn important skills, such as; writing, weighing, sorting and counting. Making and sending valentines can help children understand our postal system and how we send and receive mail. |
STRENGTHENING EARLY LEARNING SKILLS
ART SKILLS – Making cards, valentines and stamps can help children strengthen their skills of cutting, gluing, folding and design.
WRITING SKILLS – Writing their names on valentines and postcards is great for developing beginning writing skills.
LANGUAGE SKILLS – Making up stories based on postcards and reading simple words and letters can help children increase their language and beginning reading skills.
MATH SKILLS – Counting, sorting and stacking cards by size can help children strengthen their early math skills.
THINKING SKILLS – Guessing who postcards are from and estimating weights of packages can help children develop thinking skills.
COORDINATION SKILLS – Folding letters and inserting them into envelopes, can help children develop small muscle coordination skills.
|
MAXIMIZING LEARNING
Preschool children love to help out whenever there is work to be done. Take time to include your child in your daily projects and errands. Whether you are folding clothes or taking boxes to the post office, let your child be responsible for one small part of this experience.
Below are some early learning activities to do with your child based on mail and the post office. |
SIMPLE VALENTINES
 |
Give your child a plain piece of white paper, a peeled red crayon and a cardboard heart shape. |
|
Show him how to place the heart beneath the white paper and how to turn the crayon sideways and rub across the paper creating a heart rubbing. |
|
Write out the words “I LOVE YOU” for your child to copy onto his paper. |
|
Then have your child fold the paper and send it to someone special. |
Alternative: Let your child glue a red heart in the middle of a white doily. |
MAKING STAMPS
 |
Let your child color a sheet of plain labels (available at office supply stores). |
|
These can be placed on the front of pretend mail or on the back of envelopes for real mail. |
Alternative: If you don’t have computer labels available, just take a plain sheet of paper, cut it in half and then fold it into eight squares for your child to color. Cut out the squares and let your child glue his stamps onto his letter or postcards. |
JUNK MAIL SORT
A Great use for junk mail is to let your child play post office with it.
 |
Fill a basket with junk mail. |
|
Give the basket to your child and encourage her to sort the mail by size or color. Can you or your child think of other ways to sort the mail? |
For More Fun: When your child is finished playing with the junk mail, help her cut off the stamps from envelopes. These can also be used to sort or your child can use them to start a stamp collection. |
MAIL BOX SORT
This activity is great for letter recognition.
 |
Cut slits in the top or side of three large boxes. |
|
Let your child deliver the mail to these boxes. |
|
Place a letter such as A, B or C (or whatever letters you want) on each box. |
|
Then write one of these letters on the front of a each piece of junk mail. |
|
Give the mail to your child to deliver to the correct mail box. |
|
HELPING WITH THE MAIL
Your child can help you with your mail by doing one of the following.
 |
Help by licking stamps. |
|
Help place packing material in boxes to mail. |
|
Signing names to cards and letters. |
|
Drawing pictures to send to friends and family. |
|
Collect or carry your mail from your mailbox. |
|
AT THE POST OFFICE
There are many learning opportunities for young children at the post office.
 |
Let your child drop your mail into mailboxes or mail slots. |
|
Help you decide which stamps to buy. |
|
Try to estimate the weight of your package or packages. |
|
Stack your letters for you according to size. |
|
Count the number of people in the line ahead of you. |
|
Play a game of “I Spy” while you wait in the line. |
|
