Activity Title: Post Office play

Category: Dramatic Play

Targeted Age Group: preschoolers (3-5 years)

Intent: This activity helps build children's early literacy and social skills, and it also encourages them to explore community roles, particularly those they like, by imitating the way they talk, walk, or laugh. Also, engaging in post office play, the children are practicing writing, sorting, and calculating, which supports their cognitive development and communication skills. 

One essential skill is perspective-taking, whereby children understand and consider the needs and roles of others, such as those of a customer, mail carrier, and letter recipient. (Dietze, B., & Kashin, D. (2016 pg.26). 

One domain and skills indicator:

social: co-operating (1.6) -exchanging of ideas and materials during play. ( Ontario ministry of education, 2014). 

Materials:

Includes: Envelopes, notepads or small paper sheets

mailboxes, mailbags or small tote bags

stickers (used as pretend stamps)

pencils, crayons, markers

name cards or photo name labels

clipboards

clean up bins for materials 

A post office sign

Invitation to play:

Create a "writing desk" area with papers, crayons, pencils and envelopes. Set up cardboard boxes labelled with the children's names or pictures to serve as mailboxes. Place a tote bag or small satchel nearby to use as "mail bags."  Post a simple sign that says "Post Office Open," and start the activity by delivering a letter together as a group. Encourage the children to write letters or draw pictures for their friends and then deliver them to the right mailbox. Have the children take turns playing the role of mail carrier, recipient and sender.

Website link example of dramatic play:

Dramatic Play Archives - Play to Learn Preschool

 

 

references

Dietze, B., & Kashin, D. (2016 pg.26). playing and learning in early childhood education. Pearson Canada.

Ontario ministry of education. (2014). ELECT: Early learning for every child today. Retrieved from. https//preschoolcanada.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/ELECT_compressed.pdf