Playing Postman Preschool Role Play: All the children I know are obsessed with posting and sorting things, Monkey is no different. So when I saw this cardboard post box in Hobbycraft for £10, I knew that Monkey and I could make it into something fun. He’s been really interested in the postman recently often looking out for him when he’s at home and loves receiving letters and parcels. Although he does tend to come quite late in the day round our way!
He is also starting to take an interest in writing cards, thank yous and make believe letters to his little friends and family members. I really want to encourage this – although when I say write I mean it in the looses sense of the word! Some of his mark making has got quite small recently and
he has started to tell me what he is writing. I’m thinking that the more I can encourage this through play the better.
So I set up an invitation to ‘paint’ for when Monkey got home from nursery on Thursday night (note the old shower curtain on the floor!). It surprisingly needed less paint that I imagined, one tube did the job adequately.
Monkey’s Auntie had a special Birthday coming up so we went and brought some stamps at the local shop and posted the cards. It was a great opportunity to look at the post box in more depth. We talked about the differences between that and the one we were making at home – size, the real one was ‘cold’, he liked the pattern on the front and the little notice informing people about days and times.
He decided we needed something similar on our our little postbox. I cut up a project life photo sheet to make a small plastic envelope to stick on the front. The plan is that we will be able to use the postbox for other activities centred around different celebrations and festivities, so I wanted to be able to change the notice on the front.
I set about making felt envelopes which could either be filled with letters or left empty if he didn’t feel like writing any notes. While in hobbycraft I brought some of their felt sheets, for each envelope I sewed a blanket stitch along the long edge to make a pocket.
To make them more like envelopes Monkey decided we needed to add stamps. I used white felt and pinking shears to cut small rectangles and glue to secure them.
Working along the same lines as the postbox. I also added small plastic pockets to the front of each envelope. This will allow them to be addressed to whoever the game dictates. We used silicone glue to secure both the stamps and the pockets.
Then we set about playing..
I set out the postbox, envelopes and Monkey’s writing box. I have written about the writing box previously you can find it here. He excitedly went about writing letters and drawing pictures for all his little friends. Some of them were a bit rushed as all he really wanted to do was to post them!
We talked about the importance of addressing the envelopes and what happens to the letters once they have been posted. For one of his little friends he started to draw an egg. Not sure what the obsession is with eggs! Which suddenly led to him wanting to post eggs. He disappeared and came back with his play eggs wanting to wrap them up. I fetched the brown paper and we set about wrapping them up and addressing them. Only slight problem is that they would not fit through the slot in the postbox so we had to take the lid off.
It sparked a conversation about thick and thin. I never thought about parcels to post. My imagination had only gone as far as letters. It is wonderful watching Monkey seeing things from a different view point. And seeing how his play ideas evolve in his mind. I wonder what we are going to be posting next? He’s already requesting a postbag so that he can deliver them. I better get my sewing machine out!
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24 Responses
This is fantastic and great that it stimulated so many discussions with Monkey! Thanks for linking up to #Imaginationmatters and it would be great to see you again next week for our weather theme
What a brilliant idea! I’m definitely adding this to our craft/play list for when Rowan’s older. I love the fact your little boy wanted to be able to post parcels as well as letters, very cute!
I can imagine the post box all dressed up for Christmas time to post letters to Father Christmas.
Thanks for sharing ?
Laura x
What an adorable and meaningful learning activity!! My daughter would love this! Great for so many learning experiences- writing, learning about the mail, fine motor, social lessons, even colors and shapes!
I love this idea. So many ways to use it too. Love the felt letters.
Thank you 🙂
Thank you 🙂 he loves it – hopefully it will last until Christmas!! Cx
It’s amazing how they see this differently I hope you have lots of fun when you get to it 🙂 Cx
Love your post box. #imaginationmatters
http://twinkletwinklehereyouare.weebly.com/home/imagination-matters-emergency-services
What a great idea! It looks like a lot of fun! I love the colourful ‘envelopes’! #kidscorner
That’s an amazing postbox! You’ll be able to play with it over and over. I might have to make a trip to Hobbycraft myself…
This is incredible! What a creative idea. You should sell these as a role playing game on somewhere like All By Mama. I’d buy one. I love the envelopes and the little stamps. It’s so adorable! You could use this at Christmas to send Santa letters too! 😀 xx
Zach would adore this! His favourite thing at the moment is checking for post when we get home and if we have any, reposting it back through the letterbox! Thanks for sharing 🙂 #kidscorner
What an amazing idea!!! I’m so impressed with this – and the level of artistry that went into it.
This is something we shall be trying out between now and winter for that indoor role play! BRILLIANT!
#kidscorner
Aw thank you 🙂 hope you have as much fun as we did x
Lol ? don’t you just love that! Ours never comes out in one piece the other side! Xx
Ooo never heard about this …. Will check it out 🙂 thank you x
Yey hope you have fun with yours too 🙂
ooo I need a trip to hobby craft I love this its a fun project that will get so much use out of after playing too thanks for the inspiration #kidscorner x
This is so lovely!! You are such a fun mum, your blog is just amazing. Thanks for sharing in #KidsCorner x
Awww thanks Katy ? and thanks for hosting xx
Love this idea! #busydoinglife
I saw this post a few weeks back and headed off to try and find myself a postbox in hobbycraft but they had sold out! I now have a cardboard box I have to paint with the girls as they want to send each other letters!! Thankyou so much for sharing this with #busydoinglife it’s such a great idea. Have a great week x
Oh no – such a shame they sold out but I am sure yours will still work out beautifully 🙂 be great to see, thank you for hosting xx