Materials
- long low table
- three child-sized chairs
- three tri-fold display boards
- three working calculators
- three shoeboxes
- stamps (free stamps from junk mail)
- pretend money
- cardstock paper
- markers
- four 3'-long dowel rods
- four coffee cans
- sand
- lightweight rope
- working baby scale
- envelopes of varying sizes
- small square table and small rectangular table
- writing paper
- pens and pencils
What to do
1. Ask the children if they have ever been to a post office with their parents. Talk about the things they might have seen there. Discuss the counter, the stamps, the workers, and anything else they might have seen.
2. Set up a postal center with the children. Place a long, low table in the area with three chairs behind it.
3. Cut the front of the three tri-fold display boards down to almost the bottom, making sure you don't cut them apart. Place them on the table to serve as dividers for each post office station. For stability, tape the top of the display boards together and tape the bottoms to the table.
4. Place one calculator and one shoebox at each station. Put stamps in one part of the shoebox and pretend money in the other.
5. Use the cardstock paper and markers to create badges for the post office workers. You can pin or tape these to the children as they play.
6. Pour sand into each coffee can and place a dowel rod in each one. Use these to create a walkway up to the table. Tie the rope to the dowel rods to complete the walkway.
7. Remove the top from a baby scale, exposing the square platform. Place the baby scale on the small square table and explain to the children that they can use it to weigh oversize items.
8. Place envelopes of varying sizes, writing paper, pens, and pencils on the rectangular table and place several small chairs around it.
9. Encourage the children to take turns "working" at the bank. Those who aren't working can use the writing paper, pens, and pencils to write letters to friends or family. Show the children how to fold the paper so it fits in the envelope, and encourage them to visit the post office to weigh their letters and buy stamps.
10. Have extra money on hand to refill the money boxes at each station. Invite children and teachers from other rooms to visit and buy stamps at your post office.
-Virginia Jean Herrod, Columbia, SC
