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You are here: Home / Dramatic Play / Post Office Dramatic Play {Free Printables!}

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Post Office Dramatic Play {Free Printables!}

February 21, 2018 by Sheryl Cooper

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Inside: Having a post office dramatic play area in your classroom offers a variety of opportunities for working together, writing and sending notes, and learning how mail is delivered. While toddlers and preschoolers are sorting, transporting, and sending packages, they are building language skills while working and playing together.

Our toddlers and preschoolers love it when we include post office dramatic play in our lesson plans!

There’s something about pushing the envelopes through the slots, packing bags with letters, and stacking boxes to send in the mail. If they’ve had any real life experience going to the post office with their family, it’s even more meaningful!

What you include in your dramatic play area can vary. In fact, ours changes a bit from year to year depending on what we have on hand.

Note: Scroll down to get your FREE post office printable signs and labels!

post office dramatic play

How to Set Up a Post Office Dramatic Play Area for Toddlers and Preschoolers

Make sure to start planning this dramatic play activity in advance. This way you can make sure to collect:

  • Boxes
  • Envelopes
  • Post Cards
  • Junk Mail
  • Stickers
  • Stamps

In the past, we’ve asked our preschool families to donate any of the above that they might already have in their homes. It’s always fun to see what everyone brings in!

Post Office Dramatic Play for Toddler and Preschoolers

We made our own mail visors by using blue foam visors and writing “U.S. MAIL” with a permanent marker.

Donated stickers were placed on boxes and envelopes.

Post Office Dramatic Play for Toddler and Preschoolers

Boxes were carefully sorted and stacked.

Post Office Dramatic Play for Toddler and Preschoolers

Each of the children had a slip of paper with their names on them that were placed in envelopes for some extra literacy fun.

Post Office Dramatic Play for Toddler and Preschoolers

Mail bags are a must for the post office, too. Young children love to fill them to be carried around while making deliveries!

At one time someone had donated a nice big leather handbag that was perfect, but it went missing.

We decided to make our own bags using white canvas tote bags (you can see a similar product here) and a strip of wide red, white, and blue ribbon attached to the edge of the bag with no-sew fabric glue. We’ve had these bags for 5 years now, used between 4 different classrooms, and they are holding up well!

Post Office Dramatic Play for Toddler and Preschoolers

While having a post office dramatic play area, you can talk about how special it feels when someone gives you a card. If you are doing this around Valentine’s Day, the children can make their own bags or boxes that their Valentine’s cards will go in.

Post Office Dramatic Play for Toddler and Preschoolers

You can extend this into your writing area, with small notecards, envelopes, and writing tools.

Post Office Dramatic Play for Toddler and Preschoolers

Books to go with the post office theme:

post office dramatic play

New! Post office printable labels:

Free Toddler Preschool Post Office Printables

More dramatic play ideas:

Winter Dramatic Play Activities

Fall Dramatic Play Activities

Christmas Dramatic Play Activities

t p t Valentine's Day Post Office Packet
t p t veterinarian clinic
TPT farmers market dramatic play printable pack

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Filed Under: Dramatic Play, preschool, Printables, Toddlers Tagged With: dramatic play, preschool, printables, toddlers

About Sheryl Cooper

Sheryl Cooper is the founder of Teaching 2 and 3 Year Olds, a website full of activities for toddlers and preschoolers. She has been teaching this age group for over 20 years and loves to share her passion with teachers, parents, grandparents, and anyone with young children in their lives.

Previous Post: « How to Make Easy Valentine Brownies with Toddlers
Next Post: Rainbow Sorting Activity for Preschoolers that Can Hang »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Maro's kindergarten

    February 19, 2013 at 9:48 pm

    I love your post office! Great idea for hours of play!

  2. Sheryl Cooper

    February 19, 2013 at 10:01 pm

    Thank you! We are on week 2 and they are still having so much fun with it!

  3. Kate

    February 19, 2013 at 10:44 pm

    This is adorable! I will have to try this at some point!
    Kate
    http://www.funinecse.blogspot.com/

    • Sheryl Cooper

      February 20, 2013 at 8:35 am

      Thank you – I hope you do!

  4. Nebuchudnessar

    February 20, 2013 at 6:51 am

    I love this, I must try a smaller scale one for my daughter, she loves the post office!

    • Sheryl Cooper

      February 20, 2013 at 8:37 am

      Oh yes, this can easily be done on a smaller scale at home. Even the kitchen table can work! Preschoolers love junk mail and assorted envelopes. If you give them small baskets, they can tote them around. You can make a mailbox out of a shoe box, cutting a slit on the lid.

  5. Sarah

    February 25, 2018 at 1:39 am

    Where did you get your big blue mailbox? I love this center!

    • Sheryl Cooper

      February 25, 2018 at 9:30 pm

      Thank you, Sarah! The blue mailbox is from Melissa & Doug Toys.

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