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Share your ideas too. E-mail me at stormie@preschoolbystormie.com
Post Office/Mail Carrier/Introduction To Our Addresses

Thanks goes to Sandra Raymond for beginning this section of my website with this tried but true favorite:
My Very Own Mail: When we were discussing "mail carriers" and how the mail service works, I had my 4 yr olds draw a picture on a piece of paper that I then put in envelopes addressed to each of them. We talked about where their picture would go before it ended up in their very own mail box at home. They were delighted when they got a piece of mail delivered to them.

From Stormie:
Although I'm posting ideas below as often as I can, my very favorite activities for "Post Office/Mail Carrier/Introduction to Our Addresses" have been reserved for my "COMMUNITY HELPERS" booklet (see the "Stormie's Stuff for Teachers" section of my website).

My General Notes: For me personally, the theme of Valentine's Day is much more than "doing heart stuff." By sending valentines to others (real or pretend), children can be introduced to how the mail service works. How does a valentine get to its destination? What is needed? (First, we need an "address.") Then, what happens? This is the perfect time to set up a pretend "post office" in the creative play area (details are in my Community Helpers booklet). (Children can be "mail carriers" delivering valentines.) This is also the perfect time for a field trip to a real post office.

Simple Mailbox: One of my favorite classroom mailboxes was made by my husband from a large sturdy shoebox. He first painted the box (with the lid left on it). He then cut a door into one end and glued a little bead-knob handle on it for opening. A flag was attached to the top side with a brad so that it could be raised and lowered. The children loved this mailbox.

My House/My Street (Address Familiarity/Review): (This can actually be a week-long project for the art center if you have that much time to devote to it.) Have children bring a plain undecorated box from home. Print children's addresses on small cards (by this I mean street address -- not zip code and the whole bit). Scotch tape the cards to their individual boxes and have the children work on/construct their houses all week in the art center using collage materials. Send a note home in advance to parents about this little project, and allow children to bring pictures of their real home to look at if they want. Individually review children's addresses with them throughout the week during Free Play time. If all the children live in the same town, at the end of the week, place their houses on a table top and create a town sign..............review street addresses in the town of ___________. ("Johnny, you live at 235 Oak Street in Faverville." Point to Johnny's house and the town sign.) Have the display near where parents congregate.

By the way, I have more "introduction to address" activities in my Community Helpers booklet.

In-House Field Trip: See if you can get a local mail carrier to come by and show the children his vehicle.

Mini-Homework: Send a note home for parents to help children find their town sign.

From Tamie:
Learning My Address (can be used for learning phone numbers as well):
Pizza Delivery Game: All you need are two phones, paper and pencil. One child calls another to order pizza. The "pizza shop person" asks for the address of the one who is ordering and then writes it down on paper (preschooler scribbling, of course). Obviously, children who don't know their addresses will need help by having them simply repeat their address after you say it aloud. (This creative dramatics game is good for practicing language and social skills too.)

Please share your ideas too. What are your favorite activities for introducing children to their addresses or to the career of a Mail Carrier?
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Reminder from Stormie: If you would like to begin collecting ALL my current classroom ideas (each on a 4 x 6" index card), as well as new ones that I create, you can do so by ordering my "Activity Cards." Click here to check them out.

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