Mail Carrier Game

This project may be done over several days. Fun to do around Valentine's Day. Leave the "neighborhood" displayed in the classroom for a week or two and elaborate on the game.

Objectives

Children ages 5-6 years will learn knowledge of community roles Cog. II
and print numerals FM III
Children ages 4-5 years can classify objects by use Lang. IIA
and ages 3-4 can copy cross, square, and circle FM III
All children participating will be able to match numeral sequence to the same numeral sequence.

 

Materials

Large manila envelopes; small envelopes; felt pens; small pretend mail pouch; paper strips; large sheet of butcher paper; toy mailbox or shoe box with mail slot; play postage stamps (optional).

Procedures

1. Gather children at a table and give each a large manila envelope. Open envelopes and, using flap for roof, have children draw windows, doors, etc.

2. Let children glue their houses to the butcher paper. They usually want to live near their friends.

3. Develop the neighborhood by adding streets (help with this), trees, grass, flowers by their homes, birds, and pets, whatever. Post low on wall.

4. Give each child a strip of paper and ask him/her to choose a house number using one to four numerals. Help children write (or trace) this address on their strip of paper. Copy the number the child has chosen on his/her house.

5. Give each child a small envelope and paper to make letters or greeting cards. Keep the messages simple to elicit quantity. Children may address the envelopes to themselves or other children. Encourage children to ask each other for the proper house number.

6. Children may add stamps and drop letters in mailbox.

7. When several letters are in the mailbox, choose a letter carrier to deliver the letters to the houses. The mailperson must match the numeral sequences on the envelopes to the sequences on the houses. Children take turns delivering the mail.

8. At the end of the day children may take home their mail.