Resource

Post Office Activity: Support Literacy, Numeracy, and Social Skills

This activity reinforces literacy, numeracy, and social skills through a post office game and related activities.

From Positive Eye, a resource rich in learning opportunities and a cross curricular approach. One for the whole class to enjoy inclusive of the child with visual impairments.

As part of this theme it is important for the child to experience a visit to the Post Office as this offers a rich concrete learning experience which can then be played out through role play. It is also important to maximise the learning opportunities offered by the visit to the Post Office. It is essential that labels are made to go with each component part of the resource, encouraging the child to match initial letter sounds, whole words, braille contractions (dependent on learning stage) before they play with or use the resource.

 

 

You will need some or all of the following materials:

  • Letter size guide (Amazon)cash register
  • Sack for Parcels (Potato sack – local garden centre)
  • Range of different sized parcels
  • Range of different sized envelopes/letters
  • Stamps     
  • Talking or large print weighing scales – RNIB
  • Money
  • Till or cash register (Amazon)
  • Mat (IKEA)
  • Pen in holder (Amazon)
  • Thimbletts (Amazon, pack of 10 but good for counting and sorting)
  • Sponge damper (Amazon)
  • Desk Tidy – Paper clips, rubber bands, thimblettes (Amazon)
  • Leaflet Holder (Amazon)
  • Post Office – Front of Shop (Supplier Hobbycraft, counter cut out and adverts, laminated, brailled and attached with double sided tape)

 

Ideas for literacy development:

  • Match the word labels to each object.activity cards for game
  • Role play visiting the Post Office, play at being Post Office Clerk, customers – developing speaking and listening skills, positive social skills, use of good body language, facial expression and voice tone during the activity.
  • Play the Post Office Game (detailed below).
  • Make up a story about the Post Man/Woman and the funny happenings in the Post Office.
  • Read the story of Post Man Pat.
  • Make up a poem about the Post Office, using the initial letters of Post Office to form the poem.

 

Ideas for numeracy development:

  • Count, match and sort the paper clips, rubber bands, thimblettes in the desk tidy.        letters and parcels
  • Count the money in the till.
  • Create activities to support addition, subtraction, multiplication etc using money.
  • Weigh the parcels, order by weight.
  • Order parcels by size.
  • Measure the length and width of the parcels.
  • Measure the length and width of the letters.
  • Order letters by size and weight.

 

The Post Office Game

Play the Post Office Game to support the development of both literacy and numeracy skills.

You will need:

  • post office game 1 x Set of number cards
  • 1 x KOMPLEMENT multi-purpose hanger (IKEA £4.50)
  • 1 set of activity cards
  • 1 x set of buzzers (Learning Resources)
  • The resources detailed in the list at the top.
  • Dice and counters

 

How to play:

For 3 or more players

  1. One child is the Post Office Clerk, the rest of the children playing the game are customers.
  2. Post Office Clerk is decided by the first person to throw a 6.
  3. Children commence the game and can start when they throw a 6.
  4. Children take turns, throwing the dice and moving along the game with their counter according to the number on their dice throw.
  5. Activities along the way are completed, according to the spot the child lands on.
  6. Activities are divided into 4 types: (See activity cards for details of activities, these can be fully adapted to meet the level of the child’s learning and access)
  • Landing on a triangle shape: Weighing activity
  • Landing on a coin: Money activity
  • Landing on an envelope shape: Letter activity
  • Landing on a buzzer: It’s a surprise gift for you

The winner is the first to reach the finish post and press the final buzzer on this spot.

 

collage of post office activity