Turning this small space into a Mailbox Corner
Do you have small spaces? We certainly do so we have to get super creative in how to make the most of our small spaces. Each week or so, we change up this little corner to create a new dramatic play experience. Today’s version that I am sharing with you is the Mailbox Corner.
Our Mailbox Corner
We don’t have the space in our classroom for a full dramatic play area so we turned this space into a mailbox corner. Included in the corner were old paper boxes I had saved, some paper, pencils, stickers, scissors, tape, and DIY construction paper postcards, and a few other odds and ends. Oh, and there were some calculators and phones just in case anyone needed to call the mailroom or purchase a few extra stamps. The reality is, we never know how the students will use the materials we provide so we add an assortment of materials that will facilitate a broad range of play and conversation.
We also added our big blue mailbox so the children could send their mail right away. The big blue mailbox does have a hole in the back but the children still haven’t discovered that hole. They will soon enough! We left the table next to the shelf mostly empty so the children had some space to work. After all, they needed to get their packages and letters ready for the mail.
All morning long, the children explored the process of creating and sending their mail. Some of the children preferred to whip up a few letters while other were more interested in sending out a few packages. The biggest deciding factor was what would actually fit inside that tiny slit of the box.
Of course, our packages didn’t fit very well in our mailbox and it was hard to see what happened to the mail once it was dropped inside. Oh how these curious minds are always working. Children really are natural explorers and learners.
So much learning happening through play and exploration. From discovering the process of writing and sending a letter, figuring out what will and will not fit into our mailbox, to even reading about this little guy who got lots of very unusual packages in the mail. This book is titled, “It Came in the Mail” by Ben Clanton.
Our little mailbox corner was a great way to change up our tight little dramatic play corner! Speaking of centers, we are talking about centers in the Honey Bee Hive this week. There are so many wonderful ways to set up centers around the classroom and when you get the hang of it, they make a difference in helping you keep your students engaged in constructive play throughout each day!