Christmas is one of my favorite times of year because I love getting stuff in the mail!
This easy dramatic play activity is perfect for the holidays. No matter what holiday you’re celebrating, there’s a card for that! And kids will love delivering it.
Supplies
- Christmas cards (recycled, homemade, or new)
- Envelopes
- Stickers or other decorating supplies
- Crayons, markers, or colored pencils
- Construction paper
- Tape
- Small bag, box, or cart to deliver the cards in
Looking for an organized guide of fun, easy activities to do with your toddler that also encourages their growth and development?
I’ve created a 3-month activity planner just for busy parents like you! The plan includes 65 detailed, simple, and stress-free activities including: arts and crafts, sensory play, motor skills, and STEM–all using easy-to-find supplies.
Let me help make planning activities for your toddler easy, so you can skip the stress and get straight to the fun!
Christmas Card DeLivery Dramatic Play
This dramatic play extended over several days. Take your time with this one and have fun. Each segment can take a whole day to do; there’s absolutely no rush.
Step One: Make the Mailboxes
First, make a mailbox for each family member. I decided to go really simple and just folded a sheet of construction paper in half. Then I wrote each person’s name on their “mailbox” and taped it to their bedroom door.
Kids can help decorate their mailboxes if you’d like!
Step Two: Make and Decorate the cards
Next is the fun part: Making cards!
Write each family member’s name on a card and on an envelope.
Get all the card decorating supplies ready in your craft area (we used the dining room table). You’ll also need a small bag, box, or cart.
Let kids decorate the cards however they want. Then have them match the name on the card to the name on the envelope.
Seal the envelopes and decorate them. Don’t forget to put a “stamp” on.
Have your kids put the finished, stamped envelopes in a small bag, box, or cart.
We used our shopping cart walker to be the “mail delivery cart”!
Step Three: Deliver the Cards
Once your little Christmas elves are ready to deliver the cards, have them take their deliveries to each mailbox, match the names, and put the cards in the slots.
Do Steps 2 and 3 as many times as you’d like!
What We’re Learning
There’s a lot going on in this little dramatic play.
Elena learned about our tradition of sending cards to loved ones for Christmas. One of her grandparents is a mail carrier, so of course we got the low down on mail delivery at the post office during the holidays!
This is a great activity to use to talk about how real mail gets delivered.
Another big concept was reading names. Elena can read her own name and was starting to be able to read Mommy, Daddy, and Lia (her sister’s name). This dramatic play activity gave her lots of practice in reading our family members’ names in a very meaningful way.
Finally, all that card decorating was great for early writing skills development. Elena was so excited to color and scribble all over the cards and envelopes.
I also let her use scissors and glue to cut up pieces of construction paper to decorate her cards with. Total hit.
She really improved her scissor skills and was able to make lots of confetti out of the construction paper. Yes, it was a bit messy, but we kept it confined to one area so it took seconds to sweep up.
Your Turn For Christmas Card Delivery Dramatic Play
Now it’s your turn! Take this activity and make it your own. Be as elaborate or simple with the activity as you’d like.
Most importantly, have fun! Connect with your kids.
The holidays are a busy time for all of us, and also the best time to share the magic and wonder of Christmas with our kids.
Hope you enjoy!
Looking for an organized guide of fun, easy activities to do with your toddler that also encourages their growth and development?
I’ve created a 3-month activity planner just for busy parents like you! The plan includes 65 detailed, simple, and stress-free activities including: arts and crafts, sensory play, motor skills, and STEM–all using easy-to-find supplies.
Let me help make planning activities for your toddler easy, so you can skip the stress and get straight to the fun!