Kids just love the mail and playing mailbox, and this is true even before they fully understand what the pretend play is all about! So today I made Veronika her first mailbox, simply by cutting a slit in an old shoebox.

We had fun decorating it together; while Veronika proudly scribbled in purple, I added “U.S. Mail” across the top and some red and blue coloration.

It was time to send the mail! Use old envelopes or stationary or even playing cards for your “letters”. I showed her how to put them in the slot…

…and then reach in to take them out again. She got the hang of it right away.

Add to the pretend play by addressing a note or two to your baby. You can then pretend to “read” the mail together.

For proof that games like this never grow old, big brother Travis needed to horn in on the action.

Soon he was practicing his handwriting as he addressed letters, mailing them through the slot, and opening them back up again.

It kept both of them entertained for ages!

You can finish the fun with a trip to a real post office, or even just a stop to watch a mail carrier at work, delivering letters from the truck.