Your kid can also practice writing skills and letter recognition in a fun, sustainable way! With Learning Resource‘s Alphabet Learning Mailbox, kids have the opportunity to learn new vocabulary while pretending to send mail.
There are several learning components to the Alphabet Learning Mailbox, all resulting in ABC fun! The toy includes 2-piece puzzle cards that showcase a capital and lowercase letter on one piece, and a word that begins with that letter on the other. Kids can match the letters to the word, then place a reusable puffy sticker “stamps” on the puzzle card before they put it in the mailbox.
The puzzle cards have designated areas for the stamp. Each stamp features a letter from the puzzle card and an image of the word on the card, such as rainbow, zebra, donut, or egg. Kids can feel a sense of accomplishment when they match the word to the letter and use a stamp and send their puzzle cards away in the mailbox. The backside of the puzzle cards feature more images of items that begin with the letter on the front, so you can work through sounding out letters using different words and visuals.
There are also five double-sided write and wipe postcards, so kids can trace lowercase and uppercase letters without wasting paper or sitting through a long workbook. The postcards and letters have border designs that make them look like real envelopes, so it’ll feel like they’re working on a really important message!
Once they finish tracing letters or practicing letter recognition with the puzzle cards, kids can put the cards in the mailbox slot and rotate the flag. There are also sides of the cards that look like actual postcards, so kids can take a break and “mail” a cute greeting card. After they’ve made their deposit, the red, smiling mailbox face will open downwards like a real mailbox for letter retrieval.
The mailbox itself is bright and colorful, with the alphabet embedded on the sides. You can also quiz your kid and ask them to trace one specific letter, find the letter on the puzzle and complete the puzzle card, select the correct letter stamp, slip it in the mailbox, then locate the letter on the side of the mailbox.
Encourage your kid to be creative when using the toy; ask them to imagine where the postcard would end up, give them computer paper to draw on and let them put it in the mailbox slot, or put the mailbox outside your door and have them leave drawings or messages throughout the day.
At the end of the day, when your house is no longer accepting mail, your kid can clean up their workspace by placing the Alphabet Learning Mailbox pieces into the mailbox for storage.
The toy is designed for kids ages 4 and up, but younger ones will enjoy scribbling on the postcards or playing with the puffy stickers. For kids of all ages, just make sure there’s an understanding of what can fit through the mailbox slot and what should not be forced into it — it’s a great teaching opportunity and will save you from worrying about a slime-filled mailbox!
With the double-sided puzzle cards, double-sided tracing postcards, and stickers, there are numerous ways for your kid to learn about letters, letter sounds, and different vocabulary. With extra sheets of paper, a working mailbox, and a large imagination, the opportunities with this toy are unlimited!
ALPHABET LEARNING MAILBOX
Practice tracing skills, letter recognition, and beginning sounds with this mail-themed playset. Kids can use alphabet puzzle cards; puffy sticker “stamps”; and write-and-wipe, double-sided postcards to learn the alphabet and new vocabulary words before sliding their work into the mailbox.
