Fam Mail

The Reason for Resourcefulness:

My daughter wanted to play mailcarrier, and she needed a mailbox for her letters. 

The Creation:

1 Empty Cardboard Box (cracker, cereal, or cookie box)
1 Sales Paper
1 Paper Towel Roll (I actually used two toilet rolls, but I think a paper towel roll would be better.)
1 Empty Plastic Coffee Container
1 Shish-Kabob Skewer (I actually used a screw, and if I were to use a skewer, I suggest using only 4 inches.)
1 Eraser
4 Clothespins (Or the number of people in your family.)
Tape or Glue (whatever is available)
Decorating materials (paint, stickers, markers, glitter, construction paper, etc)

Step One--The Cardboard Box
The box will act as the mailbox's base. 
1. Before decorating it, stuff it with the crumpled sales paper and tape it shut. 
2. Lay it flat and trace the inside of the paper towel roll's diameter on center of the box.  You want the hole to be a hair smaller than the roll's actual diameter so that it will be secure in the hole.  The paper should also help sturdy the roll. 
3. Cut this circle out.
4. Allow your child to decorate the box.  (My daughter and I made it look like a flower patch.  We wrapped the box in green paper, and she painted flowers on it's top.)

Step Two--The Paper Towel Roll
The paper towel roll acts as the mailbox's pole.
1. Allow your child to decorate the paper towel roll.  (My daughter painted it blue and white.)

****Before continuing, trace the center of the roll's diameter on the bottom of the plastic coffee container.

2. On one end, coat the first 1/4 of an inch in glue.  Squeeze the end of the paper towel roll slightly and push it into the hole you created in the cardboard box. 

Step Three--The Plastic Coffee Container
1. Cut out the circle created for the paper towel roll.
2. Punch a hole in the side of the container.
3. Allow your child to decorate the coffee container.
4. After your child has decorated the coffee container, insert the Shish-Kabob skewer.  Push the eraser on the end inside the coffee container to stabilize the stick and to keep your kids safe.

Step Four--The Clothes Pins
1. Write each person in your family's name on each clothespin.  (We painted ours red so that it would look look like the flag on our mailbox.)

Step Five--Play
We gave our mail to our daughter, who delivered the mail.  She clipped the clothespin to the skewer to indicate who in the house had mail.