For immediate release: December 10, 2018
Douglas County Libraries in Castle Pines, 360 Village Square Lane, recently delivered a fun surprise for its youngest patrons — the Little Letters Post Office. Located in the children’s area of the library, the interactive playscape invites kids to use imaginative play in the learning process.
Little Letters Post Office is a museum-quality installation that features playful facets of a real-life post office. Kids can act out the different aspects of mail processing and delivery from both the postal worker and consumer end using their imaginations and provided play materials, equipment and devices.
Children can create mail and packages at the supplies table and then bring them to the service counter where they “pay” for their shipments. They can also dress up in provided postal employee uniforms to accept packages and mail, weigh the items, ring them up on the cash register, place them on the conveyor belt, and sort them into mail slots.
The play environment also includes a standalone mail truck where kids can get behind the wheel and “drive” to deliver mail.
“Kids learn best through play, and Little Letters provides endless chances for that,” said DCL’s Castle Pines Branch Manager Kate Prestwood. “This playscape was installed on November 26 and by that afternoon, kids were already around the letter-writing table, addressing envelopes, and then ‘paying’ for them at the counter. It was amazing how they figured it out immediately.”
The Castle Pines library is the latest DCL location to install this type of self-guided play environment. The Highlands Ranch branch features The Market and Lone Tree offers the Playful Pets animal clinic and grooming spa.
“The playscapes at Douglas County Libraries are designed to give children a break from technology and get them back to imaginative play,” said Jaime Gotlieb, branch manager at DCL’s Castle Rock, Philip S. Miller, location. “In Castle Pines, kids can create what playing Post Office means to them. We offer the pieces, and they show us how they want to use them. There is no right way to play.”
According to Castle Pines’ Prestwood, Little Letters has been very well received. “Seating is provided around the playscape so parents can sit and watch their kids interact and also engage with them as the kids ask how to spell new words for their letters or in which corner to place the stamp,” she said.
The library held a stamp design contest to commemorate the opening of its Little Letters Post Office. Six winning designs, created by children in the community, were chosen to be the featured play stamps that kids can place on their mail pieces.
Douglas County Libraries elevates our community by inspiring a love of reading, discovery and connection. For more information, visit DCL.org or call 303-791-7323.
