Covering the Box. Silver paper makes the nicest finish for the mail-box, and can be bought of a stationer: but you may paint the cardboard with aluminum radiator paint instead if you prefer. If you use silver paper, stick it on with flour paste.
After the paper or paint has dried, paste
A Collection Schedule Card upon the front of the box. You will need, also, to
Letter the words, "Pull Down," "Letters," etc., where they are shown in the illustrations.
Hang up the Mail-Box by means of its tape strap, within easy reach, upon the face of a door (Fig. 325), or to the back of a chair (Fig. 326).
For a Mail-Bag use a school-book bag, or make one just like a real postman's out of brown denim or cambric. Letter "U. S. Mail" upon the bag with black paint, or cut the letters from black or white muslin and glue them in place. Provide a long strap to reach over the postman's shoulder.
The Way to Play Post-Office is for several children to attend to the writing of letters and wrapping of parcels, another to play mail clerk, who puts the post-marks on the mail and sorts it out into "routes" and another to play postman.
Canceled stamps from old letters may be re-used on the play letters, and a rubber-stamp dater such as they sell at the stationer's for 10 cents may be used for printing the post-marks.
