The Royal Mail is celebrating a milestone anniversary in 2016, clocking up 500 years since its creation in 1516 when Henry VIII knighted the first Master of the Posts, Sir Brian Tuke.

Digital communications may have caused the postal service to be coined snail mail in more recent years but there are many functions that purely virtual contact can’t replicate.

It’s always nice to pick up a special hand written missive from your door mat and, when you’re young and have still received more birthday cards than bills through your letter box, then it’s even more exciting so it’s no wonder many little Postman Pat fans love playing post offices themselves.

Kate’s son Noah certainly knows how much enjoyment you can have but then his mum, who writes at Picklebums, designed him his very own Post Office Play – Free Printable Play Set.  Luckily for us she’s made it available to download from her website including a personal letter box, design your own stamps, a post office sign and a list of post office words with space to add your own words.

SparkleBox’s Post Office role-play pack includes A4 posters, a banner, labels, signs, writing aids for special deliveries and more.

Early Learning HQ’s Post Office Role-Play offers printers signs, letter and parcel 2D and 3D templates, posters, drama activity sheets and an editable price list.

The emphasis is definitely on fun at Twinkl as its role-play printables are branded as a Jolly Post Office.  Opening times, labels, badges, banner and posters are available to download.

Tiny Me’s Play Mail Printables are available in two designs and also let you “re-live the good old days when snail mail was the norm!”

“Your kids will love writing each other messages on our cute little note cards and posting them in our stripy envelopes, along with a stamp… and finally sealed with a kiss of course!”

If Greendale’s finest is the source of your children’s mail mania then click on the Postman Pat Post Office Set which is available to download from the CBeebies website.  Stamps, tax discs, date stamps, letter paper, notes and coins, envelopes and an open and closed sign will help fuel their pretend play.

We hope your next delivery is a fun one!

Do you love finding printables on the internet?  Do you have particular favourites?  Or have you featured some on your own blog?  Email karen.malpass@inkfactory.com with your links and we may be able to feature them in a future post.