Post Office Tour

Last Wednesday--February 6th--Glenn and I went with a Church/local playgroup on a tour of a post office. I was really looking forward to it because I've always wanted to see what the back looks like.

We didn't know the other people in the tour because we just got on the sign-up emails, but that didn't matter.  We were included right away--and I even was asked to take pictures along the tour.

Sorry for the blurriness of this first picture, but this is where we started...

We first gathered in the open area where we've all been before to buy stamps, send mail, etc.  We had a post master talk to the kids about what goes on at a post office.  To be honest I think most of the kids were too young to really understand or care, but the older kids thought it was cool--and the moms too. 

 In preparation for this playgroup, the kids wrote letters so they could mail them and see how they make their way from this place to it's final destination.

First, the letters get stamped with the date and location of where it was received...

 ...then the kids got to put it in this chute...

Then we went in the back to see where they went.

The post master expressed how important it was for them to not touch anything and to follow him around.  There was a yellow line on the floor and he told them to stay on that unless he told them otherwise.  Isn't it funny how excited kids can get over something as simple as walking on a yellow line? :D

 And here is the container that their letters fell into.  So he picked them up and looked at their destinations.  Some were for a post office box at that post office, so he showed the kids where that was.  We liked seeing that because we have a PO box.  (Not at this location--this was Pflugerville, not Austin.)

 The back of the PO boxes...

 And this is where the mail gets sorted into different routes.  Each one of those orange and yellow baskets are for a different route.  

 This is where letters go with zip codes in the local area of Texas.

 ...Still walking around and seeing other boxes and containers where other letters and packages are sorted...

 ....Walking to the way back and then outside to see one of the special mail trucks.

The post master told us about the truck--how the steering wheel was on the right side...

 ...how we should wave at the mail carrier when we see them--and keep our dogs away from them too! ;D

 Then each kid got a turn to sit in the driver's seat.  Glenn liked that!

At the end of the tour, the post master lined the kids up to go back to the main area.  He gave coloring books to one mom to hand out once they had left.  Then he told them to put their hand on their head, and he stamped it on the way out--with the same stamp that went on their letters.

Then we tried a few times to get a picture with all the kids and the post master and the post office manager.

The kids had a good time and I think they really enjoyed seeing where their letters went.  

After this we met some of the kids at a park close by and played for 3 or more hours!  It was such a nice day and it was hard to want to go back inside.