How to Make a DIY Post Box | Christmas English Activity Ideas

Written by Alison Smith

Updated 5 years ago | 3 min read

Did you know that more and more schools are banning the exchange of Christmas cards?

While there are some challenges with exchanging Christmas cards in the classroom, it also brings festive joy! A great solution is to create a DIY Christmas post box for your classroom. Find out how to make a post box and ways it can be used in conjunction with super cool Christmas English activity ideas!

Let’s keep the tradition of sending Christmas cards alive!

The Problems and the Solutions

So, it’s true. If not organised and managed well, exchanging Christmas post in the classroom can:

cause problems related to students feeling hurt and left out if they do not receive a card
create awkwardness for students who do not celebrate Christmas
take up valuable lesson time and become difficult to manage.

And that’s why you need a DIY Christmas post box!

A Christmas post box can help to:

ensure that every student receives a card (by arranging card buddies)
provide clear times for posting and delivering cards
provide a platform for Christmas English activities and letter writing activities
develop social skills and friendships in the classroom
include children who do not celebrate Christmas by making simple adjustments.

Special Post for Everyone

It’s easy to include students who do not celebrate Christmas by using our 8 Generic Special Person Cards.

Make sure everyone feels included by partnering your students up and by providing a variety of greeting card options. Also, don’t forget to explore and discuss more general greeting messages.

How to Make a Christmas Post Box

It’s easy to make a Christmas Post Box from a photocopy paper box.

To make a Christmas post box you will need:

a photocopy paper box
red and black paper
Green Tartan – Desk Name Tags
cotton wool
sticky tape and glue
gold tape.

Don’t forget that you can adapt this design to create a not so Christmassy post box for students who don’t celebrate Christmas.

Christmas Postcards

When you have made your post box, download our new Christmas Postcard Templates for a fun Christmas English activity. These simple postcard templates can be used in a variety of ways…

For a super fun Christmas English activity, encourage your students to write a postcard from the North Pole! As a class, learn about the northernmost point of the Earth. You might like to explore the climate, animal life and landscape. Next, encourage your students to write a simple postcard that includes:

an informal greeting
a brief description of an exciting event or the best part of their imaginary trip
a note about the weather
the date (optional)
a closing phrase.

Alternatively, you can use these postcards as a quick and easy alternative to Christmas cards.

Keep the Christmas Card Tradition Alive!

According to Wikipedia, the first recorded Christmas cards were sent by Michael Maier to James I of England in 1611. Next, cards were commissioned by Sir Henry Cole and illustrated by John Callcott Horsley in London on 1 May 1843.

There are many ways that you can give academic weight to the fun task of making Christmas cards!

Top Christmas English Activity Ideas:

Research the history of exchanging Christmas cards and create a timeline.
Explore different images used on Christmas cards and how they have changed over time.
Consider how the digital world and technology have affected the tradition of exchanging Christmas cards
Explore cards exchanged as part of other traditions, faiths and beliefs.

To sum it up, with careful planning the tradition of exchanging Christmas cards in the classroom can live on! Choose from our collection Greeting Cards or use our new Christmas postcards as a quick and easy alternative.

A Christmas post box can go a long way towards solving the common problems associated with exchanging Christmas cards in the classroom. What’s more, there are so many awesome Christmas English activities that can be enjoyed by having a post box in your classroom.