Education Programs
School and community groups can book programs at Toronto’s First Post Office. We hold these programs according to your schedule, so please reach out to ask if your preferred date/time is available!
Click the button below (a form will open on a new page) to start a booking inquiry. You will be contacted shortly to confirm your program.
Click the program titles below to see descriptions and information for our most popular educational programs. Your program can be adapted to your group’s requirements.
A Visit to the Toronto Post Office in 1834
Grade: Lower Elementary, Pre K– 2
This program invites young learners to hear a story written and illustrated for Toronto’s First Post Office. In it, Rebecca and her father travel to the new city of Toronto from their farm and find a surprise waiting for them at the Post Office! Students will learn about the role of the post office and the importance of writing and sending letters as a means to communicate. They will also learn about the differences in communication from past to present. This comprehensive program includes pre and post-program activities to extend the learning experience.
Ontario Curriculum Connections:
- Language – Grades 1 & 2: Oral Communication – 1. Listening to Understand, 2. Speaking to Communicate, Writing – 1. Developing and Organizing Content (1.1, 1.2, 1.3), 2. Using Knowledge of Form and Style in Writing (2.1, 2.2, 2.5)
- Social Studies – Grade 1: Strand B. The Local Community – Application (B1.1, B1.2), Inquiry (B2.3, B2.4), Understanding Context (B3.4)
- The Arts – Grade 1 & 2: Strand B: Drama – Reflecting, Responding and Analyzing (B2.1), Strand D: Visual Arts – Creating and Presenting (D1.1, D1.4), Reflecting, Responding and Analyzing (D2.4)
GUIDED PROGRAMS
Experience a guided program and activity lead by one of our experienced educators.
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Museum Visit
Visit us onsite at Toronto’s First Post Office and enjoy a program led by an experienced educator. Our programs are designed to be inclusive and accessible for participants of all ages to explore the history of the town of York and Toronto’s First Post Office. *NOTE: Minimum charge is $100.
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Postmistress in the Classroom
If you can’t come to us, we’ll come to you! One of our experienced educators will arrive on your school’s doorstep with objects and activities that will allow students to learn about the early city of Toronto and its postal history. *NOTE: Applicable only to locations within 50km of Toronto’s First Post Office. Minimum charge is $100. |
Get a kit and deliver the program in your classroom at your own pace! Teachers now have the option of renting a Portable Teaching Kit or purchasing a Digital Teaching Kit. Each kit offers a hands-on component to classroom learning that is memorable, engaging and fun! Digital Teaching Kit Cost: $40 Our Digital Teaching Kits offer students a unique learning experience from the setting of your choice. These kits provide teachers in the physical and digital classrooms with curriculum-based lesson material, including printable worksheets, activities and images to share with students. The Digital Teaching Kit includes: Portable Teaching Kit Cost: One-week rental, $55 Borrow one of our Portable Teaching Kits and bring the museum to you. These Kits are sturdy cases packed with objects, activities and curriculum-based lesson material that offer a hands-on component to classroom learning that is memorable, engaging and fun. The Portable Teaching Kit includes: Education Kits are available for pick up at Toronto’s First Post Office.EDUCATION KITS
On the Edge of a City: Toronto's First Post Office
Grade: Upper Elementary, Grade 3-8
This program will introduce visitors to the history of Toronto’s First Post Office during the time of Upper Canada. Participants will learn about the importance of the postal service in the early city of Toronto. They will also learn about the growth of Toronto from a provincial town to Canada’s largest city. Participants will then write a letter with quill and ink, just as in 1834. This comprehensive program includes pre- and post-program activities and can be adapted to meet the needs of any age group.
Ontario Curriculum Connections:
- Language – Grade 3: Oral Communication – 1. Listening to Understand (1.1-1.4), Writing – 1. Developing and Organizing Content (1.1-1.3), 2. Using Knowledge of Form and Style in Writing (2.1, 2.2, 2.5)
- Social Studies – Grade 3: Strand A. Communities in Canada, 1780–1850 – Application (A1.1-A1.3), Inquiry (A2.1, A2.6, A2.3, A2.4), Understanding (A3.1, A3.3, A3.4, A3.6).
- The Arts – Grade 3: Strand D: Visual Arts – Creating and Presenting (D1.1, D1.4), Reflecting, Responding, and Analyzing (D2.4)
Brownie badge links:
Literacy and Writing > Write On
Guide badge links:
Exploring and Neighbourhood > Heritage
Citizenship > Discover Your Community
History and Folklore > Heritage, Provincial Heritage
Literacy and Writing > Writing, Postal
GUIDED PROGRAMS
Experience a guided program and activity lead by one of our experienced educators.
|
Museum Visit
Visit us onsite at Toronto’s First Post Office and enjoy a program led by an experienced educator. Our programs are designed to be inclusive and accessible for participants of all ages to explore the history of the town of York and Toronto’s First Post Office. *NOTE: Minimum charge is $100.
|
|
Postmistress in the Classroom
If you can’t come to us, we’ll come to you! One of our experienced educators will arrive on your school’s doorstep with objects and activities that will allow students to learn about the early city of Toronto and its postal history. *NOTE: Applicable only to locations within 50km of Toronto’s First Post Office. Minimum charge is $100.
|
Get a kit and deliver the program in your classroom at your own pace! Teachers now have the option of renting a Portable Teaching Kit or purchasing a Digital Teaching Kit. Each kit offers a hands-on component to classroom learning that is memorable, engaging and fun! Digital Teaching Kit Cost: $40 Our Digital Teaching Kits offer students a unique learning experience from the setting of your choice. These kits provide teachers in the physical and digital classrooms with curriculum-based lesson material, including printable worksheets, activities and images to share with students. The Digital Teaching Kit includes: Portable Teaching Kit Cost: One-week rental, $55 Borrow one of our Portable Teaching Kits and bring the museum to you. These Kits are sturdy cases packed with objects, activities and curriculum-based lesson material that offer a hands-on component to classroom learning that is memorable, engaging and fun. The Portable Teaching Kit includes: Education Kits are available for pick up at Toronto’s First Post Office.EDUCATION KITS
Walking Tours
Explore the Town of York on foot with one of our expert historians. Tours start and finish at Toronto’s First Post Office. Don’t forget: you can combine a walking tour with a program for a full-day field trip in Toronto’s Old Town!
- Length: 90 minutes
- Cost: $8.00/participant
Chose from one of the following tours:
> On the Edge of a City: Toronto in 1833
> Death, Violence & Scandal in York
> 1813: Terror in the Town of York
History Squared
Toronto’s First Post Office partners with nearby Enoch Turner Schoolhouse to offer larger groups an entire day of programming in Old Town.
A Stroll through History
Take a self-guided “stroll through history,” to visit the most historic spots in the Town of York and learn how the City of Toronto got its start! Tour through the original ten square city blocks that were instrumental in developing the Town of York and the stories behind some key contributing individuals. This complimentary self-guided walking tour can be enjoyed at your own pace and catered to your interests by choosing a few locations to visit or journeying through the entire tour. We hope you enjoy your visit back in time to the small Town of York! Access to the tour can be found here.