helpers – Storytime with Ms. Emily Library

clothesline clues to jobs people do and thank you neighbor book covers

Storytime: Helping Hands

Posted on April 10, 2026April 10, 2026 by msemilylibrary

So remember back in January when I was trying to figure out how to do a “Community” storytime that was not about community helpers? So this week we actually DID the community helpers theme! See, there’s a method to my madness. This was a really great storytime – the activities flowed into each other very well and made sense. I presented it twice, first to a morning toddler group and second to an evening group for kids 5 and under and their families. Both went well!

clothesline clues to jobs people do book cover, with clotheslines and a firefighter's uniform and hose

thank you neighbor book cover, showing a girl walking a dog waving to neighbors like a mail carrier, kids on skateboards, and others.

Early Development Tip: Play a game of “I Spy” while doing errands with your child and point out various community helpers. Take this opportunity to build your child’s vocabulary and talk about different ways people help each other. -North Olympic (WA) Library System

Welcome Song: Hello, Friends*

Hello Friends rhyme sheet. Includes a smiling rainbow and two yellow ducks at the bottom. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Warm Up Song: Wake Up, Feet*
This is a repeated song that everyone seems to enjoy. I always begin and end with feet and tummies, but find two other body parts to wiggle in the middle. I rotate between elbows, cheeks, hips, noses, arms, chins, thighs, heads, shoulders, ears, knees, and fingers.

Wake Up Feet thumbnail, with a graphic of three pairs of baby-sized shoes. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Lifting Rhyme: Toast in the Toaster*

Toast in the Toaster thumbnail, with a graphic of a toaster with a piece of bread hovering above it. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Intro: A few weeks ago, we talked about our community – it’s made up of people who care for and help each other. Anyone can be a helper! But some people have special helping jobs. So, who are some of those people? Let’s celebrate them today.

Here’s a rhyme about some of those helpers and the jobs they do.
A throwback – this was a fun one and I love how it both highlights some community helper jobs but also asks kids to ask how they will be a helper.
Fingerplay: This Little Helper
This helper builds our houses (thumb)
This helper brings our mail (pointer)
This helper teaches the children (middle)
And this one has groceries to sell (ring)
And this little helper, yes, it’s me (pinky)
When I grow up, what kind of helper will I be?
Source: North Olympic (WA) Library System

this little helper thumbnail, with a graphic of a handprint with each finger a different color. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Now, if we’re going to use our helping hands, let’s get them warmed up.
Shoutout to my fellow Indiana library for sharing this! This is such a fun song, and worked really well for both age groups. You could use this as a general movement song anytime. Really exaggerate the slow and the fast!
Action Song: Fun with Hands
(tune of Row Your Boat)
Roll, roll, roll your hands As slowly as can be
Roll, roll, roll your hands Do it now with me
Roll, roll, roll your hands As fast as fast can be
Roll, roll, roll your hands Do it now with me
(repeat: clap, shake, wave)
Source: Carmel Clay (IN) Public Library

fun with hands thumbnail, with a graphic of colorful hands reaching up - red pink, green, and yellow. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Transition: If You’re Ready for a Story*

The guessing game nature of this one makes it automatically interactive, and it’s easy enough for the littles to guess, too.
Read: Clothesline Clues to Jobs People Do by Kathryn Heling, Deborah Hembrook & Andy Robert Davies

I really liked this one, and thought it might be a good option for the evening/older group. Unfortunately, either they weren’t in the mood or it was just a little too abstract for them.
Read: Thank You, Neighbor by Ruth Chan

What do these helpers do?
This was fun as a ukulele song, though I think I would feel a little more awkward if I didn’t have a uke in my hands, since there aren’t really any hand motions to do. I originally thought I’d make a flannel for this one, but I just relied on my rhyme sheet graphics to point out some different jobs, and that worked just fine.
Ukulele Song: Community Helpers Song
(tune of Farmer in the Dell)
The teachers help us learn
The teachers help us learn
Heigh-ho, they help us so
The teachers Help us learn!

Other job ideas:
Firefighters put out fires…
The doctors keep us well…
The farmers grow our food…
Mail carriers deliver the mail…
Crossing guards help us cross…
Librarians find us books…
Source: Intentional Storytime

Download a ukulele songsheet for The Farmer in the Dell here!

farmer in the dell ukulele songsheet thumbnail

community helpers song thumbnail, with a graphic of six helpers: a teacher, a mail carrier, firefighter, doctor, librarian, and farmer. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Who brings our mail? A letter carrier!
Another great movement rhyme. I tried to “paint a picture” with every verse. So for example, I said, “what if the mail carrier was late? They’d RUN!” “What if there was a big dog sleeping in the yard and they wanted to sneak by? They’d tiptoe!” “What if they were feeling silly? They would jump/skip” etc.
Action Rhyme: Little Letter Carrier
I am a little letter carrier
Who loves nothing better
Than to walk, walk, walk (walk in place)
To deliver your letter!
(repeat with other actions like run, hop, skip, spin, march, etc)
Source: Jen in the Library

little letter carrier thumbnail, with a graphic of a koala dressed as a letter carrier holding an envelope. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Let’s get out our shakers! Teachers are big helpers. They help us learn our ABCs! Let’s shake along while we sing.
Did I really need a rhyme sheet for the Alphabet Song? Maybe not. But I liked having a visual!
Shaker Song: The Alphabet Song
Source: traditional

alphabet song thumbnail, with a graphic of an apple and a pencil. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Farmers and farm workers help by growing and picking our food! Can you pretend your shaker is an apple?
Shaker Rhyme: Way Up High in the Apple Tree
Way up high in the apple tree (raise shaker(s) up)
I saw two apples looking at me
I shook that tree as hard as I could (shake)
Down came the apples… (drop shaker)
And mmm, they were good! (rub belly)
Source: traditional

way up high in the apple tree thumbnail, with a graphic of a tree with two red apples in it. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Construction workers make the buildings, including our houses! What tools do they use?
This one worked really well for the shakers, even if it wasn’t originally intended for that.
Shaker Rhyme: A House for Me
The builders’ hammers go tap, tap, tap (tap shaker in opposite hand)
And the saws go see-saw-see (move shaker forward and back across opposite arm)
They hammer and hammer
And they saw and saw
And they build a house for me (peak hands above head)
Source: Kentucky Department for Libraries and Archives

a house for me thumbnail, with a graphic of a hammer and nails and a saw. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Wee-ooo, wee-oo! Oh, no, it sounds like the fire truck is going by. Can we be firefighting helpers and fight a fire?
And again, this wasn’t originally a shaker tune, but it works so well!
Action/Shaker Song: Hurry, Hurry
Hurry, hurry, drive the fire truck (turn a steering wheel with shaker in one hand)
Hurry, hurry, drive the fire truck
Hurry, hurry, drive the fire truck
Ding, ding, ding, ding, ding! (ring a bell/shake shaker)

Additional verses:
Turn the corner (lean far left and right)
[We’re here, we need to climb up]
Put the ladder up, (climb a ladder)
[Can you put out the fire with your fire hose?]
Spray the fire hose (hold a hose and move it back and forth)

[Wow, you put out the fire! You are heroes! Okay, time to go back to the station. But we don’t need to hurry anymore, right?]
Slowly, slowly, drive the fire truck
Slowly, slowly, drive the fire truck
Slowly, slowly, drive the fire truck
Ding, ding, ding, ding, ding!
Source: adapted from Old Town School of Folk Music from the Songs for Wiggleworms album

hurry hurry thumbnail, with a graphic of a red fire truck. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Astronauts and scientists help us by learning more about our world and our universe!
Action Song: Zoom, Zoom, Zoom!*

zoom zoom zoom thumbnail, with a graphic of a rocket ship. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Craft: High Five Card
I don’t know how I thought of this one, it just came to me. I had browsed other “community helper” crafts, many of which included hats or pictures of little people wearing different uniforms, which felt like a lot of prep and cutting things out. Then I thought, we’ve been talking about helpers, why not thank a helper? And the theme is “helping HANDS!” This went well with our early learning tip, as well. So all it required was some paint for the handprints, crayons for writing inside, and printed off cards. Paint can be a little messy, but it was not too bad and everyone liked their cards! My hand was a bit big for the space I left in the middle in my sample, but the littles’ hands fit perfectly.

Download a printable High Five Card here!

Craft greeting card showing the front reading "You Deserve a High Five!" with a painted handprint, and the inside saying "Thank You for being a helper"

Play Time
The toddlers have two laundry baskets of baby toys – rattles and cars, sorters and stackers, toy phones and spinners. For the older kids, I have foam blocks, soft food toys, puzzles, and a few other items that are a little more sophisticated than the baby toys. For Family Time, I gauge the overall age of the group and put out what seems right for them. We play for 5-10 minutes at the most, then I ring the bell and ask the kids to help me clean up. I think the clean up bit is good practice for them!

Goodbye Song: See You Later Alligator*

See you later thumbnail, with a graphic of a green alligator, brown crocodile, ladybug, and jellyfish. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Other books I had available for families to browse (and may work for you on this theme)
Firefighter Flo! – Andrea Zimmerman & Dan Yaccarino
Fire Chief Fran – Linda Ashman & Nancy Carpenter
Leo Gets a Checkup – Anna McQuinn & Ruth Hearson
Someone Builds the Dream – Lisa Wheeler & Loren Long
Thank a Farmer – Maria Gianferrari & Monica Mikai
Teachers Rock! – Todd Parr
Crown: Ode to the Fresh Cut – Derrick Barnes & Gordon C James
Blue Bison Needs a Haircut – Scott Rothman & Pete Oswald
The Loud Librarian – Jenna Beatrice & Erika Lynne Jones
Stanley the Mailman – William Bee
Pigs Dig a Road – Carrie Finison & Brian Biggs
Millie Waits for the Mail – Alexander Steffensmeier

This storytime was presented in-person on 3/25 & 3/26/26.

Storytime Handout:

handout with book suggestions, rhyme and song lyrics.

*Lyrics to these songs can be found on the Repeated Songs & Rhymes page.

† Click the image of rhyme/song sheets to download a non-branded PDF

all are neighbors and they're heroes too book covers

Storytime: Community

Posted on February 7, 2026February 7, 2026 by msemilylibrary

Our library stays open for holidays like Veteran’s Day, President’s Day, and Martin Luther King, Jr Day. The idea is that these are holidays that have some deep meaning behind them and we should be available to provide information, education, and context. These usually end up being some of our busiest days, since kids are out of school and some other businesses are closed. This year, my coworker and I decided to do a “Community” theme for the week of MLK Day, since it is also a day of community service.

This theme was a little tricky to plan. I really wanted to focus on the community/communities that kids are a part of, as well as what it means to be a good community member. Searching for “Community Storytimes” online brought back results about “Community Helpers” almost exclusively. That is more about the jobs that people do rather than what a community is and how we can be a part of it. It also made searching for books more difficult, for the same reason. But I widened my searches to friendship, neighborhoods, citizenship, helping, and anything else I could think of and I’m really happy with the plan I put together. It’s simple enough to work well for toddlers, while still focusing on the aspects of the theme I wanted to hit, which did include community helpers, but didn’t focus on that concept alone. It flowed well and everyone seemed to enjoy it. (Gee, how many times can I write “community” in this intro?!)

all are neighbors book cover, showing diverse children playing

They're Heroes Too book cover, showing characters from the book, varying and diverse community helpers.

Early Literacy Tip: Singing games and playing music in groups encourage social responsiveness. Such activities also help your child learn to feel comfortable in a group setting. When your child begins school, such positive associations will help them adjust to being part of a class. from The Early Literacy Kit: A Handbook and Tip Cards by Betsy Diamant-Cohen & Saroj Ghoting

Welcome Song: Hello, Friends*

Lifting Rhyme: Toast in the Toaster*

Intro: We live in a community of people, and the people in our community help each other. Some people have jobs that let them help others. Many people are helpful even outside of their job! We can all do our part to make our community beautiful and welcoming.

Here’s a rhyme about some of those helpers and the jobs they do.
My nod to the community helpers idea! But I liked that the last line puts it back on the kids to be helper, and asks them to think about what they would like to do to help.
Fingerplay: This Little Helper
This helper builds our houses (thumb)
This helper brings our mail (pointer)
This helper teaches the children (middle)
And this one has groceries to sell (ring)
And this little helper, yes, it’s me (pinky)
When I grow up, what kind of helper will I be?
Source: North Olympic (WA) Library System

Transition: If You’re Ready for a Story*

Such a great book, with so much diversity and inclusion!
Read: All Are Neighbors by Alexandra Penfold & Suzanne Kaufman

Although this one is, yes, about community helpers, it also shows that kids can be hero helpers, too, which I loved. I think that is the element that is missing from too many of the other jobs books and lesson plans.
Read: They’re Heroes, Too: A Celebration of Community by Pat Brisson & Anait Semirdzhyan

What does your neighborhood look like?
The easiest community to understand, I think, is the physical one of a neighborhood.
Fingerplay: Five Little Houses
One little house, all alone it stood (count on fingers)
Then another was built. There grows the neighborhood!
(count up)

Five little houses, All together they stood
On a beautiful street in a happy neighborhood
Source: Jbrary

five little houses thumbnail, with a graphic of a colorful group of houses on a street with a tree and sun. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

We can start being a helper by being a good neighbor! Let’s greet each other
I simplified the actions on this a little bit, and changed hip bump to fist bump. I don’t love doing two songs with the same tune, but occasionally it’s fine.
Action Song: Hello, Neighbor
(tune of Goodnight Ladies)
Hello, neighbor (wave)
What do you say? (high five)
It’s going to be a beautiful day
Greet your neighbor (wave)
Boogie on down (wiggle)
Give a bump (fist bump)
And turn around!
Source: Dr. Jean Feldman

Hello neighbor thumbnail, with a graphic of 9 diverse children greeting each other. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Let’s sing an old song about how good it is when we get together and work together
ASL Song: The More We Get Together
See ASL movements here: https://youtu.be/YZLlZoD3gU8
The more we get together, together, together
The more we get together the happier we’ll be
For your friends are my friends
and my friends are your friends
The more we get together the happier we’ll be

The more we read together, together, together
the more we read together the happier we’ll be
Read big books and small books (hands wide and then close horizontally)
Read short books and tall books (hands close and then wide vertically)
The more we read together the happier we’ll be
Source: traditional, verse 2: Story Time Secrets

the more we get together thumbnail, with a graphic of hearts and books. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Parachute Intro: A parachute is really hard to have fun with all by yourself. We need a community of friends!
I don’t get the parachute out very often for our indoor storytimes, so it’s a treat when we do.

If we lived in a tall apartment building, we could visit our neighbors by riding in the elevator!
Parachute Song: Let’s Go Riding On an Elevator
Let’s go riding on an elevator, elevator, elevator
Let’s go riding on an elevator, Ride along with me!
First floor, Second floor, Third floor, Fourth floor, Fifth floor…
And down-down-down-down-down!
Source: Jbrary

let's go riding on an elevator thumbnail, with a graphic of a line drawing of a set of elevator doors. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Let’s work together to row the boat!
I remind everyone to start rowing very gently, then after the first verse, say, “Oh, the wind is picking up, can we row more firmly?” and before the third verse, “Oh, no, there’s a storm! Row as strongly as you can!”
Parachute Song: Row Your Boat
Row, row, row your boat
Gently down the stream (wave gently)
Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily
Life is but a dream
(wave more intensely and replace “gently” with firmly and strongly)
Source: traditional

row your boat thumbnail, with a graphic of a brown rowboat with oars. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Breathing Break: Wow, rowing the boat really made me out of breath! Can we take a little breathing break? Let’s breathe in when we lift up, breathe out when we set it down. I repeat for about 5 breaths.

At this point, they don’t care about anything but shaking the parachute and crawling under it, so it doesn’t really matter how it connects to the theme! Our space and the participants are such that it would be difficult to actually walk in a circle for this one, so we just wave it and fall and then get back up.
Scarf/Parachute Song: Ring Around the Rosie
Ring around the rosie (walk in a circle and/or wave the parachute)
A pocket full of posies
Ashes, ashes
We all fall down! (stay seated/down)

Cows are in the meadow
Eating buttercups
Thunder, lightning, (vigorous waving)
We all stand up! (stand!)
Source: traditional

ring around the rosie thumbnail, with a graphic of a pocket with flowers coming out of it. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

This is a great way to put the parachute away. I ask for only grownups to hold on, and then let them know they are letting go at the end.
Parachute Song: Parachute Fly
(tune of Skip to my Lou)
(kids go under the parachute and adults raise and lower)
Up, up, up it goes,
Down, down, down so low
Raise our parachute to the sky
Count to 3 and watch it fly
Spoken:
Up on one…
Down on two…
Up on three…
and FLY! (adults let go and leader pulls ‘chute in to themselves)
Source: Gymboree

parachute fly thumbnail, with an aerial photo of children holding the edges of a multicolored parachute. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Action Song: Zoom, Zoom, Zoom!*

Craft: My Neighborhood Craft
We used some leftover square and triangle shapes in varying construction paper colors to make houses and apartments on a sheet of light blue construction paper, and added details with crayons and some 3D clouds with cotton balls.

photo of craft, showing two small houses and one tall apartment building, with a road, landscaping, a sun, and cotton ball sky. The buildings are made with construction paper shapes, and the rest is crayon.

Goodbye Song: See You Later Alligator*

Other books I had available for families to browse (and may work for you on this theme)
Cheer – Uncle Ian Aurora & Natalia Moore
All the Beating Hearts – Julie Fogliano & Cátia Chien
All of Us – Kathryn Erskine & Alexandra Boiger
A Little Book About Activism – Courtney Ahn
What Can a Citizen Do? – Dave Eggers & Shawn Harris
Miguel’s Community Garden – JaNay Brown-Wood & Samara Hardy
I Am We – Susan Verde & Peter H Reynolds
Thank You, Neighbor! – Ruth Chan
Stand Up! Speak Up! – Andrew Joyner
The All-Together Quilt – Lizzy Rockwell
Around the Neighborhood – Sarah L. Thomson & Jana Christy
The Power of One – Trudy Ludwig & Mike Curato
Fix-it Familia – Lucky Diaz & Micah Player
Maybe Something Beautiful – F. Isabel Campoy, Theresa Howell & Rafael López
The Umbrella – Beth Ferry & Tom Lichtenheld
I Promise – LeBron James & Nina Mata
All Kinds of Special – Tammi Sauer & Fernando Martin

This storytime was presented in-person on 1/21/26.

Storytime Handout:

*Lyrics to these songs can be found on the Repeated Songs & Rhymes page.

† Click the image of rhyme/song sheets to download a non-branded PDF

Storytime: What’s in the Mailbox?

Posted on December 10, 2022December 19, 2024 by msemilylibrary

December seems to be time of year that I get the most personal mail, so what better time to do a storytime on the postal system? I’ve been reusing a lot of themes from my previous library, but this is a brand new to me theme. It was fun to search for material and see what went over well. Big props to Jen in the Library for her post, from whom I borrowed the letter and felt elements!

Early Literacy Tip: When we talk about everyday occurrences like getting the mail in more detail, explaining the parts we don’t get to see and how letters get from one place to another, we are expanding our children’s general knowledge of the world around them, giving them new vocabulary, and inspiring their print motivation – the desire to know how to read and write in the future.

Welcome Song: Hello, Friends* (BB) (TB) (FT)**

Warm Up Song: Wake Up, Feet* (BB) (TB) (FT)
This is a repeated song that everyone seems to enjoy. I always begin and end with feet and tummies, but find two other body parts to wiggle in the middle. This week was knees and elbows.

Lifting Rhyme: Toast in the Toaster* (BB) (FT)

Rhyme: This is Big, Big, Big* (BB) (FT)

Intro: What is this? It’s a letter. Who is it for? It’s for you! Let’s see what it says. I began with a letter that I wrote to the kids, addressing it to Storytime Friends and pointing out the parts of the mailing address, the return address, and the stamp before reading it out loud.

Photo of storytime easel with envelope addressed to "Storytime Friends" held on with a magnet, and the letter inside shown to the side. Also visible is the lyrics sheet for Hello Friends.

Dear Storytime Friends,
I’m looking forward to learning all about LETTERS and MAIL with you at the library this week.
Thanks for joining me at storytime!
Your friend,
Emily

Bounce Rhyme: Write Your Cards (BB)
(tune of “Row, Row, Row Your Boat”)
Write, Write, Write your cards
And lots of letters too!
I will bring them to your friends
And they will write back too!
Source: YouthScope at Handley Regional Libraries

Action Rhyme: Little Letter Carrier (TB) (FT)
I am a little letter carrier
Who loves to do nothing better
I walk, walk, walk (walk in place)
To deliver your letter!
(repeat with other actions like run, hop, skip, spin, march, etc)
Source: Jen in the Library

Transition: If You’re Ready for a Story* (BB) (TB) (FT)

So this isn’t my favorite book about the mail, since it really doesn’t directly show letters or a postal carrier, but for the youngest class, it was the best option I had. They did love the flaps and seeing the animals!
Read: Dear Zoo by Rod Campbell (BB) (FT)

This title is really nice and simple, with clear pictures.
Read: Delivering Your Mail by Ann Owen & Eric Thomas (TB)

I updated the next rhyme to be more modern, eliminating the gendered “postman” and specific name, and making it reflective of my community’s experience of mail, centered in a suburban Midwestern setting. (At my house, the mail doesn’t come until late afternoon – sometimes as late as 6!) The mail carrier never comes to the door since our mailbox is at the end of our driveway. I’ll include the lyrics to the original as well, just in case you do live in a community where the mail comes early and the carrier knocks on your door, but I think it’s good to have our rhymes mostly match kids’ lived experience if possible.

Does anyone like to check the mailbox with your grownup?
Rhyme: Mail Time (BB) (TB) (FT)
Early afternoon around three o’clock
You can hear the mail truck stop
Up I jump and skip down the drive
I find 1 letter, 2 letters, 3, 4, and 5!
Source: original, adapted from Madison (ID) Library District

Original:
Early in the morning
At eight o’clock
You can hear the postman knock
Up jumps Ella to answer the door
1 Letter, 2 Letters, 3 Letters, 4

Blue felt mail bag with red lettered "MAIL", accompanied by five envelopes - blue, pink, purple, yellow, and green.

At the end of that rhyme, I put up the five felt envelopes I made as part of a mail bag set. This was another borrow from Jen in the Library, and a great activity. Each envelope held a letter from a different animal. Jen had letters from a mouse, bear, dog, cat, fish, and bird, but I wanted to use animals that I had both a felt piece and a puppet for, so my animals ended up being from the farm set: Pig, Horse, Chicken, Dog, and Cat. I purchased the sewing instructions for the bag and envelopes on Etsy from ThePlayhouseKid.
To begin, we sang this song:

Song: Lovely Letters in the Mail (BB) (TB) (FT)
(tune of “If You’re Happy and You Know It”)
Oh, I got a lovely letter in the mail (clap, clap)
Oh, I got a lovely letter in the mail (clap, clap)
Getting mail is so much fun
Let’s just see who sent this one
Oh, this lovely little letter in the mail. (clap, clap)
Source: Jen in the Library

We read each letter, and the kids guessed who sent it, before I turned it around to let them see the picture. Instead of signing each one “love” like she did, though, I signed them with the sound the animal makes – I was afraid that the context clues in the letters might not be quite enough for the young ones to get, but an animal noise would be easier to identify for them. They were very excited to see who sent the letters!

Picture of the open felt envelope, the letter from horse (including a photograph of a horse) and the horse felt piece.

Dear Friends,
Do you have a bone to spare? My bowl is empty. Thank you!
Woof,
DOG

Dear Friends,
Would you rather lie in the sun or play with the squeaky mouse? I can’t decide.
Meow,
CAT

Dear Friends,
I have some eggs for your breakfast in my nest.
Bok, bok, bok,
CHICKEN

Dear Friends,
Want to join me in the sty for a nice mud bath?
Oink,
PIG

Dear Friends,
I’m ready to gallop through the fields. Want to go for a ride?
Neigh,
HORSE

Easel with feltboard, showing 5 envelopes, three of which have the corresponding animal felt next to them. The lyrics to "Lovely Letters in the Mail" is to the side.

Let’s send our own letters out now! Who would you like to send a letter to?
Action Rhyme: Send a Letter (BB) (TB)
Write it, (pretend to write)
Stamp it, (clap down)
Put it in the box (little tickle)
Hope that my friend Loves it a lot! (hug)
Repeat for other people: aunt, uncle, cousin, grandparent
Source: YouthScope at Handley Regional Libraries

I didn’t end up using this one at any of my sessions due to time, but I imagined it could be a kind of bounce/lift.
Bounce Song: I Love to Deliver the Mail
(tune of “My Bonnie”)
I get to sort the mail, (bouncing)
Then carry it to your home
The mail comes from all over
Like New York, Paris, and Rome
Mail, mail, mail, mail, (tilt far to the side)
I love to deliver the mail, mail, mail (bounce)
Mail, Mail, Mail, Mail, (tilt far to side)
I love to deliver the mail (end with a lift)
Source: YouthScope at Handley Regional Libraries

And the song that is still stuck in my head in a delightful way… I saw an adorable class of first graders doing this one with some nice motions for each line, so take a look at the link if you’d like to see that.
What if you miss someone so much but it’s too far to walk or run? Woody Guthrie wrote a song about sending yourself through the mail!
Song: Mail Myself to You (BB) (TB) (FT)
I’m gonna wrap myself in paper
I’m gonna dot myself with glue
Stick some stamps on top of my head
I’m gonna mail myself to you!

I’m gonna tie me up in a red string
I’m gonna tie a blue ribbon too
Climb on up inside my mailbox
I’m gonna mail myself to you!

When you see me in your mailbox
Cut the string and let me out!
Wash the glue off my fingers
Stick some bubble gum in my mouth

Take me out of my wrapping paper
Wash the stamps off my head
Pour me out an ice cream soda…slurp!
Put me in a nice warm bed!
Source: Woody Guthrie
See motions at: https://youtu.be/no034U7ivfA

Action Song: Zoom, Zoom, Zoom!* (BB) (TB) (FT)

Craft: Mail Carrier Hat and Mail a Card
There was kind of a lot going on with the craft. I had blank cards that someone had donated for them to write/scribble on, and I asked the grownups to write the child’s name and address on the front. I’d stamped the library’s address in the return area already, and there were stamps for them to add. My library had already made a “mailbox” for a previous passive program that we had in storage, so the kids could “deliver” their mail to the mailbox. The second part of the craft time was to make a postal carrier hat. I had USPS logo stickers to stick on the hat and they could write their name if they wanted. The hat shape was already cut out, so it went pretty quick. I found a template for the hat at Making Learning Fun, but I altered it to remove the squares with US Postal Service, since I had made the logo stickers, for which I just printed a nice hi-res photo of the logo on label paper. The kids were super cute in their hats.

Play Time
The babies have two laundry baskets of baby toys – rattles and cars, sorters and stackers, toy phones and spinners. For the older kids, I have foam blocks, soft food toys, puzzles, and a few other items that are a little more sophisticated than the baby toys. For Family Time, I gauge the overall age of the group and put out what seems right for them. We play for 5-10 minutes at the most, then I ring the bell and ask the kids to help me clean up. I think the clean up bit is good practice for them!

Goodbye Song: See You Later Alligator* (BB) (TB) (FT)

Goodbye Rhyme: Tickle the Stars* (BB) (TB) (FT)

Other books I had available for families to browse (and may work for you on this theme)
Stanley the Mailman – William Bee
Where Does Mail Go? – Charlie W. Sterling
The Day the Crayons Quit – Drew Daywalt & Oliver Jeffers
Dear Primo: A Letter to My Cousin – Duncan Tonatiuh
A Letter for Leo – Sergio Ruzzier
Millie Waits for the Mail – Alexander Steffensmeier
Can I Be Your Dog? – Troy Cummings
The Thank You Letter – Jane Cabrera
The Lost Package – Richard Ho & Jessica Lanan
I Miss You Every Day – Simms Taback
Bunny Mail – Rosemary Wells

This storytime was presented in-person on 12/5, 12/6, & 12/7/22.

Storytime Handout:

handout with suggested books and rhyme/song lyrics

*Lyrics to these songs can be found on the Repeated Songs & Rhymes page.

**These symbols indicate the program sessions I used the activities for:
(BB) Book Babies, ages 0-2
(TB) Teddy Bears, ages 2-3.5
(FT) Family Time, ages 0-3.5