Everyone can be a helper! Honor the community helpers in your neighborhood and family by extending gratitude and then exploring how your child can be a helper at home, too! Talk about the characteristics found in the helpers you know and brainstorm different roles in your community and list how these helpers make a difference in your lives. Then, together, list different roles or responsibilities your child can take on to be a helper in your family.
Questions to Ask Your Child
- Who are the helpers in our neighborhood?
- How can we show gratitude to community helpers?
- What are three things you can do to be a helper at home?
- Why is it important to be a helper?
- What makes someone a good helper?
Meet the Helpers
Play and Learn Together With Children 2 to 5
Kids as young as one can be “clean-up helpers,” putting toys back into a bin or bringing you books to put back on the shelf. Using a simple phrase (“Clean-up time!”) or a song can help prompt children. As kids develop more language, talk together about jobs that need to get done and how they can be helpers at home. Use imaginative play to act out how postal workers are helpers in your community and then make your own thank-you cards for the helpers in your community. Household jobs provide a great way to celebrate kids’ growing abilities. Not sure where to begin? Plan ahead with a refrigerator calendar. Responsibilities might include watering plants, wiping the table after a meal, sorting and putting away toys, or feeding or brushing a pet.
Learn Along Bingo for Ages 2-5: Community Helpers
Play and learn with this activity packet all about community helpers.
Choosing Chores: Everyone Can Be a Helper
15 min activityChildren can be helpers too! Talk about ways that your child can help around the house and create a weekly chore chart for your family.
Play Pretend: Post Office
Introduce your child to the post office and the way sending mail works by creating a mailbox and post office in your own home!
Make Your Own Thank You Cards
15 min activityMaking a homemade card is one way your child can say thank you to a friend, relative, or teacher.
Make a Coupon Book to Give As a Gift
20 min activityEncourage your child to perform acts of kindness by creating a coupon book to show they care.
Plan Ahead With a Refrigerator Calendar
Take the time to create a calendar with your child to help them start building independence and responsibility.
Make Daniel Tiger’s Watch
Talk about ways people use watches and clocks while you make your own Daniel Tiger pretend play watch.
Bake Easy Mini Pizzas
Make this quick and easy pizza snack with your assistant chef! What topping combos will they choose?
Kindness Loops
Kindness Loops are interlocking paper loops that help children understand how to show kindness. Make Kindness Loops together, or a child can make them on their own.
Play and Learn Together With Children 6 to 8
Kids this age often relate to hero language. Talk with your child about what makes someone a helper, and encourage them to create awards for the everyday heroes in their life. These two simple games use household items to help children learn the importance of cooperation and working together when being a helper. Or, explore with your child how to be a community helper or animal helper.
Learn Along Bingo for Ages 6-8: Community Helpers
Play and learn with this activity packet all about community helpers.
Give Awards to Everyday Heroes
30 min activityHelp your child understand what a makes someone a hero, and encourage them to create awards for the heroes in their life.
Host a Family Olympics
Help your child create a Home Olympics! Try to hold your event outside, or put mats on the floor indoors.
Simple Teamwork Games
30 min activityTry these four games to help children practice cooperation and working together.
Explore Your Local Library
Introduce your child to the library with these activities.
Caring for Someone
There are many ways to show someone else you care for them – help them learn new skills, help with chores, practice healthy habits, and more!
Taking Care of Others
Write down and draw a time when someone helped take care of you or someone you love.
Jamming on the Job: Fundraiser
Christina, Andrés, and Boombox worked together to help a school raise money for music lessons. Connect the dots to see what instrument the students will learn to play.
Jamming on the Job: Nurse Practitioner
How can Nurse Marco help Andrés feel better? Color this picture from Jamming on the Job.
Play and Learn By Myself
A Job For Me
Elmo and Abby want to learn about the jobs of people in their neighborhood. Your child can explore the neighborhood with Elmo and Abby to meet a musician, veterinarian, delivery person, firefighter, architect and scientist.
Neighbor Day
Daniel Tiger and his friends are celebrating Neighbor Day! In this game, your child can ride along on Trolley and help each neighbor complete tasks such as gathering flowers, blowing up balloons, and cleaning picnic tables.
All Around Birdwell
It's a perfect day to explore Birdwell Island. Your child can take a stroll around the island to help out and play with Clifford's friends along the way.
Classroom Helpers
In this game, your child can be a helper along with Daniel's classmates by caring for the class pet, watering the class plant, and cleaning up and organizing the classroom toys, art center, and cubbies.
Park Builder
Your child can build a park to learn about planting seeds, what plants need to grow, and about the four seasons.
Animal Home Builder
George and his friends are building homes for animals. Following a set of blueprints, your child can design and decorate houses for several neighborhood animals.
Read More
Encouraging Your Child to Become a "Helper"
Learn how you can encourage your child become a helper and develop responsibility.
Chore Ideas for Kids Ages 2 to 8
Everyone benefits when kids engage in household chores! Here are some tips (and a printable list!) for tackling chores with kids.
6 Ways to Make Clean Up More Fun!
Cleaning up is an important part of life, but it can be fun, too! Here are games to play with your kids while cleaning up.
How "Elinor Wonders Why" Introduces Kids to Engineering
Nature is full of all sorts of inventive ideas! Learn about the unique part of the learning behind Elinor Wonders Why: exploring how nature’s designs can help solve problems.
Household Chores for Every Age Chart
Use this easy guide for chore ideas for your children ages 2 to 8.