As the United States Postal Service saying goes, “Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds.” And aren’t we lucky for it? For over 245 years postal workers have been a bedrock of this country, helping families stay in touch, getting ballots to the polls, and delivering much needed medications to the sick and infirm. It's a remarkable institution that does a whole lot more than sell stamps. In fact, did you know USPS has the coolest toys for kids? It's true.

Now, I don’t know about you, but these days at our house, the arrival of the mail carrier is about the most exciting thing happening. My 5-year-old loves to race to the mailbox to see if he’s received any letters (thank you grandparents for keeping the correspondence coming). Getting a package from the “present truck,” as he likes to call it, can make or break a week, especially in these challenging times which are even more threatening for postal workers. So I can only imagine the look on my son's face next week when he finds one of these great USPS gift items — all at a nominal fee considering they go to support a beloved service — in our big old mail box.

What, you thought I could write a round up of toys without buying one? Ha! Here are a few of the options you have to choose from.