10 Ways for Kids to Give Back All Year Long

When November arrives, you can definitely feel a change in the air, and I’m not referring to the weather.  No—I’m talking about how our mindset shifts from a more casual and laid back approach to our daily life to a “gotta get it all done” mentality because now we are moving into the holiday season. However, November and the Thanksgiving holiday also seems to help us shift focus from that of “lack” to that of gratitude.

This is the time of year you’ll start seeing more posts on social media about taking gratitude challenges for the month, kids will focus on this theme for several weeks at school, and even many advertisers will pitch their products with appreciation and gratefulness in mind.  I personally love the concept of gratitude and try to practice it myself on a daily basis because when you focus on your blessings, rather than what you don’t have, it gives life far greater purpose, and what I have always found is that it’s contagious. Those around you, particularly your children, will notice and will begin living their life this way as well. While Thanksgiving is certainly a special and wonderful time to teach kids about all things gratitude, Mighty Mommy has ten ways your kids can practice this and give back all year long.

 #1:  Family Gratitude Board: Gratitude journals have become very popular over the past decade, and I highly recommend keeping one. The idea is to keep a special notebook or journal where you record three to five things you are grateful for every day (or as often as you can!). Numerous studies have traced a range of impressive benefits to the simple act of writing down the things for which we’re grateful—including better sleep, fewer symptoms of illness, and more happiness among adults and kids alike.  A gratitude journal is more of a private collection of thoughts for you to reflect on, so a few years ago I started a Family Gratitude Board that we place in our kitchen. It’s a 20 x 20 blackboard, and we use it for anyone in the family who wants to share something they are thankful for that week or even to simply write the words, “Thank you,” to someone in the family who may have done something nice for them. It keeps the concept of being appreciative out in front of all of us year round.

#2.  Start an E-Charity Drive:  As a generation who thrives on technology, there is a wonderful e-commerce site that has partnered with hundreds of charities, and allows people, including kids, to choose from thousands of tangible goods, to purchase and donate directly online, for their charity of choice.  In a nutshell, YouGiveGoods provides two options for donators; the first allows corporations, small businesses, and individual volunteers to set up their own online drives, which can then be shared via social media to raise more awareness. The second option allows users to donate to any charity drives that are live on the YouGiveGoods website. Once a drive is over, YouGiveGoods then delivers all purchased items directly to the organization, making for a simple, effective way to give back to a charity or community in need. 

#3.  Second Chance Toy Drive:  One thing most families have in common is that we have way too much “stuff” including our kids’ toys. Every year from the Fall through mid-December, Second Chance Toys encourages moms, neighborhood associations, schools, community groups, businesses, and other non-profit groups to arrange for the collection of gently used plastic toys from their local area. These toys are then re-distributed through charitable organizations that serve families in need. Currently the demand for toys among over 500 partner organizations that serve disadvantaged children is in excess of 230,000. You can help spread the word about the need for SCT holiday toy collections. The Second Chance Toys website details the steps an individual or organization can take to start their own local collection as well as ideas for rescuing, cleaning, and recycling toys through local organizations that serve children in need. Check out their getting started kit for more ideas.  See Also:  7 Creative Toy and Craft Storage Solutions

#4:  Random Acts of Goodies:  Pick a few random days throughout the year to make some goodies such as Rainbow Chex Mix, homemade turtles, or your favorite cookies or bar recipe and randomly leave throughout the neighborhood in mailboxes or doorsteps, or hand them out to people in your lives who might look like they need a pick me up. You can also leave off with your school office staff, the custodians, or an elderly neighbor who doesn’t get out very often. Have your kids brainstorm what treats to make and who they can give them to—“just because”. 

#5:  Help Animals:  Kids can learn a lot about giving back by giving their time, talent, and energy in caring for animals. My son volunteers to walk some of our neighbors’ dogs a couple afternoons a week because they are either elderly or work long hours and their dogs would otherwise not get out as often. Setting up or building bird feeders to feed the hungry birds throughout the winter is also a way to teach responsibility and allows for a lot of fun when your family gets to watch all those hungry feathered friends visit.  There are also many other ways they can get involved with various organizations like the local animal rescue shelter. See Also:  How to Help an Abused or Neglected Dog

6:  Donate Loose Change:  Every year in January my kids take a vote as to where we’d like to donate all our loose change for that year. We place a large jar in the kitchen and all year long we all contribute our loose change to the collection. In December, we tally it and donate it to the cause.  Last year, we collected $567 in our own loose change to donate to our local domestic abused women’s center.

7.  Become a Volunteer Family:  If you’d love to start volunteering time as a family and simply don’t know where to start, take advantage of the internet. One site you can visit that encourages family units to participate is The Volunteerfamily.org. There are dozens of projects to choose from and lots of great suggestions, tips, and articles on how to stay strong as a big-hearted family who gives back. Volunteermatch.org is also another great source to help match you and your family with something in your own community.

8.  Mother’s Helper:  When my kids were pre-school aged, one of the best sanity savers I had as a mom was having an older sibling or neighborhood kid available to play with them right in our own backyard so that I could get a load of laundry done, vacuum, or even sit and have a quick cup of tea—alone! If you have kids who aren’t quite old enough to babysit but who are still reliable enough to oversee a younger child in their own home so that mom or dad could sneak off to another area in the house to get some things accomplished—this is a wonderful way for kids to donate their time and make a huge impact in another (or their own) family’s life.

9.  Project Linus:  Almost every child has something special that they consider a comfort item such as a favorite stuffed animal, a special doll, or a book they like to have read to them over and over. In many cases, like lovable Linus from Charlie Brown it’s a cozy, snuggly blanket or “lovey” that they can’t sleep without and makes them feel safe and secure.  Unfortunately, there are thousands of kids who don’t have access to something as simple as a soft blanket but thanks to the nationally known organization called Project Linus that is not the case any longer.  If you have a child who is crafty or likes to create things, they might love to get involved with your local chapter of Project Linus and as their mission states, provide love, a sense of security, warmth and comfort to children who are seriously ill, traumatized, or otherwise in need through the gifts of new, handmade blankets. 

10.  Support Our Troops:  Whether or not your family personally knows any military personnel, most of us have shared with our children how important our United States troops are in protecting our every day freedom. Help your child come up with a personal way to give thanks for his/her service to our country. Or seek out an organization such as Operation We Are Here to find out how to donate needed items for military overseas or send cards/care packages. Our troops serve us all year long, so this is a way to give back no matter what the season.

What are some ways that your family gives back throughout the year? Share your thoughts in the comments section at quickanddirtytips.com/mighty-mommy, post your ideas on the Mighty Mommy Facebook page. or email me at mommy@quickanddirtytips.com. Visit my family-friendly boards at Pinterest.com/MightyMommyQDT.

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