7 Volunteer Ideas to do With Your Children
SharePinEmailWhen I’m feeling down on myself, I try to look toward others to take my focus off of myself. I do not always succeed at this. But from the times that I have, it is then that I have immersed myself in volunteer projects. I like to involve my kids in the volunteer activities I…
When I’m feeling down on myself, I try to look toward others to take my focus off of myself. I do not always succeed at this. But from the times that I have, it is then that I have immersed myself in volunteer projects.
I like to involve my kids in the volunteer activities I do. Getting them excited about a project or activity keeps me going. I hope that instilling a heart of giving and volunteering at a young age will become second nature to them. I hope they will give with open hearts and volunteer without pause.
Why Should You Volunteer With Your Kids?
- Children who volunteer are less likely to engage in risky behaviors such as alcohol, drugs, smoking, and skipping school.
- Serving with your kids can be a great bonding time for you and your child.
- It is usually a free activity you can do together.
- Volunteering encourages positive behavior in our children such as strong leadership skills, compassion, communication, sharing, and respect.
Related: 5 Ways to Build Confidence in Your Children
Volunteer Ideas for Kids
I’ve put together a list of volunteer projects I’ve done with my kids that my young kids have enjoyed doing in the past.
- Have a garage sale with all the proceeds going to the charity of your choice. Last year, one of my daughter’s friends was battling cancer. We participated in our neighborhood garage sale and agreed all the proceeds would go to her friend’s Gofundme account.
- Have a bake sale and donate the proceeds. During our garage sale, we offered cake pops with the proceeds going to charity.
- Pack shoeboxes together for Operation Christmas Child. We do this each year! We host as many people as will come and usually pack over 100 shoeboxes. But it doesn’t need to be this big. Just one shoebox changes one life! Read more about it over at Samaritan’s Purse.
- Go through all your child’s toys and clothes and decide which ones he or she can do without and donate them together to Goodwill. This is a good option if your child isn’t willing to give up enough items for a garage sale or if you simply aren’t up for all the work of a garage sale!
- Put together homeless packages. We go to the dollar store, and with a small budget, I let each child choose what to fill up in large gallon-size zip lock bags. We take these to our local Rescue Mission or other local charities that sometimes ask for them.
- Probably my kids’ favorite – raid the linen closets for old towels and blankets and comforters and donate them to Helping Hands Humane Society. While we are there we have to stop and look at all the puppies, and I have to say no repeatedly!
- Make dinner for another family in need (just double your dinner that night), or our community has a charity called Silverbackks.org that provides dinner for school-aged children in various community centers. We sign up during the summer to make sandwiches and either drop them off or sometimes stay and serve.
Leave a Legacy
Sometimes finding volunteer ideas for kids can be difficult. But if you make it a family activity, it can be done, and the effects can be long-lasting. The more you initiate volunteer opportunities for your children, they will begin to suggest their own ideas on how to give back to others!
Love these ideas! I have been thinking of ideas to do with my children as they get older. I think it’s so important to teach children to give back.
Love your blog. I think these are great ideas but not also for parents but aunts/uncles/grandparents who need great volunteer ideas for kids. You could also add pack a lunch for kids who go without. While the parent fixes the homeless adults toiletry/lunch bag, the children can fix other children’s bags and make new friends.
It’s so important we start our children out early being servants to others.