This year Giving Tuesday, a global day of giving, lands on November 30th, which is the perfect time to get your kids in the real holiday spirit before December 1st gets here and their minds are filled with the constantly evolving toy list for Santa.
Here are some fun ways to instill the giving spirit in your kids.
- Let your kids pick an organization to donate to.
For little ones, let them pick something they most want to give to (animals, puppies, kids, school, food, moms, etc. ) and choose a charity for them in that category. For bigger kids, have them research and find an organization that they like.
2. Let them gather items to donate.
Have them select items from your pantry or pick some out at the grocery store to donate to your local food bank. Have them pack up clothes that don’t fit or old toys they don’t use to donate to a shelter. Head to the pet aisle and have them pick out dog and cat toys and food to donate to an animal shelter. Pick out school supplies to donate to a school. You can also have them ask their teachers some things they need most for their classrooms. Many children’s charities also have gift trees around town where your child can pick another child and get a gift for them.
3. Kindness rocks and sidewalk chalk shoutouts.
Have your child paint rocks with positive words and phrases on them and leave them around your neighborhood or parks for people to find and brighten their day. Older children can do the same on sidewalks with sayings in sidewalk chalk.
4. Volunteer to pack food boxes at a food pantry.
Some local food pantries, including St Louis Area Food Bank, allow older children to volunteer with their parents packing food boxes.
5. Let your child pay it forward in the drive-through.
Let your child be the one to tell the drive-through attendant that they’ve got the next person covered.
6. Pick up litter at a local park.
Or volunteer with an organization that plans larger scale pickups in your area.
7. Prepare blessing bags.
Fill gallon Ziploc bags with toiletries and other essential items (chapstick, wet wipes, deodorant, travel first aid kits, mini bottled water, granola bars or trail mix, Neosporin, peppermints, pocket tissue, hand sanitizer, travel size Vaseline, lotion, shampoo and conditioner, socks, face towels, toothbrush and toothpaste, and soap) and donate them to a local homeless shelter.
8. Write thank you letters to first responders or troops overseas.
9. Increase their allowance for the week but under the condition that the increase goes to a charity of their choice.
10. Donate to Locks of Love or another hair loss charity.
If your child has long hair and is up for it, let them get a haircut and donate their hair to the charity.
