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You are here: Home / Fun Stuff / 8 Service Ideas for Kids

8 Service Ideas for Kids

September 8, 2017 By Kerry 8 Comments

Do you want your children to be more involved in service? Sometimes it’s a challenge to find options in the community for little ones to tag along with you as you serve. Here are some of our favorite service projects, helpful for a wide age range, that you can do together.

Donate to a Nursing Home or Care Center

Visit. Cute toddlers and kids in general are a big hit at nursing homes and assisted living centers. We have a friend who resides at a local center, and she sometimes had to share my sons with the other residents. I remember when my youngest was just starting to walk, he had a great time using their walkers as push toys (with their encouragement and permission, of course). He would also practice walking along the couch and windows where several lady admirers would ooh, aah, and clap at his accomplishments. He would reach out to hold their hands when he needed a little steadying and was busy working the crowd. I was thrilled to visit with my friend and have a small break from constantly entertaining one very busy little boy.
Birthday goodies. Aside from the usual visits or musical performances, you can really brighten a resident’s day by providing thoughtful gifts that let them know they are not forgotten. When my first son was quite young, I teamed up with another mom and her son to make birthday goodies for residents at a nearby assisted living center. We contacted the center first and asked for their permission. They were thrilled that we wanted to do something! They told us that a favorite treat there was microwave popcorn. So we bought a big box of prepackaged popcorn bags and set to work decorating them. We gathered all of our decorative paper scraps and made simple “sleeves” or “wrappers” for each popcorn goodie. We simply cut the paper to size, wrapped it tight around the middle of the popcorn package, and adhered it with tape. Then we let our kids decorate them any way they wanted to with craft and ribbon scraps that we needed to use up anyway. We affixed a simple “Happy Birthday!” tag to each but left the main decorating to the little ones. Each gift was so unique and lovingly made. They were perfect! When we finished, we took the boys with us to give them to the care center. The staff let us make deliveries to the residents who had birthdays that month. So a personalized gift via special delivery was extra fun for all of us.
Prizes. In addition to birthday goodies, you can also make or buy inexpensive Bingo prizes. The popcorn gifts would work really well for this too. Since the residents have small rooms, we always tried to donate consumables or simple artwork and not something that would clutter their space. Before donating anything, make sure you get permission from management first. Some care centers are especially picky about their residents’ diets and don’t want a lot of sugary treats.

Help a Pet
Make pet toys. For a family reunion, I asked everyone to bring their old t-shirts. We then made simple, braided pet toys for our own pets plus lots of others for our local Humane Society. To make each toy, we simply cut three strips of similar width and length and braided them tightly together, knotting each end. We found that thicker strips worked better for dogs, while thinner strips became cat toys. We made them in a variety of colors and sometimes tied knots in the middle or at intervals. Some we left as rope braids; others we tied into circles. The toys were a huge hit with our own dogs, so we knew the pets at the shelter would love them! Prior to making the toys, I contacted the Humane Society. Again, they were thrilled that we wanted to make a donation! Their only rule was that the toys couldn’t be glued or contain items that could be choking hazards.

Here’s a great explanation of the dog toy I’m talking about.

 

Take a dog on a walk. Especially if you have elderly or homebound neighbors with dogs, help your children offer to walk Fido. You, your kid, the dog–everyone will enjoy the exercise, and your neighbors will enjoy having a calmer dog in the house. In our family, a beloved grandmother enjoys walking her dog, but it isn’t safe for her to go out alone anymore. So we team up with her and bring our dog along too. Your local animal shelter might let you walk their dogs or play with their cats. Call them before showing up. For liability reasons, some of them do not allow minors to play with their animals.

Support a Good Cause
Help at a local fundraiser. When we lived in Idaho I started a Friends of the Library group. I’m not suggesting that you need to create your own nonprofit group, but you can offer to help one. My oldest son and I helped set up and run several fundraising book sales. He loved being the cashier and was quite the little salesman, helping anyone who would care to listen. With each sale and with the help of many other volunteers, we would usually earn a couple thousand dollars. Then it was fun to help decide where the money should be spent. We were able to supply our beloved local library with a Wii and games, a mural in a children’s section, custom-built shelving, book club books, and many more items. An added bonus: the library let us donate unsold books on tape to our local care center. Another time, my son helped his dad be an emcee for a Fun Run fundraiser. Nothing beats helping your dad ham it up for the crowd.
Collect Box Tops. Don’t underestimate the power of those dime-earning Box Tops! We save them year-round, and my son enjoys helping me find them and cut them out. Then he saves them until the school has a contest or promises prizes for his collection. Enlist the help of family and friends to increase your summer Box Top stash so you’ll be more than ready when school starts again. Our elementary school in Idaho used to earn several thousand dollars a year from Box Tops, so it’s worth it to take a little effort to save them. Maybe your school earns extra money through another redemption program? Find out and starting clipping and saving.
Gather or make items for those in need. The daughter of a friend of mine collected donations of dresses and hair bows for girls in Africa. Her mom sent an email out to several family members and friends, asking for contributions. They live in another state, so I made inexpensive hair bows that were easy and cost-effective to ship. They then worked with Mothers Without Borders to eventually ship or deliver all items, and I remember my friend’s daughter ended up with a large assortment. The project was a success, and she has a gratifying memory that will last forever. Check out Mothers Without Borders. It’s a fascinating website with lots of opportunities to serve. Maybe your child could donate money earned from a lemonade stand to sponsor schooling for a child in Zambia. $30 a month will do just that. Or maybe you’ll want to help teenage children save money to go on a volunteer expedition. The volunteer opportunities can be simple or involved. Volunteer Match is another great resource, especially if you want to keep your volunteer efforts local. You can filter your search to include just those projects where children can help too. Project Linus is another online resource where you can donate blankets.

These are just a few of our family’s ideas. We love to serve and look for simple ways to help someone every day. Thinking about others just makes life more fun, and it teaches our children to be more grateful for what they have.

Many of you have done great service projects with your children. Will you share your ideas here? We would so love to hear them and be inspired to do more!

Filed Under: Fun Stuff Tagged With: birthdays, children, kids, service

« 6 Ways to Teach Children Responsibility
Are You a Dumper?: A Lesson in How We Treat Others. »

Comments

  1. Shannon Dewease says

    September 11, 2017 at 7:51 am

    What great ideas!

    Reply
  2. Brittany says

    September 11, 2017 at 7:59 am

    Absolutely love this!! We are always looking for ways to get our kids involved and giving back to our community. Thank you for sharing!

    Reply
    • Kerry says

      September 11, 2017 at 12:07 pm

      You are very welcome.

      Reply
  3. Tannah says

    September 11, 2017 at 5:42 pm

    I love this. The kids and I took tomatoes to the local retirement home last summer. I never had enough to really take at a time this summer. They also said the kids could come volunteer doing bingo. I’d love to get them more involved when they get a little older. I love some of the other ideas you have as well. Thank you

    Reply
    • Kerry says

      September 13, 2017 at 9:24 pm

      I think you’re onto some great ideas. I’m sure you’ll be able to involve your kids, and it will be very worthwhile.

      Reply
  4. Vanessa | RunninginTriangles.com says

    September 12, 2017 at 10:27 am

    Great suggestions! I love the idea of teaching my children how to do something for someone else – they’re always so self-absorbed!

    Reply
  5. Stella Nadene says

    September 13, 2017 at 9:35 am

    These are such great ideas! My 8 yo is always wanting to help others, whether it’s picking up trash on the side of the road or raiding our pantry for food to donate. I love these ideas because some aren’t the traditional ‘go sing at the nursing home’. Will definitely be passing these ideas to her!!

    Reply
    • Kerry says

      September 13, 2017 at 9:23 pm

      So glad you like the ideas. I tried to share original ideas that would inspire others to think “outside the box.”

      Reply

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Because of covid, ICU beds at our hospitals here are full. So there’s no bed for him there yet. And he’ll need surgery soon. 

Maybe keep us in your thoughts and prayers. 

I have hope still—not that things will turn out well. My nieces will be ok, but my FIL is 88. We may not get the same guy back post-op. But I have hope that we’ll know how to make the best decisions we can at this time and that we will be strong as a family. 

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I know she is watching over us and her beloved husband right now. 

And no matter what, things will be ok. That’s hope. 

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This little gem was a keeper for our book club. It This little gem was a keeper for our book club. It's the first of four in a delightful series about an antique shop, a mother and daughter, and travel back in time. It reminded me a tiny bit of the 1980 movie Somewhere in Time, which I adored. Daughter Xanthe and mom Flora leave London for a fresh start in the historic town of Marlborough. They breathe new life into an antique shop through hard work and lots of talent. But the real story lies with an antique find--a silver chatelaine that transports her back to the 17th Century--and a resident ghost who insists she go back to save her daughter. There's also a romance with Xanthe and architect Samuel Appleby, who resides in the past. You won't be able to put this one down! It's an excellent gift too.⠀
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I saw this mural and just had to have this pic. I’m going to print it and frame it to remind me there is always hope. 

We’ve had a series of family health crises this week. A niece with a concussion, another niece with a broken elbow that’s going to require surgery ... And my father-in-law fell last Friday. We took him to the ER. They released him after doing a few tests and said to watch him. We’ve been stopping in every day. His speech kept getting more slurred, and finally, last night, his walking became severely impaired. A CT scan shows brain bleeding—a significant amount. 

Because of covid, ICU beds at our hospitals here are full. So there’s no bed for him there yet. And he’ll need surgery soon. 

Maybe keep us in your thoughts and prayers. 

I have hope still—not that things will turn out well. My nieces will be ok, but my FIL is 88. We may not get the same guy back post-op. But I have hope that we’ll know how to make the best decisions we can at this time and that we will be strong as a family. 

I also hold tremendous hope for life after this earth life. We lost my mother-in-law right before Thanksgiving. 

I know she is watching over us and her beloved husband right now. 

And no matter what, things will be ok. That’s hope. 

#hope #hopeful #wordsofcomfort #wordsofcomfortandhope #mrsladywordsmith #comfort
Introducing my 12 books to read in 2021 ... Books Introducing my 12 books to read in 2021 ... Books are my favorite escape, but they have to be really, really good or I don’t bother to finish them. Over the years, I’ve read many books and participated in several book clubs. Most of the books aren’t memorable, but some of them are absolute standouts in that they teach something valuable, provide a needed laugh, or are just written so well I couldn’t put them down. These 12 books are fabulous reads, with mostly clean language and content that won’t put junk in your mind. LINK IN BIO.

#cleanreads #cleanread #cleanbooks #bookclub #bookclubbooks #booksworthreading #books2021 #mrsladywordsmith #cleanbook #noswearing #noexplicitcontent #educated #tarawestover #tarawestovereducated #atreegrowsinbrooklyn #thegiverofstars #flightofthesparrow #the13thgift #beforewewereyours #thefountainsofsilence #thebeantowngirls #thebookwomanoftroublesomecreek #thelittleshopoffoundthings #thecountofmontecristo #alexandredumas
This little gem was a keeper for our book club. It This little gem was a keeper for our book club. It's the first of four in a delightful series about an antique shop, a mother and daughter, and travel back in time. It reminded me a tiny bit of the 1980 movie Somewhere in Time, which I adored. Daughter Xanthe and mom Flora leave London for a fresh start in the historic town of Marlborough. They breathe new life into an antique shop through hard work and lots of talent. But the real story lies with an antique find--a silver chatelaine that transports her back to the 17th Century--and a resident ghost who insists she go back to save her daughter. There's also a romance with Xanthe and architect Samuel Appleby, who resides in the past. You won't be able to put this one down! It's an excellent gift too.⠀
⠀
The Little Shop of Found Things, by Paula Braxton.⠀
⠀
#thelittleshopoffoundthings #paulabraxton #mrsladywordsmith #booksworthreading #fiction #fictionbooks #booksyoushouldread #cleanreads #cleanreadsbooks
Help your child learn and develop the valuable ski Help your child learn and develop the valuable skill of setting and achieving goals. This free printable is easy to download and use. Plus it's cute enough to display in a bedroom, on a fridge, or wherever your child will see it as a constant reminder. Link in bio.⠀
#goals #goalsetting #achievinggoals #goalsforkids #churchofjesuschristoflatterdaysaints #achievingexcellence #childrenandyouth #childrenandyouthprogram
I found this one in a nearby free library. Score! I found this one in a nearby free library. Score! It’s still selling at Costco. 

It’s foremost about thousands of orphans in Canada, illegitimate children who had nowhere else to go. So the Catholic church and government intentionally misdiagnosed them as mentally incompetent and sent them to live in asylums. It was a money maker as the caretakers made a lot of money per child and could treat them horribly without supervision. 

The second part of the story is about separatists wanting to liberate Quebec from the rest of the country. English vs French. Rich vs poor. 

Throughout, there’s a love story that finally makes sense in the end. 

Historical fiction with quite a bit of profanity. Luckily, the previous owner of my book blocked out most of the swear words. 

Not my favorite historical fiction, but I learned a lot about Canada’s past that I did not know. 

#theforgottendaughter #joannagoodman #mrsladywordsmith #booksaboutcanada #historicalfiction #historicalfictionbooks #historicalfictionnovel
This is Oakley. He likes my favorite Christmas chi This is Oakley. He likes my favorite Christmas children’s book too. ❤️

Do you have Christmas Day in the Morning? 

It’s a rustic tale of a young boy who surprises his dad with an unforgettable gift from the heart. It’s a genuine lesson that the best gifts don’t cost money but, instead, come from what we do for others. 

I know it’s a little late in the season to be ordering Christmas books, but if you don’t have this one in your collection, it’s a definite keeper. I have a link for purchasing it in my bio, along with some other great seasonal book recommendations for kids. 

#christmasbooksforkids #childrensliterature #bestchildrensbooks #booksworthreading #mrsladywordsmith
Saying goodbye to my beloved Ensign magazine this Saying goodbye to my beloved Ensign magazine this month. I worked there for seven years, leaving in 2002 when my oldest son was born. Graciously, they let me continue to work from home for many years following. 

The magazine is being retired in favor of a more international approach, which I understand and appreciate. 

My time at the Ensign with truly amazing coworkers will always hold a special place in my heart. 

I look forward to the next era of church publications, even though I shed a tear or two as I say goodbye. #ensignmagazine #mrsladywordsmith #churchofjesuschristoflatterdaysaints
This is an excellent book! Historical fiction is m This is an excellent book! Historical fiction is my favorite genre. This one is about Spain’s Civil War and the 40-year cruel reign of Franco, a ruthless dictator. Well into the late 80s, he ruled with terror. Spaniards lived in fear and could not question how their country was governed. Much like Hitler, Franco determined to cleanse the Spanish people of “Republican blood,” those who had questioned and opposed during the war.  One cruel, common practice was to steal newborns from parents in the hospital, telling them their child had died, while secretly placing the child in an orphanage and charging exorbitant adoption fees to prospective parents, often foreigners who had no idea of Spain’s troubles. It’s estimated that over 300,000 children were stolen and adopted out. 

The Fountains of Silence, by Ruta Sepetys. I’ll be checking out her other books. Very well written. Clean language. 

#booksworthreading #bookstoread #favoritebooks #rutasepetys #rutasepetysbooks #mrsladywordsmith #bookclubreads #bookclubreading #bookclubladies
What’s in your stash of Christmas books? My favo What’s in your stash of Christmas books? My favorite is Christmas Day in the Morning, by Pearl Buck. 

We read one or two books every night. Together we always read The Best Christmas Pageant Ever. What are your Christmas favorites? 

#christmasbooks #christmasbooksforkids #christmasbookshelf #mrsladywordsmith
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