Beginning School Summer of Service
Little Hands, Big Hearts
Pre-schoolers are wonderfully impressionable and they want to be helpful. Putting recyclables in the right bin, counting coins to donate, and picking home-grown produce to go to the local food pantry are just a few of the ways your little one will want to help you help others. Plus, when you tell them how proud you are of them for helping, their pride and desire to do more will only increase.
Be sure to take advantage of the dozens of children’s books that teach lessons of environmental stewardship, being kind to animals, and helping friends and others. The combination of a book read by a parent and a hands-on project done together is powerful, will create a lasting memory and be the beginning to a life filled with service.
Ideas for Pre-School Age Children
Tips for Parents
- Pick a project with a skill set that your child can easily do (sorting objects, picking up items, helping you to make an edible treat, etc.)
- Do a little and be successful. Don’t try to volunteer at a neighborhood clean up for two hours. Instead, go for twenty minutes, help your little one to pick up items and then celebrate your teamwork. Or go to the grocery store together, fill a bag with canned and boxed items that your child picks out and together deliver it to a food pantry.
- Celebrate your child’s accomplishment. Talk about the experience over and over. Tell her how proud you are of her and ask your child to tell other family members about what she did. The more enthusiasm you have for your child’s contribution, the prouder she will be.
Clean-up, clean up! Everyone do your share!
Little ones love this little song and singing it with you while cleaning up anything (from the living room to the neighborhood park) will make the task more enjoyable. When cleaning up the neighborhood playground, be sure to have your child wear gloves and stay with him so he doesn’t pick up anything hazardous.
Let’s Celebrate
In planning your child’s birthday party, call the local shelter in your area to see if they would like to have a birthday cake as well. (If you want to make a homemade one with your little one, be sure the shelter accepts homemade food donations.) Or in honor of your child’s new age, ask each party guest to bring one can of food for each year of your child’s age to be donated to the local food pantry in addition to or in lieu of a present for your child. Be sure to take your child with you to give the donation as part of the birthday celebration.
Share the Harvest
If your family has a summer vegetable garden or a fruit tree, involve your youngest ones in picking the produce to share with a neighbor or donate to the local food pantry. Fresh foods are always appreciated by the pantries and letting the staff know that your child participated in making the donation will enable them to shower your child with appreciation.
