How To Teach Your Children About Gratitude And The Spirit Of Giving Back

The holiday season is fast approaching which means you may be finding yourself looking for ways to teach the concepts of kindness, gratitude, and giving back to your young children. If you’re looking for some big and small ideas to help your children learn about giving back, this blog includes five ways that you can spread the kindness and abundance this holiday season.

Volunteer as a Family

One of the most meaningful ways to teach your children about the importance of giving back is by volunteering as a family! Find local organizations, such as food banks, homeless shelters, or nursing homes, that welcome volunteers during the holiday season. Getting involved as a family not only sets a great example for your children but also allows you to bond while making a positive impact on the community. If you’re able, continue your volunteer efforts throughout the year. Most organizations see a sharp rise in volunteers around the holidays and while this is great, volunteers are needed all year long!

Create Thanksgiving Care Packages

Get your children involved in assembling care packages filled with non-perishable food items, warm clothing, and hygiene products. These can be distributed to those less fortunate in your area. You can even make it a fun family project by decorating the packages and including handwritten notes of encouragement and kindness. If you’re not sure what to include, contact your local homeless shelter or women’s shelter and see if they can share a list of needed items with you.

Random Acts of Kindness

Encourage your children to perform random acts of kindness throughout the Thanksgiving season. Depending on their age these acts of kindness will look different! They can include simple gestures like leaving anonymous thank-you notes for teachers or neighbors, shoveling snow for an elderly neighbor, or going out of their way to share with a student they don’t normally play with can instill the value of kindness and empathy.

Teach Gratitude

Incorporate discussions about gratitude into your family’s Thanksgiving traditions. Have a gratitude circle where each family member shares something they are thankful for. This practice helps children understand the importance of appreciating what they have and being mindful of the needs of others. This is also a great activity that can go beyond the holiday season and into your nightly routine! Dedicate a few minutes at dinner every night to go around the table and have everyone share something about their day and something they’re grateful for.

Craft for a Cause

Crafting can be a fantastic way to spread kindness and is a great opportunity for younger children to really get involved. Gather your children and create handmade greeting cards, artwork, or other crafts to send to local hospitals, nursing homes, or military personnel. These thoughtful creations can bring smiles to those who may be feeling isolated during the holiday season.

Charity During The Holidays

With the holidays knocking on our door, your little ones have probably already started a list of all the exciting things they’ll be asking for this year. Before all of the excitement of gift giving begins, take the time to explain to your children the importance of giving back to those who need it. The holidays are the best time to install the values of charity and service into your little ones. Inspired by an article posted on SheKnows.com we’ve suggested a few different ways to get your children involved in giving back this holiday season.

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Santa Riding Around Town

Here comes Santa Claus, here comes Santa Claus… Christmas is less than two weeks away and along with tree lighting events, parades, and light shows, each year Santa makes his way through our local towns visiting all of the children, spreading holiday cheer. We have compiled information on Santa visits in Linwood, Northfield, and Egg Harbor Township so that you can be sure that you and your children don’t miss Saint Nick!

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25 Random Acts of Holiday Kindness

25-acts‘Tis the season for giving, as the old adage goes. Today is #GivingTuesday and in honor of both this fantastic social movement and the holiday season, we are sharing with you a printable list of 25 Random Acts of Holiday Kindness. Every year, Megan over at Kids Activites Blog does a countdown to Christmas with a Random Acts of Holiday Kindness calendar with her family, and she swears by it!

She has found that focusing on kindness for others each day helps to banish so many of the “I wants” and the “I should be’s” of this time of year. It helps to instill good character in your children by building a charitable foundation in your family. Head over to Kids Activities Blog to learn more and to download your own copy of the 25 Random Acts of Christmas Kindness Printable List.

h/t Kids Activities Blog

Halloween Books for Children

Reading to children is one of the most important, beneficial things that you can do for them. Not only does it provide a time for bonding with your child during a hectic lifestyle, but it helps improve their intelligence and develop skills that will help them develop mentally, emotionally, and socially. Everybody wants their child to succeed in life and by building a strong fundamental reading foundation, you are giving them a great advantage to further themselves and improve their self-confidence at the same time.

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