28 Best Opportunities To Volunteer For Kids In 2022
Involving in volunteering activities can help children develop social interactions, kindness, and empathy.
Specialty: Education ConsultantExperience: 10 yearsBeth Sullivan is an education consultant and president of Deep Roots Learning Solutions, Inc. She specializes in literacy instruction and works primarily with students learning challenges, including dyslexia, ADHD and autism. After working in schools as a special educator for ten years, Beth has shifted her focus to supporting individual students and their families through online tutoring.
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Volunteering isn’t only for adults. You can teach your children to understand the importance of giving back to the community from a very young age. Besides making an impact on the community, volunteering helps develop your child’s social skills and make new friends.
It is essential to engage your children in community services to build a strong character and inculcate core values such as empathy and selflessness.
As a parent, when you reach out to serve others, your children will try to copy you and help others from a very young age. You could volunteer together as a family or let your children participate in volunteering activities with their pals. Either way, it will help them become more responsible and independent individuals.
Read this post as we list some cool volunteering ideas for kids to take up during their leisure time.
25+ Volunteering Ideas For Kids
1. Cleaning the neighborhood
This is a great way for children to start volunteering. Ask your child to gather their friends and clean the neighborhood on the weekends. Ensure you provide the children with gloves and essential tools. The elders in the neighborhood, on the other hand, can arrange for refreshments.
2. Visiting grandparents
A regular visit by the children in assisted living residents, nursing homes, or neighborhoods can make the elderly happier and cheerful. They can spend time playing card games, doing crafts, exchanging ideas and skills, and sharing stories.
3. Starting a piggy bank
Children can form a group and start a piggy bank to deposit a small amount of their pocket money every week. After they have gathered a sufficient amount, they can donate the money to charity to bring a smile to someone’s face.
4. Helping elderly neighbors
Encourage your child to help their elderly neighbors. It could be in the form of raking leaves during autumn, picking up the twigs, cleaning the lawn, tending the garden, and removing snow in winter.
5. Starting a community garden
Children can volunteer by planting flowers or vegetables, which can then be distributed to the needy or sold in local markets to raise funds for a cause they believe in.
6. Setting up a playgroup
Along with your help, children can create a playgroup at local hospitals or assisted living residents. Get your children involved with the little ones who are younger than them and give them company or play with them.
7. Delivering supplies
Make your children collect and deliver essentials to the new neighbors, new parents, elderly, someone who had undergone surgery, or people who have experienced a natural disaster. This will be of great help to those who are in need but cannot go outside.
8. Spreading smiles through pictures
Make your children and their friends draw pictures and write special messages for the community helpers. Include gifts and flowers along with the line, “Thanks for being there” or “You are special.” Send the messages to them and bring a wide smile to their faces.
9. Shoveling snow
Children can get together and shovel the snow off the neighborhood roads. Through this activity, they could provide a safe driveway for their neighbors. Provide your children with a snow shovel and then watch them have fun with their friends.
10. Organizing a social event
Along with family and friends, children can organize a social event such as a puppet show, craft fair, dance show, or a play at a community center, daycare, or nursing home. It will involve many children and will be good entertainment for them.
11. Donating care packages
Involve your children in preparing care packages that can be given to the homeless. Each package can include pocket-sized toiletries, snacks, and a water bottle. Carry all the packages in the car and let your children hand them over to the homeless wherever you see them by the roadside.
12. Donating old books
If you have old books around the house, donate them to a homeless shelter for children. Through this act of kindness, your children will develop compassion and learn to share things with the needy.
13. Sharing toys
Ask your children to sort out the toys they no longer play with. Visit a local charity group with your children and make them donate their toys so that other children may play with those toys. This activity will teach them the value of sharing.
14. Donating through games
Children can organize local game events such as racing or running and charge a fee for the participants. The collected money can then be donated to local charity groups.
15. Volunteering at an animal shelter
If your children are pet lovers, then this is a perfect volunteering idea for them. They can help wash the animals, fill their water and food bowls, and give the animals company. You may accompany them by taking them to walk and playing and training with them.
16. Placing bird feeders
Let your children express and share their love for birds by providing them with water and food using bird feeders. Have your child place the bird feeders in the yard so that the local birds may come for the food.
17. Pet sitting for the neighbor
Children can volunteer by pet sitting for their neighbors when they go out. Pet sitting is fun, and it can teach children social skills and responsibility. You may supervise the children while they pet-sit.
18. Donating to an animal shelter
Help your children make no-sew toys, sweaters, pillows, blankets, and beds from old clothes or fabric remnants for the animals. Donate them to the local animal shelter. Children can also volunteer to raise funds for buying foods and other items that the shelter needs.
19. Offering food and water to stray animals
This is a kind act your child can do to show their love and care towards the strays. Have your children offer food and water to the animals and encourage their friends to participate in this kindness activity.
20. Selling food items
Guide your children to set up a food stall where they can sell various food items such as cakes, lemonade, and candies. The amount received can be donated to a local charity of your child’s choice.
21. Offering help to a new mom
Helping the new mothers is an excellent volunteering idea for children. They can offer various services such as delivering grocery items, doing household chores, and playing with the baby.
22. Decorating a senior center
Have your children decorate a senior center during the holidays. Encourage them to be elderly-friendly and creative while decorating the place, and let the elders experience the happiness and joy of your children’s creativity.
23. Sending thank you cards
This is a great social service that parents can teach their children to do. Saying thank you is a simple way of appreciating the health workers, security guards, police personnel, and other professionals who work day and night for the safety and well-being of citizens.
24. Working on sets
Children can volunteer by working on sets. They can help with the ticket distribution or guide people to their seats in the theatre. They can even perform with their friends in the community theatre and use the collected amount to donate to charity.
25. Planting trees
Explain to your children about the current environmental situation and how they can help save the planet. Involve them in giving back to Mother Earth by protecting the trees and planting more trees.
26. Coordinating a car-wash
Children of all ages can volunteer for a car wash fundraiser. It’s a quick and fun way to raise money in the community. Provide your children with soap, bucket, hosepipe, sponges, and towels and guide them on how to wash the cars.
27. Adopting a pet
Children can help stray dogs by giving them a permanent home through adoption. Also, taking care of a furry friend can teach them to be responsible and kind.
28. Volunteering at a local sports event
Children can volunteer at sports events by offering help to sportspeople, team members, and other staff. It includes providing and supplying sports materials and drinks to the teams.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Why is volunteering good for children?
Volunteering could benefit children in many ways. When a child places themselves in other shoes and learns to share, they learn empathy. Volunteering could be a driving force of compassion. It also enables them to look at the better picture and improve their social skills. Helping others could also be good for their mental health as it helps reduce depression, stress, and anxiety (2).
2. What do volunteers usually do?
Volunteers assist in various things, and their services may not be limited to just one activity. These activities could be environmental, philanthropic, or animal services. Volunteers engage in suitable activities based on the type and strive towards bettering the environment, the people, or the animals around them.
Opportunities to volunteer for kids can benefit their physical health, teach them life skills, and inspire helping and giving attitudes. Some of the best volunteering activities for children are visiting grandparents, cleaning the neighborhood, setting up a playgroup, starting a community garden, delivering supplies, and shoveling snow. Coordinating a car wash drive, adopting a pet, and selling food items are some other volunteering opportunities suitable for children. Donating and sharing toys, old books, and clothes can also imbibe a sharing and giving nature in children.
Key Pointers
- Kids can take up volunteering opportunities like cleaning the neighborhood, starting a piggy bank, and helping the senior citizens of the neighborhood.
- To add some creativity and fun, kids can also start a community garden, set up a playgroup, and deliver supplies to new neighbors.
- They can take up responsibilities such as shoveling snow, organizing a social event, donating care packages, and sharing toys with underprivileged peers.
References
- Benefits of Community Service.
https://www.wcsu.edu/community-engagement/benefits-of-volunteering/ - Volunteering is Good for you and your kids.
https://intermountainhealthcare.org/blogs/topics/intermountain-moms/2019/03/volunteering-is-good-for-you-and-your-kids/#
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