At an early age, it is best to instill among children the value of giving back to the community, to help them become responsible and compassionate adults. A child who is not taught that giving is better than receiving, he tends to be selfish and is less successful in life, because there’s no one willing to support him due to his egocentricity.
So, if you want your child to be showered with lots of love and support from the people surrounding him when he grows up, encourage him to do community service. Here are five community service ideas that your child will definitely enjoy doing.
1. Plant flowers, vegetables, or fruit trees.
The world is already experiencing climate change. Supposed cold months are now already warm. Several animals in the wild are dying due to excessive drought. Teach your child how to help the world back in its former glory even a little by planting more flowers, vegetables and fruit trees. Teach your children how to dig up the soil, plant seeds and stems, and water them until they grow. This way, your child will grow up to be closer with nature and be the nature’s voice against destruction.
2. Pick up litter at the local park.
Though trash bins are provided at the park, most people are still lazy to throw their trash at the right containers. Raise awareness to your child that littering is wrong and could damage the surroundings, and that trash is the number one cause of clogged drains and floods. So, put on your gloves and get ready to pick up litter at your local park.
3. Donate clothing, books and toys to the needy children.
Your children may not realize it, but they are one of the luckiest children in the world. Some children out there can’t afford to be in school, buy toys and only have a single piece of clothing. To help them, collect old yet usable clothes, books and toys, and donate them. They would surely appreciate this gesture of kindness. Your child will also have the chance to interact with them, and play with them.
4. Create holiday cards for senior citizens at home shelters.
Other community service ideas that you could do is to create and send holiday cards for senior citizens. This would be a perfect community service, especially if your child loves to draw or paint. The holiday cards do not need to be grand. As long as your child perseveres on making it, its recipients would definitely appreciate the act. Plus, the recipients are our loving and understanding seniors. They would be more than happy to receive a card greeting personally made by children.
5. Volunteer at an animal shelter.
To help your children get closer and nicer to animals, have them volunteer at an animal shelter. They could go play with the shelter’s dogs and cats to keep them company, or they could help the staff on feeding and cleaning them. Make sure that your children are well-supervised so that they won’t get into any accidents with the shelter’s pets.
There are more ways on how you could develop the value of community service among your children. But if you are looking for a quick start, the abovementioned activities will be a great choice.