As if helping others doesn't offer its own learning opportunities, we've got more lessons children learn by practicing kindness.
1. Empowerment: Kids who contribute learn early on that one small action can ripple out into big changes in the world. Small service projects with children will inspire them to continue making a difference even when they grow up and recognize how very big some of the world’s problems really are.
2. Self-esteem: Helping children share their time and talents with others, teaches them they have valuable gifts to contribute.
3. Responsibility: Fostering a habit of kindness means teaching children not to overlook needs in their community. By volunteering together, you teach them that if they notice a problem or a need, they shouldn’t wait for someone else to take action. They have a responsibility to be part of the solution.
4. Academic skills: The opportunities for learning are nearly infinite. Making cards for friends at the nursing home reinforces reading and writing skills. Measuring ingredients while cooking a meal at a homeless shelter or making soup for a sick neighbor puts math skills to work. You can review science concepts while protecting nature or history while meeting social service needs. You can even learn sewing or kitchen skills or wood working through service projects. Every activity offers a lesson.
5. Critical Thinking: Practicing kindness as a family means reflecting on big issues of the day, challenges your community is facing, and possible solutions. These big conversations teach children to approach problems thoughtfully, productively, and inquisitively.
6. Tolerance: Volunteering helps break down stereotypes at a young age, and teaches greater tolerance and understanding. Through volunteering, children often meet people from diverse cultural backgrounds, lifestyles, ages and income levels.
7. Respect: By volunteering together with your family, you can help teach your children respect for the contributions others are making in the world and respect for the experiences and needs of other people in the community.
8. Gratitude: Children learn to appreciate the gifts in their own life when they spend time noticing and responding to the needs of others.
9. Purpose: By engaging children in a variety of service projects, they often discover issues that inspire them to get more involved. In this way, older children often credit volunteering with helping them develop a vision for the work they want to do as adults.
10. The Value of Family: Volunteering together teaches children that your family is a force for good. You'll build incredible memories, stronger bonds, and make a difference together.
Pick a Service Project from our collection!
Start today and ignite a lifetime kindness practice.
Every one of our unique tools has been created and tested by the kindness experts at Doing Good Together™ especially for you and your family. Enjoy!