How Kids Can Give Back Over the Holidays

Photo by Benjamin Howell/Getty Images

If you’d like your kids to pivot away from focusing on what they’re getting for the holidays—and focus, instead, on what they can give back, read on. We asked Daniel Horgan, executive director of generationOn, a New York-based non-profit that inspires kids to make their mark on the world through service, to offer an age-by-age guide to realistic volunteering projects your kids can get going on today—as the countdown to the holidays begins.

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It’s a particularly tough season for the 22 percent of kids who live in families with incomes below the U.S. poverty line. “Volunteering can be a great way to help your kids connect with their community, develop skills, and shake up their routine,” Horgan tells Yahoo Parenting. “No matter how old they are, helping out in the community will set your kids up for future success.”

If your kids are 4 to 6:

What they can do: Make a homemade holiday card or two that you help deliver to an elderly couple or a veteran who lives in the neighborhood. Or, your kids can decorate brown paper lunch bags and drop them off at your local Meals on Wheels office or local shelter. If you’ve collected canned goods for your local homeless shelter, invite your kids to decorate the box.

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If your kids are 7 to 10:

What they can do: Make care kits for the homeless that include warm socks, lip balm, and a granola bar. Place the items in one-gallon plastic bags with a handwritten note that includes an inspirational quote. Go with your kids to a local homeless shelter to drop them off. Or, donate extra winter coats, toys or books to a local kids’ shelter. If your kids love baking, make brownies and bring them to the staff at your town’s overnight shelter. Other great give-back options include delivering granola bars to the nurses on the night shift in your town’s emergency room or delivering freshly baked cookies to your local fire station.

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If your kids are 11 to 14:

What they can do: Organize a peanut butter and jelly sandwich making assembly line. Wrap and donate these sandwiches to a local soup kitchen. Any animal lovers in your family can reach out to a local animal shelter to find out what supplies they desperately need. Winter is a great time of year for your kids to volunteer to walk the dogs or spend time with shelter-bound cats. Check with the shelter first regarding age-by-age volunteer guidelines.

If your kids are 14 and up:

What they can do: Make no-sew blankets using a variety of fabrics purchased or donated from a local craft supply/fabric store (the easiest-to-make variety involve cutting and tying pieces of fleece). Once your teens have made a stack, donate them to a local homeless shelter. Or, they can organize a holiday sing-a-long at a local senior center or offer to deliver food (or shovel snow) for a local homebound senior.