Sometimes it’s hard to find a way to get kids involved in volunteering. Planning your own service projects with your children might be the easiest way to introduce them to ways that they can make a difference in their community.

Planning your own small projects are a great way to make time to spend together as a family. Smaller projects are a great way to make sure your kids can take the time to talk about the kind of volunteering they’re doing and the impact that they’re having.

1. Holiday Cooking Party – Hold a holiday cooking party with friends and family making bread, soups, and even some cookies for a food pantry or shelter. Guests can cook or bake together, or make healthy bags of snacks. It’s a great way to bring family and friends together to help out during the holidays!
2. Put together hygiene kits to pass out to the local homeless shelters. – You can request donation in your community of mini soaps and shampoos and other things like hand sanitizer and tissues.
3. Consider donating your family’s old coats for warmth this winter. – As fast as kids grow, you might buy a new coat every year or two. Search One Warm Coat to find a coat drive in your area. You can even get them to help you organize your own coat drive in your school or neighborhood!
4. Hold a stuffed animals drive.- Donate the gifts to your local police department. Patrol officers can keep them in their trunk to give to kids who are traumatized by a car accident, abuse, or other incident.
5. Help out at a kid’s holiday party. – Many community associations or non-profit organizations put on holiday events for children. They often need volunteers to help with games, crafts, and more.
6. Share the joy of reading with another child. – Have your children’s favorite books have changed over time? Talk to them about donating older books to a local school, Head Start program, or shelter that houses families.
7. Offer your services at a women’s shelter. – From anything to helping wrap gifts for children to offering child care services, women in these shelters are usually working on trying to better themselves for their family.