Fall Activities to Teach Kids about Kindness

RAISE COMPASSIONATE KIDS! 8 fall activities to teach your kids about kindness

Start teaching your kids about kindness at an early age. With this fun list of acts of kindness for families, you can show your children how to give back. Make kindness a family affair! How many will you do?

HAND OUT THANK-YOU CARDS ON THE FLY

‘Tis the season of giving thanks, and gratitude is more fun when you share it with others. Get a stack of cheap thank-you cards (or make your own!) and pre-write thank-you notes to a variety of people, like teachers, grocery clerks, nurses, neighbors, bus drivers, and friends. Kids can decorate them with stickers, markers, or puffy paint. Keep the stack in your purse or car and hand them out whenever you see someone who could use a little boost. It won’t just help others; it’ll benefit you too.

ORGANIZE A BLANKET DRIVE

As temps drop, it can become uncomfortable and even dangerous to be outside, so shelters fill up fast. This time of year, they are often in desperate need of warm blankets or clothing. Help out shelters—both of the human and animal variety—by hosting a blanket and/ or coat drive at your school or in your neighborhood. Homeless shelters prefer new or gently used items, and animal shelters will often welcome your more wellloved blankets and towels. Call ahead to find out what items they could most use.

VOLUNTEER AS A FAMILY

Instead of (or before) sitting down for your own Thanksgiving feast, lend a hand at a local shelter. Local nonprofits tend to see more volunteers and donations around the holidays, so make a commitment to volunteer once a week or once a month if you can.

GET CREATIVE WITH DONATIONS

Lots of local nonprofits are looking for ways to intentionally celebrate—help them with your creativity. Drop off some coloring books, crayons, and fall stickers at a shelter or organization that helps families. Or make a pumpkin painting kit, complete with small pumpkins and paint supplies. Set up bird feeders at local nursing homes or create fall sensory bins for organizations that serve individuals with disabilities. The ideas are endless!

HAVE A RAKE-A-THON

Challenge your family to rake leaves for neighbors. This is a free way to show kindness to those around you, while also getting in some exercise.

LITTLE LIBRARY LOVE

Our community is home to so many Little Free Libraries at local parks and schools. Take the time this season to sort through your bookshelves. Pull out the books you have read or outgrown and take a family outing to donate the books for others to enjoy. Go the extra mile and design some custom bookmarks to include with your books. You can even make a day of it and spend some quality family time at the park!

KINDNESS BASKETS

Think of the community members that serve you every day and deserve an extra thanks this season. Examples could be firefighters, police officers, medical professionals, mail carriers, delivery drivers, teachers or church leaders. Spend time with your kids educating them on these important roles and then head to the store and pick up some items for a kindness basket. Need ideas? Check out page 18 in this issue of Owensboro Parent!

NEIGHBORHOOD CLEANUP

Enjoy the autumn air on a family walk around your neighborhood, but be sure to take some old grocery bags and gloves with you! As you get some exercise and fresh air, pick up litter you find along the sidewalks and roads. Your neighbors will appreciate you so much! OP