Ways to Keep Kids Busy While Teaching Them How to Serve Others and Their Community

Summer is here and the first week is full of all of the fun adventures: swimming! staying up late! movie marathons! water balloon fights!

But before you know it, the reality of having kids home full time sets in and the "I'm bored" comments begin.

Finding ways to bust the boredom while also teaching kids that life exists outside of screens through service is a great way to feel connected to your community and for your kids to serve other people. Here are some ideas that can easily be implemented with your family. Some are local to Austin but others can be done anywhere and with any ages.

• Have a lemonade stand and donate all or some proceeds to a charity that you discuss as a family
• Bake cookies for a family, then ding dong ditch them on their front porch.
• Write a letter or color a pictures for someone (a friend or family member) and send it via snail mail. Even if they live in the same city as you, it will be a fun surprise to get mail!
• Go to 5 Below or Dollar Store and buy stickers, then go to the the playground and pass out stickers or sticker pages to kids
• Take treats to your local fire department or police station along with a thank you note for what they do for your community.
• Leave a thank you note for your mail person
• Leave water and snacks on your porch for delivery people
• Collect stuffed animals to take to the police station. Could even start a collection drive in your neighborhood. People love to help and they love getting rid of stuffed animals even more ;)
• Use sidewalk chalk and write kind words or phrases on your sidewalk, driveway or on the pavement at a park for people to read.
• Color with residents are a nursing home. They LOVE visitors.
• Write Thank you notes to the military and send them to Operation Gratitude
• Think of and/or pray for 1 person everyday for 1 week
• Take a cooler of popsicles to the splash pad and make a sign that says "free popsicles" to share and hand out
• Sign up to deliver meals as a family for Meals on Wheels (look up your local chapter)
• Decorate paper bags for Meals on Wheels
• Host a neighborhood donation drive for The Locker
• If age 15+ and live near Georgetown, Texas- you can volunteer with Brookwood, a vocational community that provides meaningful work for adults with disabilities
• If 12+ and live in Austin, get a group together to volunteer at the WilCo animal shelter walking/socializing with the animals
• Help WilCo animal shelter to make toys and comfort items for animals (there are specific instructions on their website)
• Donate or collect towels, sheets, blankets, animal treats or food and take to an animal shelter
• If in Austin, make an appointment with HopeAustin to help bag food for school age children who are not food secure

This is just a beginning list! I'd absolutely LOVE to hear any other ideas you may have or if you do any of these, please let me know or tag me on instagram!