Volunteer as a family
For busy parents who want to spend time with their kids while still contributing to their community, volunteering as a family is a great activity. Volunteering teaches even toddlers and preschoolers about compassion, empathy, tolerance, gratitude, and community responsibility. And children who volunteer are more likely to continue doing so as adults.
For families with babies/toddlers:
-Volunteer at a senior’s home. Many senior’s homes love it when babies and toddlers visit because it can be very uplifting for residents.
-Participate in charity walks. Just load those kids up in a stroller and off you go.
-Volunteer for story time at a children’s hospital. Your kids can sit and listen while you read books to the hospital’s littlest patients.
Families with elementary aged kids:
-Volunteer at an animal shelter. You can walk dogs as a family, you can help give the animals baths, or sometimes you can just play with puppies and kittens since they need lots of attention in order to be properly socialized for a forever home.
-Make cookies/lemonade together and set up a stand to raise money for a cause that is close to your hearts.
-Make sandwiches for a homeless shelter.
-Bring your children’s artwork to a senior’s home.
-Bake cookies for local firefighters/police.
-Help your kids organize a clothing or toy drive at their school.
Families with teenagers:
-Volunteer at a food bank. You can sort food that arrives while all listening to some music/a podcast or you could help them cook up food in the kitchen.
-Volunteer at a community garden to help plant/weed/harvest and donate the food.
-Take a walk around your neighbourhood and see what problems your kids notice. Come up with ideas on how to fix them.
Families with any age kids:
-Local clean-up. Take an hour out of your weekend to walk around your neighbourhood or park to pick up any trash that you see lying around. All you need are gloves and a garbage bag.
-Support newcomer families. Often organizations that help newcomers transition into their new homes pair up new families with local families that have kids of similar age. The local families show them around and help them practice their new language.