Sometimes we need to move to creative ideas, fun activities, or full on bribery to get kids to do service. It's not the best reason for kids (or any of us) to do service, but it gives them the chance to learn how to step up and serve. Hopefully they'll also gain some meaningful connections that will change their attitude about it along the way. Here are some suggestions for getting them started:
- Service can be hard work, reward yourselves with a treat that is somehow special to what you are doing. After we drop off the box we deliver from the food bank each month, we head over two blocks to Thirst for sodas and popcorn (after all, they have happy drinks & treats). It was also started by an 18 year-old, so we like to support his gumption.
- Throw a party!
- Service project party - choose a project and have your kids invite friends over to work on it. We did this once for the Festival of Trees, a fundraiser for Primary Children's Hospital. My daughter invited her friends over to make stockings out of felt and filled them with candy I had bought on clearance after Halloween (so it was an inexpensive project) to donate to the Elf Emporium, where they sell kid crafts and treats. We like treats, so we served brownies and peppermint ice cream to go with the Christmas theme. (Links to projects that would be a good fit for service parties are included below).
- Themed party - I've had students expand on the minimum hours allowed for collecting items for their service projects by gathering donations through themed parties or activities, so they are using work and creativity to serve, rather than just asking for donations. One student put together a spook alley in her backyard using mostly things from around her house. She put up flyers and invited kids in the neighborhood to the spook alley for a couple of nights. The entrance fee was a gently used children's book and a quarter. She used the quarters to send the books to an organization that donated them to deployed troops. The troops can then read them to their children over skype, so they can participate in bedtime stories from afar. Other themed party ideas:
- throw a "baby shower" - participants bring baby items to donate to an organization that helps new moms in need, then play games and serve treats that would be found at a baby shower
- literature party - have everyone dress up as their favorite book character, bring a book to donate, have games and treats that are related to books (pinterest is a great source for ideas)
- sport challenge - challenge people to a game of baseball, football, soccer, etc. Maybe kids versus adults, one side of the neighborhood against the other, etc. Have everyone bring new or used sport equipment (balls, mitts, shin guards, etc) to donate to a local YMCA or recreation program
- have a Thanksgiving dinner, spring break lunch, 4th of July breakfast...get together. Feed yourselves and have everyone bring a canned good to donate to a food bank or pantry
Check out these links for fun projects and ideas that could be turned into a party (follow link for credit):
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