The art of giving is something we should all focus on teaching our children (and ourselves) throughout the entire year, but this lesson always seems a little easier to teach around the holiday season.  I am always trying to think of ways to show my daughters how it can be rewarding and fun to help others; whether we are picking up an extra pair of mittens to place on the “mitten tree” at the library, or helping each other out right here at home.   To some, it may seem overwhelming to try and include this important lesson in with all of the other day-to-day things that take up our lives.  Why not incorporate the “art of giving” into everyday curriculum or unit studies? 

At In the Hands of a Child, we are continually stressing the importance of “hands-on” activities in our children’s education.  Giving brings peace of mind and a connection to other people’s needs.  Giving teaches empathy, sympathy, kindness, responsibility, and many other strong character traits.  When children are taught how to serve others, they are learning firsthand how to make a difference in someone else’s life and in the world.

So what are some hands-on activities that we can use to incorporate giving into our everyday lessons and unit studies?   Here are just a few ideas.

·        Study some of the symbols of Christmas and have your child research the history and importance of those symbols.  For example, learn about ornaments, Christmas cards, or the Christmas tree.   Then, have your child make Christmas cards and donate to a local retirement or nursing home for residents to send, help someone address and stamp their cards, or help someone decorate their tree.  Volunteer to help wrap gifts!

·        Food donations are needed year round, and especially around the holidays.  Donate to a can drive or have students host a can drive of their own!

·        Start a holiday tradition by donating a toy, book, clothing each year!

·        How about making a batch of cookies or other snack and taking it to a local military organization when studying about the military, wars, or Memorial Day?

·        If you are studying animals, talk about an endangered species and research what can be done to help that species.  Perhaps you and your child can have lemonade stand and give the proceeds to the favorite animal of his or her choice.  This will also help your student practice math skills, fundraising, money management, organization, and philanthropy.

·        Volunteer at a local animal shelter or donate pet food, toys, and other supplies.

·        There are some organizations out there that you can donate money to and the money goes to providing a needy family with an animal.  For a small donation, your family could provide another family with a cow.  A cow?  That’s right- cows, sheep, and llamas.  They supply farm animals to families so they can have fresh milk, meat, etc.  What a great geography lesson to learn about the region of the world where your family purchased a cow!

·        What better way to learn about the effects of extreme weather conditions than to research a weather disaster like a hurricane or tornado and then helping with the relief effort?  Not every family can pick up and go to the disaster area, but it is easy to find out what supplies are needed and send a donation.  In 2006, children all over the U.S. had lemonade stands to raise funds for Hurricane Katrina relief.  There are also organizations like Teddy for Tragedies that accept teddy bears and other toys to send to children who are in disaster areas and in need of something to hug.

There are so many ideas for giving and it’s easy to incorporate into everyday learning with just a little planning.  Give your students some choices to decide what they want to do- they will be empowered to keep on giving! 

Katie Kubesh is co-owner and writer/researcher for In the Hands of a Child.  Recognizing that hands-on projects are essential to the learning experience, In the Hands of a Child has created Project Packs that go beyond the hands-on aspect.   They have taken the preparation time out of the parent/teacher job description with Complete Ready to Assemble Lapbook-style units that are available in Ebook, Printed Book, and CD formats.    Please visit their website at www.handsofachild.com.

©2007 Katie Kubesh