15 Ways to Give During the Holidays (While Doing Something with your Family)!

The holidays are an especially wonderful time to spend with family and give to  others. Remembering that giving goes beyond buying presents  and really means helping those in need can be an especially eye-opening experience for your children. Even better, doing something to help others as a family can bring your family closer together and allows your children to see you modeling giving behavior. Below are 15 ways your family can serve others this holiday season, all while allowing you to spend quality time together as a family. 

1. Bake Something Sweet For Those Who Serve Your Community 

Baking during the holidays creates a sense of warmth, tradition and celebration. And this is an activity the whole family can get involved in and have fun with, no matter the ages! Take a day to bake some cookies and deliver them to your local fire station, police station, hospital, senior center, or other service providers. If you are able, consider making your deliveries on Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve or Christmas Day, when employees working are away from their families and will be especially appreciative.

2. Send Christmas Cards to Military Overseas

Military personnel can always use words of encouragement, love, and support, especially during the holiday season when they are away from their families. Take some time to sit down with your family and write holiday cards to those who serve our country. Young children and teens will enjoy adding stickers to decorate the cards for a little extra festive touch! While making your cards, take the time to remember how the military members you are writing to serve our country. 

3. Prepare a Meal and Deliver It to a Friend or Neighbor 

Do you have a friend or neighbor that you know will be alone during the holidays or one who could use some extra support and love during this holiday season? Prepare a meal for them with your family and deliver it together. This is a great activity for the family to do together, and even the youngest kids can get involved by making cards. 

4. Clean Out Your Coat Closet and Take Gently Used Coats to a Local Shelter

Do you have any old coats in your closet collecting dust? Take this opportunity to show your kids that you don’t need as much as you think and that you are better off helping those in need who would appreciate your underused items. If your budget allows, you can also sponsor a family in need and buy them brand new winter coats.

5. Leave a Hand-made Christmas Card In Your Mailbox for the Mail Carrier or on Your Porch for Delivery Drivers

The holidays are an extremely busy time for mail carriers and delivery drivers. Giving them a special treat, such as a handmade Christmas card, is a great way to bring some cheer to their extremely busy days. Have your family get creative and come up with something that will brighten your mail carrier or delivery driver’s day (maybe even include a little baked treat for an extra special touch!). Our mail carriers and delivery drivers do so much for us all year long, but especially during the holidays, they work extra hard to deliver all of our mail and packages. This is also a great time to talk to your children about the importance of noticing when someone is doing a good job and complimenting their hard work.

6. Pick a Day To Help Each Other 

We often go about our day-to-day routines without thanking our family members for all the things they do to make our lives better. We can express gratitude for the ones we love by helping each other out. Encourage your children to clean up their sibling’s room, take out the trash, and show appreciation for one another. You could assign each child another family member to help for the day or assign each family member a "zone" of the house to be in charge of.

7. Donate Books to Your Local Library 

Have each family member go through books they have read and no longer enjoy, or have outgrown. Once you have compiled a stack of books, donate them to your local library. This is a great family activity because it also allows you to go down memory lane and reminisce about your favorite books, all while helping others in your community increase their access to great books.

8. Donate Non-Perishable Items to the Food Pantry 

Pick up some extra food when you're at the grocery store and donate it to your local food pantry. Showing your kids the importance of giving to those in need doesn’t have to be super time-consuming; you can fit it into your normal family errands.

9. Go Caroling at a Local Senior Living Home

Senior living home residents are often very lonely during the holidays. Take the opportunity to provide company and joy to those who don’t have many loved ones around during the holidays. Go to an assisted living facility and sing carols to the residents. 

10. Give Baked Goods to Your Neighbors

When you’re making your traditional holiday treats with your family, consider doubling your recipe to make extra for those who live in your neighborhood. Your neighbors will love the treats, and your family will enjoy making extra treats and delivering them too!

11. Pick a Child’s Name off of a Giving Tree and Shop for the Gift Together 

The next time you come across a giving tree, stop and choose a child’s name with your family. Shop for a Christmas gift together for the child as a family. Remember the meaning of helping others feel loved and special during the holiday season.

12. Encourage More “Thank Yous” 

This may seem simple, but it’s very meaningful. During the holidays, it is especially important to show thanks and gratitude. Encourage your family to say thank you more often and give genuine compliments to those around them.

13. Volunteer to Babysit

As a family, offer to babysit for a couple who have small children so that they can have the opportunity to go on a date during the holidays.

14. Take Gifts to Your Local Hospital 

Individuals who are in the hospital during the holidays would really appreciate a little cheer from you and your family. Put together gift baskets with small gifts and homemade baked treats and deliver them to hospitals.

15. Volunteer to Read a Christmas Book to a Local Class

Going to your local school and reading the children a Christmas book would brighten the children's day (and yours)! It shows your family how important it is to give back. Children lead by example, and this is a great opportunity to show your family the value of contributing to the community. 

Whatever you decide to do, remember that the most valuable gift any of us can give is the gift of time. Spending time with your family will create memories and provide valuable opportunities for teaching moments.