Children need some guidance on how to become empathic and start finding ways to reach out and give to others. Please use this list to discuss with your child ways your family can impact others.

Birthday Party Ideas:

• Have birthday guests bring money for a food bank to your child’s birthday party. You can drive your child to the food bank and have him/her make the donation, or take the children to a discount grocery store and allow them to buy and deliver the food themselves.*
• Have guests bring almost-new items to your child’s birthday party that they don’t want and donate them to a women’s shelter.
• Instead of having the birthday guests bring presents for your child, have them bring gifts for a child at a homeless shelter or foster home.
• Have the guests bring pet supplies (dog or cat food and pet toys) to your child’s birthday party and donate them to a local animal shelter.

Holiday Activities:

• Find a school, group home or vocational center for children or adults with special needs, and buy Christmas presents for the residents that do not have families.*
• Ask your school counselor if there is a family that your family can help at Christmas.
• Contact a “soup kitchen” and see if you and your child can help prepare or serve meals, especially on Thanksgiving and Christmas.
• Make Valentine’s cards for nursing home residents and have your child deliver them personally. Warm socks are also appreciated for residents.
• Get a group of children to visit a nursing home. Have them bring a Holiday activity or practice some songs to sing with the residents.

For Teens:

• Volunteer at a facility for teens and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities.*
• When your child gets their learner’s permit, remind them of Clayton’s story, discuss organ donation and talk about the importance of becoming an organ donor.
• Volunteer as a coach or assistant coach for their favorite sport.
• Help children in the neighborhood with their homework.

Family Activities:

• Contact a non-profit to see what you can do to get your family or your child involved in an outreach program.  Everyone benefits!

Most organizations would love for you to plan something for their residents; just contact them and see what your child can do to help! Please share your acts of kindness on social media with the hashtag #SparksKindness!

*Clayton did these activities for the TLC Food Pantry in Willis, Tx and Bridgewood Farms in Conroe, Tx.