December is the season of giving. There are many community service activities your Cloverbuds can do to help them understand what it means when you say that it is better to give than receive. With parent/guardian permission, do one or two of the following:

• Collect nonperishable items for the local food pantry
• Sponsor a family in need by providing food and gifts
• Visit local nursing home or assisted living facilities and play bingo or do crafts with the residents
• Draw pictures and/or write thank you cards and send them to veterans thanking them for their service
• Volunteer at the animal shelter or collect food and toys for the animals in the shelter

Of course, all of the above activities can be done anytime during the year, not just in the month of December. Residents in local nursing homes or assisted living facilities enjoy company anytime throughout the year. Be sure to check with the facility before you visit to find out what their rules are regarding visitors.

How do you decide which community service activity your Cloverbuds will enjoy? Give them two or three to choose from and let them vote. Depending on the age of your group, you may need to explain in detail what each activity is. Your project is more likely to succeed if the children have a voice in selecting the activity.

Whatever you choose to do, talk to your Cloverbuds about the importance of helping others. After the activity take time to talk about what they learned, how they felt, and why they think it is important to help others.

As Aesop once said, “No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted.”

image from stock.adobe.com