Your Child Will Learn
Volunteering my time helps the community that I live in
Here’s What to Do
- Research family-friendly volunteer opportunities in your community
- Once you choose a place to volunteer, contact the organization and confirm that the service is an appropriate activity for small children
- Examples: visiting elders in a nursing home, planting trees, helping animals at a rescue center, collecting and sorting donations at a food bank, sending care packages to families in need
- Ask your children to draw a pictures about the volunteer experience and what they learned
Put PEER Into Action
PAUSE
- Say to your child, “you’re so helpful to me in our home, let’s get out and help others in our community”
ENGAGE
- When you arrive at the volunteer site, ask your children to say, “how can we help”?
- Ask the staff to explain how your children’s efforts will help the community
ENCOURAGE
- Model being open, friendly, and helpful to the staff so your children learn how to work cooperatively with others
- Praise your children for volunteering their time
REFLECT
- Ask you children, “where else can we help others in our community by volunteering our time”?
Not Quite Ready
Read a children’s book related to your volunteer activity
Ready for More
Plan and schedule a routine for doing volunteer work in your community
As Your Child Masters This Skill
They will show interest and curiosity about other ways to be helpful to others at home, at school, and in the community
Time to Complete
30 minutes – 1 hour
Materials Needed
Paper, drawing and coloring materials like pencils, crayons, markers, or colored pencils