5 Ways to Teach Your Kids the Gift of Giving

It’s so fun to spoil your kids a little during the holidays—but it also feels good to balance that out with an important lesson: Giving can feel as good as (or even better than) getting. Here are five ways to encourage your child to think of others all year long!

1. Give a Christmas Coupon Book by I Am That Lady

Teach kids that sometimes the best gift can’t be bought with money—it can be a considerate act or a thoughtful action. Craft a coupon book filled with random acts of kindness—thanks to I Am That Lady for sharing her fun printable that children can assemble and color before giving!

2. Make Tzedakah Boxes by What Do We Do All Day

The Jewish tradition of tzedakah says that helping the needy is the right thing to do, always and all year long. Making Tzedakah boxes and keeping them around the house throughout 2014 will remind your kids that generosity can be part of your life every single day! And check out these cute boxes, courtesy of What Do We Do All Day.

3. Create a Giving Advent Calendar by My Super Foods

Advent calendars usually count down the days until kids get to tear into the gifts under the tree; this great project from MySuperFoods creates an advent calendar with a new twist, with each day offering a new good deed that you and your family can do together.

4. Do a Good Deed a Day by Six Sisters’ Stuff

Or, if you don’t have the time to create a calendar to track your good deeds, just spend some time together picking out people you know—neighbors, friends, schoolmates—who just might need a little help. We were inspired by Six Sisters’ Stuff, who chose 12 families and created their own “12 Days of Giving Back” as a new holiday tradition. What will your family create as your giving tradition?

5. And Always Say “Thank You!”

Of course, you can’t fight the fact that kids will LOVE getting gifts more than anything. But you can make sure they express their appreciation through a handmade, heartfelt thank-you note.

Mary Lou Hidalgo is a creative thinker who likes to make things and make things up with her four kids. Specialties include: huge messes, fortunate mistakes and serendipitous discoveries.