August 22, 2022

August 22, 2022

6 Community-Based Activities For Summer That Encourage Social Responsibility

As a parent, you want to bring up children who are aware, giving, kind, and have a desire to help others. Raising good humans is what parenting’s all about, after all. But the real question is how you can help your child develop these traits. Luckily, that answer is quite easy: you model that behavior for them and get them involved in the community.

It’s vital to instill the idea in your child that they can have an impact on the world around them. How? By engaging in acts of kindness and taking the time to participate in community service. This can help to inspire them and spark their inner sense of altruism, empowering them to work to make a real difference in the world.

Community activities for youths aren’t as difficult to find as you may imagine. We’ve put together a few community-based activities for summer that encourage social responsibility, as well as kid-friendly community service projects you may want to help your children get involved with.

The Benefits Of Community Volunteering And Activism
The specific ways in which children become involved in the community aren’t really that important. The truth is that any way your child is engaged in community activities is good, and this involvement will benefit them in a variety of ways. The benefits of any community-based activity include:

  • It provides positive role models – Children need positive role models in their lives, and when they participate in community activities, they meet a lot of like-minded people with whom they can worth together. Additionally, meeting people from different backgrounds who have different perspectives on the world will help encourage your child to view the world from a range of points of view.
  • It makes connections – For many kids, finding their identity is a part of what makes this time of life so confusing. They’re trying to understand not only who they are, but how they fit into the community around them. When they get involved, it creates a positive way for them to understand who they are, fosters a sense of belonging, and allows them to forge new friendships and connections.
  • It teaches new skills – Community activities give kids a chance to apply the skills they already have while also learning new skills. It also provides them with the chance to show initiative and develop skills they can eventually use in the workplace.
  • It helps with time management – Many kids struggle with managing their time and finding a balance between school and free time. Community activities help motivate your child to manage their time and be more organized as they find a way to balance different aspects of their lives.
  • It boosts self-confidence and wellbeing – Every child needs a boost of self-confidence and self-esteem, both of which are something community activities can help provide. They can learn to deal with the challenges of communication in a supportive environment and feel good about being involved in a place where they feel valued and helpful.

Examples Of Community Activities For Kids
You may be wondering what some social responsibility activities for students look like in your community and beyond. The truth is that they aren’t hard to find – you simply need to know where to look.

If you have a hospital, a homeless shelter, a shelter for unwanted pets, or even a care facility for the elderly in your community, then ways to volunteer time shouldn’t be hard to come by. You can start small when your children are young with these community service activities:

  • Make dog treats for homeless pets – Kids usually love animals, so why not help to encourage kindness and thoughtfulness through making homemade dog treats together and then donating them to a nearby animal shelter?
  • Make pillowcases for kids in hospitals – You can inspire generosity in your child by getting some plain pillowcases and then having your child decorate them so they can be given to children who are admitted to the hospital. You can tie-dye the pillowcases, stamp designs onto them, use fabric paint, or decorate with fabric markers. Wash and dry each one, put it in its own Ziploc bag, and then donate them to your local hospital.
  • Make homeless care kits – Homelessness is a problem in many communities and one that your children have probably already noticed. Teach them compassion by putting together homeless care kits with hygiene items, water, bandages, and snacks, then donate them to a local shelter.
  • Join a local environmental group – If your child is old enough and interested in helping the environment, then have them look into joining a local clean-up or environmental group.
  • Tutoring younger students – If your child is interested in a specific school subject, they can put that interest to good use by volunteering to tutor younger children in the community.
  • Volunteer at the library – Libraries are an important part of the community. They are places where people can go for knowledge, for classes, and for help. Volunteering at the library is one way your child can start to learn more about the needs of your specific community, making it a great place to start their foray into community service.

These are only a few ideas to get you started. You know your child and what interests them best, so use the knowledge you have of their personality and interests to help them find a community activity to become involved in this summer or school year.

Featured image by Ray Sangga Kusuma on Unsplash