National Giving Day (aka Giving Tuesday or Good Deeds Day) is coming right up! This whole Thanksgiving and Christmas season is the perfect time to remember how much we have to be thankful for and think of ways to give back. Teaching our children to think of others and try to help others is a year round job. However, during the holidays, good deeds for kids are even more important. Learning to give back can and should be fun. It feels good to give and to make a positive difference. I included a list of good deeds examples for kids who may need a little inspiration. I have also made a free printable good deeds chart for kids to help celebrate National Giving Day. It is the perfect way to inspire children to do good.
What Are Good Deeds?
Good deeds are acts of kindness or generosity that are done to help others, improve someone’s situation, or contribute positively to the community. Good deed examples can be broken down into five categories: helping others, acts of kindness, community involvement, supporting causes, and everyday acts (for example, offering your seat to someone in need on public transport). Whether big or small, random acts of kindness contribute to a more compassionate and supportive society. They not only benefit others but can also bring a sense of fulfillment and happiness to those who perform them.
Good Deeds For Kids
Kids don’t have lots of money or power and it can be easy for them to feel unimportant. If you dismiss their efforts they may feel powerless. On the other hand, if you praise their efforts, they may realize everyone, no matter how small, can make a difference. We can all do good deeds to make the others happy and make the world a better place.
Doing good deeds helps us feel good. It helps us feel like we can make things right or make things better. It lets us fix things. This message is one of hope. When you let a child be filled with hope and enthusiasm, well, it will remind you that you can do it too!
Good deeds come in all sizes. Little ones can help and praising their efforts will lead to them doing it again! Say something like, ” I saw you offer to help your brother with his homework when he was getting frustrated. That was very nice of you to notice and explain it to him. I am so proud of you for going out of your way to help him.”
I love this quote for inspiration, “I cannot do all the good that the world needs. But the world needs all the good that I can do.”- Jana Stanfield
Examples Of Good Deeds
Does your child need some inspiration? To start, talk with them about what is a good deed. Then let them brainstorm some ideas. Finally, you can share some of these good deeds examples for students. Most of these examples of good deeds for kids are easy to accomplish and provide immediate gratification for both parties.
- Hold the door open for someone
- Say bless you when someone sneezes
- Help carry in the groceries
- Offer to do the dishes
- Share a toy
- Push in your chair when you leave the table
- Give toys to charity
- Encourage younger children in their efforts
- Give a compliment
- Pick flowers for someone who may be sad
- Bring out the trash without being asked
- Pick up litter
- Comfort another child
- Go get help when someone needs it
- Make a card to brighten someone’s day
- Share your snack
- Draw a picture to give to a family member
- Pick up something someone dropped and return it to them
- Help someone look for a lost item
- Lend a hand
- Volunteer to help a teacher clean the board
- Volunteer at a food bank
- Read to someone who needs company or cheering up
- Write a thank you note to tell someone something you appreciated that they did for you
- Smile and ask others how they are
- Pick up your toys and put them away
- Pull weeds in the vegetable garden or flower beds
- Volunteer to serve food at a soup kitchen
- Collect clothing donations to bring to a homeless shelter
- Make a care package to bring to someone who is sick
- Make a happy note to share with an elderly neighbor
- Leave quarters in a vending machine
- Leave a thank you note for the mail carrier
- Share coloring books with younger siblings
- Make a bird feeder
- Help young children learn to do something
- Walk a neighbor’s dog (only if age appropriate)
- Volunteer at an animal shelter
- Make a homemade gift such as a friendship bracelet to share with a new friend
- Collect donations for a food pantry
- Give someone a bottle of water on a hot day
- Put up sticky notes with kind messages
- Collect plastic bottles to recycle
- Volunteer at the local library
National Giving Day
I hope the good deeds list above gives you some ideas for things you can do for others. Sometimes the simplest of nice things can have a significant impact on a person’s day! Your act of kindness may seem small to you but it can be the things that turns someone’s direction in a positive way.
National Giving Day is a great time to remember how fortunate we are and to share with those who are less fortunate. It is a great day to give money to your local food bank or give volunteer time to your local homeless shelter. But all good deeds count and kids should be encouraged to participate too!
I was inspired to make the good deeds chart by National Giving Day but I think it is perfect to use right on in to the Christmas season to help spread a little Christmas Cheer.
We recently shared our review of Elf Pets: A Saint Bernard Tradition and it has been really fun watching my son get into “making Christmas magic”. The other day as he helped me carry the groceries up the stairs without me even asking, I said, “Leo, that is so nice of you!” and he said, “I’m filling up Bernie Pie’s (our Elf Pet Saint Bernard) Barrel of Christmas magic for Santa.” He knows just how to spread Christmas Cheer! It is fun to see how many ideas he comes up with to help others.
Free Printable List Of Good Deeds
I made the this free printable good deeds chart below. It is a great way for kids to get excited about doing good deeds. It also makes it easy for us parents to be able to track and offer positive feedback on the progress they are making.
You can access the document version of the image above to be able to print out the Good Deeds Chart.
You could also create your own good deed chart with ideas specific to your family. It is all about ideas for giving back or helping others. When I say give to charity, that can take on many forms. It can be as simple as them dropping their change into the church charity collection basket or they can go all out and do a fundraiser or donate their own savings. Similarly, collecting items to donate can be them selecting toys and clothes they have outgrown to donate or collecting food through a food drive. Thank you cards can be made for teachers, neighbors, and service men (and women)!
Each item on the Good Deeds Chart is designed to help them keep track of good deed related actions they perform and to help inspire them to do good deeds. Sometimes, we all need a little inspiration! Depending on your child’s age, you could print one sheet out for each week leading to Christmas or just one page as they work through it at a slower pace.
Conclusion
Good deed for kids are a great way to empower them to make a difference and have a positive impact. I hope you enjoy this free printable good deeds chart and have a great National Giving Day. Have your little ones been getting excited to start spreading Christmas Cheer? What are some of your favorite good deed ideas? Do you have an example of good deeds your child has done?
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