6 Ways Your Child Can Make a Difference
This Women’s History Month, we have studied women throughout history and throughout the world who have made a difference. To start your child on their journey to be like these inspirational women, here are five ways your child can make a difference.
Love the Environment
As humans who live on this planet, we often feel a responsibility to take care of our environment, and many kids find nature and the animals that live in it inspiring. Giving them the chance to take care of the environment through hands-on work such as growing plants or cleaning litter can cultivate a strong passion for the world and the people in it.
Ideas to Make a Difference
- Plant a garden
- Join a litter cleanup group in your community or at the beach
- Pick up litter or plant trees and flowers at your community playground or park
- Foster a pet from the local animal shelter
- Volunteer with or organize a community group to beautify a community space
Share Books and Reading
They say that knowledge is power, but more than that, books can also give joy and inspiration. A single book can help children grow and learn. With the massive need for books throughout the community, finding ways to give through books can empower the community and your child.
Ideas to Make a Difference
- Set up a community library box (Visit littlefreelibrary.org for help getting started)
- Give books as a gift to friends or shelters and other organizations
- Offer to read to other kids in the community
- Start or join a book club for kids
- Donate books to your child’s teacher
Give Your Things
For people that don’t have much, owning physical items can mean the world. This is an important lesson for kids to learn as they give back to the community. Giving their own items, whether new or unused, can teach children to appreciate their privileges and to give back to those who have less.
Ideas to Make a Difference
- Donate unused bicycles to a nearby shelter or organization
- Give outgrown clothes and shoes to shelters or organizations
- Set up a “Blessings Box” in your yard to collect food and hygiene items for the homeless
- Host a bake sale, lemonade stand, or yard sale and give the proceeds to a local charity
- Donate food to local shelters soup kitchens
Give Your Time
Although being able to give physical items is important, sometimes it isn’t always possible. Giving your own time can be just as, or maybe even more, valuable. Nobody can make a difference if they don’t give a cause any of their time. Taking play time or family time and putting it towards helping others is a great way to help your child enjoy making a difference.
Ideas to Make a Difference
- Donate your time or pet supplies to an animal shelter
- Volunteer at a local nursing home or soup kitchen
- Join a local group or organization that serves the community
- Take part in a charity run or walk
- Sponsor a child and let your child exchange letters and photos
Do Daily Good Deeds
Organizations like Pay It Forward and Foundation for a Better Life focus their work on doing good deeds for individual people. Simple and impactful, this is a great way for children to make a difference, because changes often start with a single person. Looking for ways to make just a single person’s day better with a daily good deed can cause massive changes around the world.
Ideas to Make a Difference
- Smile and wave when you see a neighbor
- Give a compliment to someone who’s alone at school
- Offer to help your neighbor take out the trash or walk their dog
- Make cards or care packages for friends and neighbors who are having a difficult time
- Offer to help your family do household chores
- Play with kids who are alone at the playground
Learn from Others
Sometimes the best way to learn how to make a difference is to follow others’ examples. If you show your child the way, you and your child can make a difference together. Your child’s journey towards changing the world can begin with your example and by learning from inspirational people in history.
Children’s Books about Inspirational People Who Made a Difference
- I Can Be Kind like Mother Teresa
- Courageous People Who Changed the World
- Courageous People from Montana Who Changed the World
- Courageous People from Nebraska Who Changed the World
- Courageous People from Texas Who Changed the World
- Courageous People from Washington Who Changed the World
- Courageous First Ladies Who Changed the World
- Women in Science Who Changed the World
- She Spoke
- She Spoke Too
For more ways kids can make a difference, check out these articles:
- “7 Simple Ideas for Children to Make a Difference”
- “Little Ways Kids Can Make a Big Difference in Their Community”
- “16 Ways Your Child Can Make a Difference to Others”
Shaelyn Topolovec earned a BA in editing and publishing from BYU, worked on several online publications, and joined the Familius family. Shae is currently an editor and copywriter who lives in California’s Central Valley.