How to Celebrate Giving Tuesday With Your Kids

Created in 2012 as a counterpoint to commercialization and consumerism, Giving Tuesday was launched as a day of international charitable giving to kick off the holiday season. Timed specifically after Black Friday, it hoped to unleash the power of people and organizations to transform both their local communities and the world at large, GivingTuesday aims “to build a more just and generous world.”

Especially during these turbulent times, teaching our children about kindness and generosity is more important than ever. Roberta Schomburg, interim executive director at the Fred Rogers Center — an organization for early learning — says that one of the ways to impart these lessons is to lead by example. “Children are watching. And when they’re surrounded by a generous atmosphere, they’re more inclined to be generous,” Schomburg told the Washington Post.

While we all want our children to grow up into healthy and successful adults, many of us also want to raise generous and compassionate humans — especially for folks who are in need. Teaching our children about giving and modeling generosity demonstrates the importance of considering other people instead of just our own needs.

Part of the process, too, is educating our kids about the privileges and power they have. Not to make them feel guilty, but to impress upon them that charity alone — though helpful in the moment — does nothing to erase the structures creating the conditions necessitating charity in the first place. It is also worth emphasizing to our kids that they need to be mindful of the expressed needs of the recipient and not just their desire to feel good or feel better about themselves.

Due to the global pandemic, many of the in-person ways to participate in Giving Tuesday may be best postponed until it is safer to do so. In light of the recent surge in COVID-19 infections, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends you only gather with people within your household. Please check with your doctor and your local state, county, and city laws to make sure you’re following the current health and safety protocols.

Should you decide to participate in in-person activities for Giving Tuesday, experts warn to be vigilent. Make sure activities take place outdoors in small groups. “For children, keep hand sanitizer and wipes handy and find good-fitting masks that fit snugly over the nose and the mouth,” Dr. Steph Lee — pediatrician and spokesperson for the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) — told Mom.com.

There are plenty of safe ways our kids can join the global movement. You can also find other causes and project ideas for how your children can provide support on the Giving Tuesday site.

Ask kids who they want to help and in what way
Ask your child, “Who do you want to help?” Like adults, children are more apt to help in a cause they’re personally invested in.

“My kids have always decided how they want to give our family gift to Heifer International,” Leticia Barr told Mom.com. “They pour over the catalog or look on the website and sometimes divide the money between a variety of animals, or sometimes give the entire amount towards a share of a larger animal.”

Stock your local food pantry or food bank
While local food banks always need donations — particularly in summer months when it is not top of mind — the holiday season also puts a strain on their services. Your child can “shop” from your own pantry for canned goods, food staples, and shelf-stable items to donate or help you choose what food items to buy in your online shopping cart. Alternatively, you can hold a food drive and then deliver to your local food pantry.

Make care packages for the unhoused and those experiencing homelessness
Create kits containing necessities like toothbrushes and other personal hygiene items for folks who are currently unhoused, and your child can go with you to distribute to local shelters, community centers, religious centers. Many have drive-through donation systems in place.

Host a book or toy drive
Your child can collect gently used books or toys from your own home and their friends and family. The items can then be donated to local shelters, community centers, or children’s hospitals. Alternatively, you can sell and then donate the proceeds.

Collect gently used or new coats
Now that fall and winter are here, many families are struggling with paying utilities and children are especially at risk. Involve your child in sorting your closets and ask local friends and family for their gently used or new coats. Organizations like One Warm Coat or the Salvation Army can help.