It’s a joy to see a child have the first impulse to share with someone else. Maybe they spontaneously offer you a bite of something they’re eating, or they hand a favorite toy to a peer to share in the joy of playing together. Generosity is a trait that we can cultivate by engaging with others and sharing what we have with them. Our Gardner School locations cultivate generosity by giving back to our communities. Here are a few ways our Gardner School families have supported their towns and cities through community projects.
We Hold Food Drives
Canned food is easy, portable, keeps for years, and can help supplement the nutrition of a growing family. Our Gardner School locations hold food drives for canned goods that can help increase the inventory of local food pantries and soup kitchens. Cans are easy for little hands to stack and grab, so let your child add a few extra to your cart on a grocery run. They’ll feel so proud adding them to the collection of cans to give to others.
We Give Coats to Keep Out the Cold
For our colder weather locations, a coat drive is an annual tradition that helps put gently used winter gear back to work, warming those who need it most. When our families’ coats closets become a little overstuffed with winter gear, they appreciate the chance to pass them on to folks in need. Kids can sort through their winter gear, pairing up mittens and pointing out which coats are too small for them. Involving them in intentional giving will let them know that your family values helping others.
We Make Holidays Brighter
Many of our schools collect children’s gifts through programs like Toys for Tots, Operation Give Back, or even local children’s hospitals. Starting in November, we begin collecting games, shoes, technology, sports equipment, gift cards, dolls, arts and crafts, and more as part of an effort to help bring gifts to those in need. Our students can offer great ideas for gifts other kids might love. They’ll also feel a sense of community as they plan a special gift for another child to receive this holiday season. Have them join you at Target or Walmart to pick out a gift that someone their age would love.
We Intentionally Teach Kids About Generosity
As we plan our community projects for the year, we make sure to involve our students. Some of our locations read books about giving back, such as Pass It On, by Sophy Henn or What is Given From the Heart, by Patricia McKissak. We encourage parents to choose gifts to give with their child, letting them be involved in the process.
The Gardner School Helps Kids Understand Giving Kids imitate all that they see, and The Gardner School makes sure they see examples of generosity and community involvement from a very young age. We give back to our wonderful communities by pulling together to help others out. To learn more about how we give back to our communities and help little ones grow in generosity, schedule a tour to visit The Gardner School preschool location nearest you.