How can I help others?
Sharing the experience of donating to charity with your children shows them that they can make positive changes in the world and how promoting generosity can have a positive impact on their wellbeing.
Importance of helping others
The final challenge in Island Saver is to collect disused batteries and find places to recharge them. Once fully charged, your child will be able to donate all of the batteries to the portal which will allow the litterbugs to go home. For doing this, your child will receive the exit key to the island. Talk to your child about the importance of helping others and explain that even if they are unable to give money to charity, giving their time or doing a sponsored challenge can be just as important.
Giving makes you feel good
Discuss with your child ways that they can help other people that don’t involve giving money – for example, they could donate some toys to a charity shop, have a bake sale for a local animal trust or simply do something nice for a neighbour. Knowing you have helped others can often make you feel happier yourself, and it’s a great thing to do as a family.
Just giving
If donating money is an option, your child could design and make a donation box for family and friends to add to. Between you, decide who you want to benefit from your efforts and make the donation together in person. This is a great way of involving your children further. You could also look at opening a charity giving account, which is easy to set up and allows online donations.
Sharing the experience of donating to charity with your children shows them that they can make positive changes in the world and how promoting generosity can have a positive impact on their wellbeing.
Choosing a charity
When you are out and about in your community see if you can spot local charities and discuss the kind of work that they do. Examples might include local food banks, animal rescue centres and high street charity shops. Another great place to start is looking at local charities’ social media pages as these often explain the type of work they do in the area and the help that may be needed from volunteers or through donations.
Step outside the game
Ask your child to think of ways they could help their local community and discuss ideas that might be achievable. For example, picking up litter at the local park is a simple but rewarding activity for a Saturday afternoon. This could be as informal as grabbing a couple pairs of gloves and a rubbish bag or, for a more communal experience, you could take part in an organised cleanup. Websites like KeepBritainTidy.org and LitterAction.org.uk post various ways you can get involved across the country.
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