Oftentimes, you need look no further than your own community for great ways to inspire kids to give back. We want to share information about a special event right in YesKidzCan!’s backyard that’s kicking-off this week called JUST TRYAN IT! (JTI).

JTI opened registration this week for its 4th annual triathlon for kids ages 6-14. The event happens June 16, 2013 at Landon School in Bethesda, MD, and kids and adults work together to raise funds for children and families served by the Georgetown University Hospital Division of Pediatric Hematology, Blood, and Bone Marrow Transplantation.

If you happen to live in the Washington DC area, click here to register your friends and family. You’ll be glad you tried it!

Here’s a different way to think about giving this holiday season.  Do you have neighbors, friends, or relatives who may not be able to afford a home repair, an item, a class, or an outing?  Consider setting up an online fund through GoFundMe — a site where you can describe a project (such as fixing Mr. Jone’s roof), and invite friends and family to donate toward the set goal for the year ahead. GoFundMe projects have ranged from supporting a teacher’s needs in the classroom to making contributions toward a dog’s surgery to helping with costs for a kidney donation.  It’s a great way to use online resources to bring offline holiday cheer!

©YesKidzCan!, 2012

©YesKidzCan!, 2012

When a 60-foot oak tree crashed into Johnny Karlinchak’s neighbor’s house in Springfield, Virginia, he wanted to do something to help.  Johnny put on his eight-year-old thinking cap and immediately opened up a lemonade stand with a sign saying, “Mrs. Myers Building Fund.”  His goal – to raise the $500 insurance deductible.  On day one, standing in the 104 degree heat for an hour, Johnny raised $21.  He continued to set up the stand and added cookies to the mix in order to reach his fundraising goal.  To read more about this inspirational kid, click here!

© YesKidzCan!, 2012

Earlier this month, we shared some simple ways to teach your kids the value of giving back.  To continue the warm and fuzzies, here are 10 more ideas to consider:

• Let someone else have the parking space.
• Send someone an e-card just because you feel like it.
• Take your neighbor’s trash to the curbside.
• Send a Valentine in September.
• Buy a book for someone you know or don’t know — just because.
• Rescue someone who is shy. Strike up a conversation with someone who’s standing alone at a dance or party.
• Dedicate a song on the radio to someone you know is listening.
• Bring a family member coffee in bed.
• Ask the grocery clerk to apply your unused coupons to another customer’s items.
• Leave an umbrella in an entrance way with a note that says, “Use this to stay dry.”

(With appreciation and thanks to GoodHouseKeeping Magazine for the wonderful ideas!)

© YesKidzCan!, 2012

Teaching our kids to do good is unquestionably a critical part of their life lessons.  Sometimes, however, it is challenging to find the right approach and the right activity at the right time.  So, here are a bunch of simple, creative things you can do with your kids. Look for part two of these ideas later this month!

• If you are in a long line, invite others to go in front of you.
• Leave your neighbors a note saying how nice their garden looks.
• Drop off a note to the police station thanking the officers for all they do.
• Slip a gift card into someone’s grocery bag.
• Make a soundtrack of songs for someone that makes them feel good about doing good.
• Put a photo in the mail to a friend or a relative and write a nice note about the day it was taken.
• Pass along a compliment you heard about someone.
• Leave a copy of a book you love with a note for the next reader at a coffee shop, park bench, or elsewhere.
• Send someone a funny video from YouTube.
• Hold the door open with flair for someone.

(With appreciation and thanks to GoodHouseKeeping Magazine for the wonderful ideas!)

© YesKidzCan!, 2012

Get ready for the ultimate “AWWWW” factor.  Child’s Own Studio takes kids’ drawings and turns them into adorable comfort toys that so closely resemble the original artwork, it is amazing! The child who created the drawing receives the stuffed creation in the mail and experiences the joy of seeing his or her creation come alive.

We think this is a wonderful idea as a pick-me-up for someone recovering from an illness, as a thank you, or just a cozy act of kindness.  How cute would it be to package the stuffed creation with the original drawing and a note?  Just take a look a more of these hand-made wonders on the website’s gallery.  We applaud Child’s Own Studio’s magical sewing fingers and for bringing an easy smile to all of us!

© YesKidzCan!, 2012

July 11 is Cheer Up the Lonely Day.  And while there seems to be a National Day for just about everything, if you think about it for a moment, this one is worth honoring.  No one likes to feel isolated or alone but most of us have at one point or another.  Perhaps you have an elderly relative in a nursing home or a sibling who has just gone off to college without knowing a soul.  Maybe your child’s best friend has moved away and both kids are feeling sad.  Children who have gone to school together for years may be getting ready to start a new academic year at different places.  The same is true for teammates who have split up to play in different leagues.  And do not forget those serving in the military far away from friends and family.

Whatever the situation, as silly as some National Days may be, Cheer Up the Lonely Day is a good reminder that reaching out to someone in need is always good thing.  For those effected, help them connect by visiting in-person, talking on the phone or online, or sending an e-card or note card.  Just a little effort can go a long way toward brightening someone’s day.

©YesKidzCan!, 2012

Many kids understand that July 4th celebrates the United State’s independence from British rule in 1776 with the drafting of the Declaration of Independence to document what was important to our leaders and citizens.  Seems like a perfect holiday to add an easy service project to bring out the leader in your kids.

We’re not talking about anything complicated.  Kids are looking for some entertainment while you’re heating up the grill.  So, set up a table with a few canvases and some paint and brushes and have the kids create inspirational paintings (perhaps with patriotic themes in honor of the 4th).  Many hospitals, senior centers, libraries, or schools would appreciate receiving the artwork to brighten up their hallways or waiting areas. For a complete how-to on this kind of project, download our free our Art that Heals Community Service Project Kit.  It includes a butterfly template as one artistic option.  You could also download our Lifting Soldiers’ Spirits Community Service Project Kit  which provides complete instructions for decorating and donating pillowcases to lift the spirits of our service men and women.  The kit includes patriotic-themed iron-on decals.  Or you could simply use fabric markers or paint.  Just a few ideas to amp up your patriotism this holiday!

© YesKidzCan!, 2012

By Lisa Novick, Giving Experience Officer and Co-Founder, YesKidzCan!

In honor of our daughter’s sixth birthday, we decided to sponsor a little girl named Sandra who lives in rural Guatemala.  Almost six years later, we continue to support Sandra and have learned a lot about her circumstances thanks to the communications of Children International as well as the highly anticipated letters we receive from Sandra herself.

Sandra lives in a community where most families survive on incomes that average $144 a month.  Her mom is a homemaker and her father is daily worker and makes around $52 a month.  Her house is constructed of wood walls, dirt flooring, and a corrugated metal roof. It has a kitchen and two bedrooms for her 7 brothers and sisters.  The family is able to cook food because of an indoor fireplace. Our monthly sponsorship has provided vital necessities like basic health care and medicine, clothing and shoes, and educational supplies.

Over the years, we have received dozens of letters from Sandra.   She hand writes them in Spanish and they are translated into English by a Children International representative.  They are truly treasured keepsakes. Here are a few of excerpts:

• I am excited to tell you that I am happy along with my family and we are healthy.  I wish you and your family are healthy.
• I want to tell you that you are a very special person for me.
• My favorite subject is math because I like numbers.  My favorite sport is basketball and I like to read.  I help with chores at home like washing the dishes, sweeping, and cooking over the fire.
• My favorite time of the year is Christmas because I like to be in harmony with my family, and we spend good time because we drink punch and eat tamales.
• I am thankful for the help you give us and send you love and gratitude with kisses and hugs.

We keep six years worth of letters in a folder in my desk.  Thanks to these letters, my daughter has learned about Sandra’s interests, has gotten a peek into her daily life, and values the gratitude expressed in every correspondence.  While we have yet to meet, we have been able to watch Sandra grow up  because of the photographs we receive from Children International. We hope to visit Sandra and her family in Guatemala, but until then, we see her picture in our kitchen every day and look forward to sitting down together to read the next letter from Sandra.

© YesKidzCan!, 2012

Looking for a fun way to teach your kids the reduce, reuse, and recycle principles?  How about challenging your kids to a Re-Use Contest?!  All you need to do is select reusable or recyclable items.  Arm your kids with paper and pencil, and yell out the first item on the list.  Your kids’ task is to write down as many creative uses for that particular item.  Here are some examples of items and creative uses (in case you need to jump start your kids’ thinking):

• Magazines:  roll them up and stick them in knee-high boots to they will keep their shape.
• Empty Paper-Towel Roll:  Flatten and use as a sheath to store a knife kept in a drawer.
• Small Glass Food Jars: Use to store items such as nails, rubber bands, or thumb tacks.
• Old Shower Curtain:  Keep it in your car’s trunk to line it when carrying messy items such as muddy boots, paint cans, or beach gear.
• Used Coffee Grounds: Spread them over the flower beds of plants such as azaleas or rhododendrons that thrive in acidic soil.
• Plastic Gallon Milk Jug:  Cut off the top just above the handle and use as a scoop for pet food.
• Foam Packing Peanuts:  Use in the bases of potted plants to help with drainage.
• Plastic Mesh Produce Bag: Turn it into a no-scratch scrubber for a dirty pan.  After using it, ball it up and throw it out.
• Plastic Tub:  Rinse out an large yogurt or sour cream container and reuse it to store art supplies or as a travel water dish for pets.

You can let your kids have access to the internet to research even more unique ideas, if you wish.  Evaluate the answers your kids provide and offer fun prizes for the most creative, greatest number of uses listed, or most useful ideas for your house.  Figure out a way to recognize all good efforts!  Then, if you have some of the items on hand, put everyone to work re-using them in a way that works for you.

© YesKidzCan!, 2012