Ideas of Teaching Your Children to Serve

This morning I had the privilege to speak at our first  MOPS meeting of the year. I shared with the other moms encouragement of why we teach our kids to serve and project ideas they could do at home. So, I decided to share some with all of you as well. 

Serve the Lord with Gladness

 Psalm 100:2

                I used a small corkboard from our kitchen and created a Pumpkin Patch of Service. Children can "pick" a pumpkin and complete the service project.

           I did a project for each letter of the word pumpkin. Here is a list of ideas but you could also just do random projects that your family chooses. 

P-put a surprise note on Dad's car before work

U-Unexpected visit to a staff member at church with treats

M-make muffins for a friend and their family

P- pick a family and take a meal to them

K-Kit Kat for a kind friend

I- Icee at QT with a friend

N-Note to an elderly member at church telling them why they are special

        I also thought this idea would be easy for all who have children's books at home. Here is a list of ideas for these books, but many more books could be used. 

Read and Serve

Blueberries for Sal by Robert McCloskey- Read the book and then take blueberries to someone special

We’re Going on a Bear Hunt by Michael Rosen- Read this book and then make a scavenger hunt for a friend. Invite them over so their mom can run an errand.

The Apple Pie Tree by Zoe Hall- Read the book and then make an apple pie and deliver it to an elderly member of your church.

Duck and Goose by Tad Hills- Read the book and then take a friend to the pumpkin patch and get them a pumpkin

We’re Going on A Leaf Hunt by Steve Metzger- Read the book and then hunt for a yard that needs the leaves raked and complete the task.

Good Night Gorilla by Peggy Rathmann- Read the book and then choose a friend to go to the zoo with you.

If you Give a Moose A Muffin by Laura Numeroff- Read the book and then bake muffins for someone of your choice

Giggle, Giggle, Quack by Doreen Cronin- Read the book and then type a note to someone special

      On Pinterest I found the idea to do service projects for each day of the Advent Season. I thought you could also do a project for each week of Advent. This is a cute way to display the project ideas. Your child would pick up the bag for the week and find the project idea inside. 

If you are interested in more ideas please send me your email and I will send you my handout from MOPS that includes my list for our A to Z service projects along with others for shorter amounts of time throughout the year.