Are you looking for fun and educational activities to involve your kids in this summer? My favorite eleven-year-old and I have created a list of ideas to help teach civic engagement without busting your budget or boring your kids. These activities range from small gestures to larger community projects and are designed to instill the value of active citizenship.
Engage your kids right from the start by letting them choose the project that interests them the most. This approach will help spark their enthusiasm for making a difference in their community!
Community Clean-Up Day
Partner with your neighborhood association, library, community center, college, or church to organize a community clean-up day to pick up litter in local parks or streets.
Benefits
This hands-on activity will teach them the importance of taking care of the spaces in and around their community and how working together they can make a positive impact.
Tips to Make it Happen
Help your kids research local resources and help plan their clean-up by visiting Keep America Beautiful for ideas.
Contact your city or county to see if they provide free trash bags, gloves, safety vests, etc. for volunteers interested in doing a clean-up. Ask if they have a newsletter where you can send in photos/story about your project!
Make it a neighborhood event by inviting grandparents, parents, and neighbors working together.
Create a friendly competition with small prizes for the most pounds or bags of trash collected.
Take "before and after" photos.
Volunteer at a Local Food Bank
Encourage your children to volunteer with your family or friend at a local food bank.
Benefits
This experience will help them understand the issues of hunger and poverty in their community and inspire them to take action to support those in need.
Tips to Make it Happen
Encourage them to make a grocery shopping list for one day of meals for your family. Take them to the grocery store to pick out items and calculate the cost of feeding a family for a day.
Show them how to find a food bank near your neighborhood.
Discuss the impact of their help on the community during a family dinner.
Take photos of your family helping, while showing privacy and respect for those you're serving.
Community Garden
Start (or visit) a community garden where kids can learn about sustainable gardening practices, how to contribute fresh produce to local food banks or shelters and provide healthy meal options for your family.
Benefits
This hands-on activity will teach them the value of environmental stewardship, giving back to the community and the work required to grow healthy food.
Tips to Make it Happen
Plan your garden together, allowing your kids to choose plants and design layouts. NOTE: If you find a garden in or near your neighborhood, consider volunteering there instead!
Spend time together planting, weeding, and harvesting.
Share the fruits of their labor with neighbors and community members.
Take "before, during and after" photos.
Historical Field Trips
Organize educational field trips to local government buildings, historical sites, or museums focused on civics and governance.
Benefits
These immersive experiences will help kids learn about the foundations of democracy and the importance of active citizenship.
Tips to Make it Happen
Plan trips together and make a schedule of weekly or bi-weekly outings.
Discuss what they learned during the trips and relate it to current events.
Take photos or short videos of the things your kids are most excited to see or learn about.
Fundraise for a Cause
Encourage kids to organize a fundraiser for a cause they are passionate about, such as supporting local schools, animal shelters, or environmental organizations.
Benefits
This activity will teach them the value of philanthropy and community engagement.
Tips to Make it Happen
Brainstorm causes or organizations that mean the most to them and decide who/what organization will benefit from their activity.
Help them brainstorm and plan the fundraising event.
Involve family members, friends and neighbors in the preparation and execution.
Celebrate their success and discuss the impact of their contribution.
Take "before, during and after" photos.
Citizenship Workshops
Host citizenship workshops where kids can learn about the rights and responsibilities of citizens, the voting process, and how they can actively participate in shaping their community.
Benefits
These workshops will empower them to become informed and engaged members of society.
Tips to Make it Happen
Help your kids research voting requirements and process for a local or national election.
Let them select at least two mock candidates for one open position and encourage them to make a list of the things each candidate wants to do, if elected.
Assist in creating a mock version of a voting booth and invite friends, family and neighbors to stop by and vote!
Take tons of photos!
Service Challenge
Encourage children and teens to take on a community service challenge by dedicating a certain number of hours to volunteering at local organizations or participating in service projects during the summer.
Benefits
This activity will help cultivate their sense of responsibility towards their community and motivate them to continue making a positive impact throughout the year.
Tips to Make it Happen
Allow them to choose volunteer activities that they will enjoy.
Encourage them to establish attainable goals and visual ways to measure their progress.
Bring out their creative side by asking them to write a short story to share their personal experiences and the difference they have made in the community.
Share their story and photos with your city or county Communications Department!
Help Them Share What They Learn About Civic Responsibility
Capture and cherish your family's summer adventures by choosing a way to remember it for years to come! Your options are endless and could include creating an online flip book, physical scrapbook, printed photobook, social media posts, or a YouTube video!
These creative avenues allow your family to document and share memories in unique ways and become another fun project to complete together. Include a few famous quotes about volunteerism, community engagement and civic responsibility in your final project!
Online Flip Book: Use platforms like FlipHTML5 or Flipping Book to create interactive digital flip books. Upload photos, add captions, and share the link with friends and family.
Physical Scrapbook: Gather printed photos, ticket stubs, and other mementos to create a personalized scrapbook. Visit craft stores like Michaels or Hobby Lobby for supplies, or order kits online from Scrapbook.com.
Printed Photobook: Compile your favorite photos into a professionally printed photobook. Websites like Shutterfly and Snapfish offer easy-to-use templates and printing services with tons of coupons once you sign up for a free account.
Social Media: If you or your child post on social media, share your daily highlights on Instagram. Remember to add stickers, text, and location tags to create engaging updates.
YouTube Video: Create a video montage of your summer adventures. Upload the final video to your family’s YouTube channel to share with subscribers and friends.
Any of these options preserve your memories and provide fun activities for the whole family to enjoy together! Summer is the perfect time to engage kids in activities that entertain and educate about civic responsibility. By participating in these interactive and meaningful adventures, your kids will learn valuable lessons about community engagement, social responsibility, and their power to effect positive change. Let's make this summer a time of fun, learning, and civic empowerment for our future leaders!
Discover how volunteering with their families as children changed the lives of the public servants below!