I'd like to wish my Jewish readers a very Happy Hanukkah! No matter what holiday you celebrate, I think we can agree that there's excitement in the air, as we seek out ways to give to others in meaningful ways. Yes, there are presents to buy, but there are also random acts of kindness to share.
During this season, it's easy to get wrapped up in shopping. So that's why I decided to expand upon my recent post about the picture book Have You Filled a Bucket Today? A Guide to Daily Happiness for Kids, by sharing some simple ways to put smiles on people's faces during this holiday season and beyond.
6 Ways to be a holiday bucket filler:
- Create artwork for others.
Whether it's a teacher, a friend, a family member, a neighbor, or someone in need, people love to receive artwork in just about any form. Some suggestions are homemade cards, sketches, drawings, paintings, clay models, and photo collages. My children love to design place cards for the dinner table when we have guests, which adds a nice touch on the actual holiday.
One important note: some of the best artwork comes from toddlers and preschoolers! It doesn't matter if you can tell exactly what it is because they can tell you all about it! Some of the best pictures are inspired by great stories, you know...
And there's always finger painting. Your child can make some beautiful designs using hand prints, or even thumb prints! They're great keepsakes.
- Write homemade cards and letters.
Even if your child is too young to write a sentence, a few letters or figures will certainly brighten a grandparent's day.
For older children, who may not want to hand write a card or letter, the next best thing would be to send a thoughtful email or text message. OR, they could type up a letter, print it, and then personalize it with a special design or drawing.
There's a great paperless option that parents and children can work on together. You can actually create a personalized photo ecard/letter with Smilebox, which I found out about from Terry Doherty of The Reading Tub. Her daughter did an absolutely fantastic job on hers, and I couldn't believe the amount of detail she was able to include! It's a great way to get children to think about and share some of their most memorable events of the year.
A quicker option, and one in which you can "click to give" for a cause, is to send holiday eCards for literacy and other causes through The Literacy Site.
- Pick up the phone.
Our lives get so busy that we sometimes lose touch with people who aren't even very far away. Why not reach out and call someone? It'll not only brighten their day, but yours too!
- Get out those baking sheets!
My daughter and I love to bake cookies and/or muffins for teachers and some of our neighbors during this time of year. There's nothing like homemade baked goods, and baking together is a wonderful way to connect with your children as well.
We've also participated in many school bake sales, and have even sold cookies for a cause right in front of our house. There are so many possibilities!
- Donate your time and/or money to someone in need.
There are so many ways to help out those who are less fortunate. If you go out into your community to improve the lives of others in some way, you really are making a difference that your children can see with their own eyes.
If time is limited, though, you might want to consider another idea that my mother-in-law came up with: give your children (or in her case, grandchildren) a certain amount of money (or have them use some of their own), and let them decide which charity to donate it to. You could even help them do some research to find an organization they really have an interest in supporting.
- Don't underestimate the power of a smile, a hug, or a simple thank you.
Besides being great things to give after getting a gift (even if you don't like it), these things can be given away anytime. The best part is, the more of them you give, the happier you'll be too!
It is important to note that quality matters a lot more than the quantity here. Sincerity and effort really are the keys to filling buckets with positive words and deeds.
So, here's to sharing some serious sunshine with others throughout this holiday season, and to finding new ways to continue doing so in 2010.
Please feel free to add to this list!
