“Do some selfless service for people who are in need. Consider the whole picture, not just our little selves.” Nina Hagen
I was thinking about some of the ways we can combat the mania that surrounds us. One way would be to never leave the house, which I am employing in part. Another way would be to engage in service. Engaging our kids in service can help them feel like they are doing something good and useful in the world, which can give them (and us) a sense of control and purpose through these crazy times.
Here are some great service ideas and websites to help make the most of your time at home.
Wildwatch Kenya– This is a program to sift through photos taken of the wild savanna! Mark which ones have giraffes, so scientists can study them. This is so great because kids will be able to see lots of pictures of Africa, but they will be purposefully doing so, and helping science!
Penguin Watch through Zooniverse– Along the same lines, people can sort through pictures of a remote Antarctica and tag photos with penguins. They can learn while they are serving.
DoSomething– This website is full of ideas of things you could do to help others in your community. They have several campaigns going on. My favorite is writing letters to community workers. They also have some fun ideas for closer to home, like this mirror messages campaign, or this 5 minute shower playlist.
Write letters to soldiers and first responders– Operation Gratitude has a guide and where you can send your letters to go out to soldiers, new recruits, injured soldiers, and more. My kids have been flying through paper these days. This would put all that doodling energy to good use!
Skype, Facetime, or Google Hangout loved ones. There are a lot of people out there that are not physically surrounded by people they love, young and old. Talking to people and keeping them company online can really brighten their day. Many of you are already doing this, so here is the challenge- think of someone you have not talked to in a long time, and check in with them, too.
I hope this list gets you started and excited to serve! If you have any more brilliant ideas, let me know in the comments!