What Are Some Crafts for Teaching Generosity to Children?

Teach your children generosity early in life. Parental modeling of generosity is the first step toward developing this habit. Whether you volunteer your time or give money or gifts to people in need, your child greatly benefits from examples of your generosity. Make learning generosity a cooperative undertaking. There are many crafts designed to teach children how to be generous that you can make together and give to others.

Make a coupon book and give it to an elderly neighbor, grandparent or friend. Cut white construction paper in half lengthwise. Divide each piece of paper into equal thirds and cut the thirds out. On the first piece of paper write the title “Coupons” and decorate it with cut-out flowers, butterflies or some other favorite drawing. Make a different coupon on each page such as “Free Hugs,” “Free Dish Duty” or “Free Raking”. Draw a picture on each page that pertains to the activity. Two-hole punch each page of the book. Tie a ribbon through the holes to complete the book.

Add a twist to the original crispy rice treats recipe and create dipper treats to hand out at a preschool or early learning center. Take crispy rice treats and push a craft stick into the bottom of each square. Melt chocolate squares or morsels and dip each square into the mixture. Let the chocolate-covered treats cool on wax paper.

Candy necklaces work well in elementary school to welcome new children or incoming kindergartners. Cut pieces of licorice string or regular string into 12-inch lengths. String individual pieces of looped candy or cereal on the string. Allow 1 to 2 inches on each end to tie off. Make a welcome card to go along with the necklace.

Make a bouquet of tissue paper flowers to give to a sick friend, teacher or sibling. Buy different colors of tissue paper. Cut the tissue into pieces that are approximately 8 inches by 10 inches. Stack a few pieces and fold each piece accordion-style into equal 1-inch parts. Secure the folds together by tying a pipe cleaner around the center, leaving approximately 3 inches of pipe cleaner for the stem. Pull apart each tissue toward the top of the flower. Repeat with a few more stacks of 8-by-10 tissue paper pieces. Insert the flowers into a small clay pot or tie a piece of ribbon around the stems to present them as a bouquet.

Not only is it important to teach your children how to be generous, but kids should also learn how to send thank you cards after receiving a kind gesture. Fold a piece of white construction paper in half horizontally. Place your child’s hand on the cover of the card and trace his handprint. Make an outline of a sunflower on the tip of each finger tracing. Color the flower bright yellow. Make a round, black circle in the middle of each flower. Color the rest of the hand green. Write a couple of sentences inside the card. Address and mail it to the recipient or have the child give the card in person.