Community Service Projects for Preschoolers

Preschoolers love to help, so I try to use their desire to be helpful to help teach empathy, and November is the perfect time of year for that.  As you begin to think about Thanksgiving and the holiday season, consider tackling a community service project with your class.

The key is choosing a subject that the children will get excited about. It is also helpful to do something concrete - something that the children can participate in first-hand and see the results for themselves. Finally, make sure that you communicate the details about the project openly with your parents and families, because you'll need their help too!

Here are some community service project ideas that are perfect for preschoolers:

1. Make holiday decorations for a local nursing home
2. Collect socks or toiletries for a homeless shelter
3. Clean up a playground or public space
4. Adopt a neighbor and clean up their yard
5. Assign each family a random act of kindness to complete together
6. Bake cookies for your local fire department or police station
7. Collect non-perishable food for a food pantry
8. Make cards for military members
9. Make bird feeders to hang throughout the winter months
10. Collect books for a children's hospital
11. Make dog toys out of old t-shirts and donate them to an animal shelter
12. Put together blessing bags for families to hand out to those in need
13. Collect scarves, hats, and mittens for families in need
14. Save pop tabs for Ronald McDonald House
15. Collect loose change and choose a charitable organization to donate to
16. Collect stuffed animals for police officers to keep in their vehicles 
17. Have a penny war and find an organization that will match what you collect
18. Make cards for children in the hospital
19. Hold a clothing swap for families in your program
20. Collect tote bags and luggage for foster children

Do you have any ideas to add? Share them in the comments!