Kid-Friendly Spring Volunteering

It’s National Volunteer Month and we are very excited! In Norway, we have a tradition called “dugnad” which is centered around volunteering, helping, and supporting the community and giving back. Traditionally, it can involve spring clean-ups, gardening, and raising money and support for local, national, and international causes.

We are really passionate about volunteering, and it’s a precious value we want to pass onto our children and the next generations. That’s why it’s important for us to talk about it.

To volunteer means to spend some of our free time helping. We can be of help in so many ways! We can volunteer to help other people, such as children and families in need. Or we can also volunteer to protect animals, nature, the oceans, and any other cause that you care about.

We always love that feeling of making the world a better place! Regular acts of altruism have real benefits for mental health and personal development. Kids as young as three can feel and learn the value of helping people and places in need.

Volunteering also develops a lot of new skills in children—from practical planning, organizing, and problem-solving to expanding physical and mental comfort zones—all these new experiences are fundamental for the personal development of a child. What’s more, it’s a fantastic way to make new friends and to learn new skills.

But most importantly, volunteering fosters empathy in children. It’s such a valuable skill to be able to imagine what other people may be going through or feeling. Once that sense of empathy is triggered, it leads to a raised willingness to be of help. That’s when children start developing a sense of self-efficacy. Volunteering can provide experiences that affirm a young person’s sense that they can make a difference through their own efforts and skills.

How to engage children in volunteering?

Children love copying what their parents are doing, so set a great example of being a volunteer yourself. Find something fun that interests your child or family’s dynamics. It can be helping at the local animal shelter or wildlife rescue, cleaning up the park or the beach near you, donating clothes and toys that are not needed anymore, or as simple as helping your neighbors. Turn those nice acts of kindness into a habit, do them regularly, and include them as a part of the family schedule.

Causes that we support

We care deeply about the oceans and nurturing people around the world with healthy food, which is why we wanted to share with you about the causes that are close to our hearts.

  • We support World Central Kitchen—a frontline organization that provides meals to people affected by humanitarian, climate, and community crises. They build resilient food systems with locally led solutions. For example, currently they are providing more than 300,000 meals daily in Ukraine. In terms of our work with them, we partner with WCK to support the growth and development of other sustainable water farmers around the world, including Coral Vita and Tilapia de la Faja.

  • And we support all meaningful causes related to water preservation and wastewater treatment. Each of us can take an active role in protecting our local drinking water sources from contamination. Taking care of water is also a way of preserving ecosystems that depend on it. You can learn a lot about how to become a volunteer who protects water on the US Environmental Protection Agency’s website. We also recommend this very helpful and educational video that explains the water cycle in a kid-friendly way:

Of course, there are plenty of other opportunities to be of help, especially during the spring when you can get outside and enjoy the gorgeous weather:

  • Plant a tree or some seed bombs

  • Participate in a beach, lake, river, wetland, or dam clean-up

  • Take part in a park clean-up

  • Volunteer for your local park

  • Volunteer for farmers’ markets

  • Volunteer for local composting facilities

  • Donate groceries for your local food bank or prepare meals for the local people in need

  • Collect needed goods for Ukrainian kids and families

  • Donate hair to help sick kids by supporting Wigs for Kids

You can also check the organizations that need help in your area by visiting Volunteer Match!