The holiday season is always associated with the joy of giving gifts to kids, family, relatives, and friends. It creates a unique holiday atmosphere, filling it with pleasant emotions and experiences. Moreover, it is an excellent time to show children that giving gifts, incredibly thoughtful, useful, and necessary ones, is just as enjoyable as receiving them.
Joy of Giving: The Foundation for Empathy
When children participate in the act of giving for the first time, they are often surprised by the feelings they encounter. Typically, they are the recipients of gifts, but the process of giving—starting with contemplating what the gift should be, for whom, why, and on what occasion—allows them to see things from another perspective. It brings the genuine joy of giving, unfolding a whole spectrum of emotions, creating valuable new experiences, and laying the foundation for empathy and kindness. Additionally, this process helps kids better understand others and subsequently form meaningful connections.
Why Is This a Valuable Experience for Little Ones?
Children experience a deep sense of gratitude from others and begin to value what they have even more. Numerous examples exist of children who are accustomed to receiving tons of gifts during the holidays and writing endless lists for Santa. They are amazed to find that it doesn't happen in every household.
They discover the joy of giving by observing the happiness their gifts bring to the recipients. It introduces them to a completely new range of feelings and emotions that might have remained unexplored until now.
Giving is a way of teaching kids about kindness, and it shapes their personality, becoming a fundamental character trait. When children choose a gift for someone else, they shift their thinking from being self-centered to being attentive to others. They have to look at the world through the eyes of the person receiving the gift and think about what might delight them, what they might like, or what they need. It requires attentiveness, patience, and emotional engagement.
At the same time, giving brings joy and satisfaction from the process itself. A kid with genuine curiosity may discover that giving is just as pleasant as receiving. Giving also teaches generosity develops important social skills, and provides a sense of belonging to something meaningful. All these elements come together in a young child to form a powerful moral compass that will guide them throughout their lives, not only in childhood but also into adulthood.
Teaching the Joy of Giving: Practical Approaches
Learning to give back during the holidays becomes simpler when acts of giving, kindness, and charity are practiced consistently and regularly throughout the year.
Be an Example
Little ones learn best by observing their parents and caregivers. In this context, acts of giving, helping others, and showing kindness become natural and habitual. Watching parents regularly donate, support animal shelters, or participate in other charitable efforts encourages kids to emulate this behavior. By actively engaging in charitable actions, whether through donations or volunteering, adults model generosity and compassion, which children naturally adopt.
Start Small
Teaching kids about kindness can begin with small acts of care or giving. For example, the kid could use part of their allowance to choose a gift for a child in a foster home. It helps them understand that kindness doesn’t always require large resources. Anyone can give within their means—grand gestures are not necessary. Start with something simple: making a card or baking cookies for a neighbor, contributing a small donation at church, or offering help in a meaningful way.
A Thoughtful Process
Kids can truly feel the joy of giving when they are involved from the very beginning, such as selecting or making a gift. This experience encourages them to think about the needs and feelings of others.
Volunteer Together
Many projects allow families, including children, to volunteer together. These could involve church initiatives, community charity events, or even your own family projects to help those in need. For instance, as a family, you could support elderly neighbors, visit an animal shelter to deliver food, take animals for walks, and spend quality time with them. Such activities allow little ones to see the direct impact of their actions.
Practice Giving Thanks During the Holidays
A growing trend is to ask for contributions to a good cause instead of gifts for birthdays or other celebrations. It is a beautiful tradition that allows kids to experience the joy of giving in a special way. Instead of focusing on receiving, this practice encourages sharing happiness with others through meaningful acts.
Create a “Kindness Jar” at Home
Encourage kids to set aside a portion of their pocket money into a “Kindness Jar.” Once a month or every few months, decide together which charity or cause to support with the saved money. Explain the purpose and impact of each option to help children make thoughtful decisions and feel empowered to make a positive change in the world.
Storytelling and Books
Share holiday-themed stories that emphasize the joy of giving. They help make the concept relatable and engaging for children. Reading such stories together provides simple ways to explain the significance of kindness and charity.
Stay Engaged
Giving back during the holidays can become a family tradition when everyone is involved, making the process of preparing gifts a celebration itself. Create handmade cards at home, pack treats for children in foster homes, choose pet food or toys for animal shelters, or craft gifts for grandparents. The effort put into these activities naturally transforms into the joy of giving.
Make a Kindness Advent Calendar
Before birthdays, Christmas, or other holidays, create a DIY advent calendar where each day represents a small act of kindness or donation. These can be simple tasks, such as going to a toy store to choose gifts for others, sorting toys and clothes to donate, or even acts of kindness at home—helping a younger sibling tidy up or saying thank you for one positive thing that happened that day. A kindness advent calendar introduces little ones to the habit of giving in a joyful and engaging way.
Inspire Others!
The joy of giving often spreads like a wave. Your actions may inspire other families, embedding these values within the community. Over time, these traditions become a deeply rooted part of a child’s character, carried into adulthood. Every act of kindness starts with a tiny seed, and one of those seeds is already in your hands.