The ScoopFive summer service ideas for families

Are you looking for something fun and memorable for your family to do this summer? 

Giving back to your community reduces stress and boosts your sense of purpose. So it’s a great time to grab an opportunity to show kindness and Lift Where You Live!

Here are five ideas to add to your summer bucket list this year. Not only will they help you reap the rewards of providing service with your family, but you’ll have fun and create meaningful memories together too!

Hold a lemonade stand and donate the proceeds

Lemonade stands are an iconic summer experience and they can teach your kids valuable skills about earning money and running a business. When you select a local charity and make a donation, you can also teach them about giving back.

People love to support a good cause and your kids will feel so accomplished when they donate money they earned themselves. You can even involve them in selecting a cause—ideas include a local children’s organization, veterans center, or animal shelter. Advertize the charity with a sign at your stand then quench your communities’ thirst and encourage additional donations.

For inspiration, ideas, and a great cause to support visit Alex’s Lemonade Stand, a charity to help raise money for childhood cancer.

Participate in a neighborhood or park clean-up

In the summer, when more people are enjoying the outdoors, it leads to an increase of garbage in our parks and neighborhoods. 

Picking up litter is a fun, simple, and free activity that has instant results for your kids and your community. Everyone enjoys a clean park! So after you clean up, plan a picnic or some play time to commemorate your good deed and spend time with your family.

Our environment is better when we all work to take care of it. To see what other communities are accomplishing and to check for organized clean-ups in your area, visit sites like Keep America Beautiful or Canada’s Protect Nature Challenge.

Grow a giving garden

If your kids love being outdoors, digging in the soil, and getting dirty—planning and planting a garden would be perfect for them. Caring for plants gives kids a sense of purpose and responsibility. Then when it comes time to harvest, you can help people in need.  

Donating homegrown produce is a wonderful way to use up extra veggies from your garden and support your community.

Check local food pantries or garden & fruit share programs in your area to access needs. Or look up national organizations like Katie’s Krops or Fresh Food Connect to see how you can get involved.

Organize a 5K

One of our favorite parts of the annual Tranont 5K is coming together to get active and support a good cause. This is something you can do with your family this summer and support a cause that’s important to you. 

Pin down a date & time, plan a route, invite your friends & neighbors, and start moving! You don’t even have to run—you can walk, cycle, skate, or complete your 5K in any way and at any speed you’d like. Ask for a small donation as an entry fee so everyone has a chance to give back. And don’t forget to hand out some inexpensive medals (homemade is great!) You can also give out some humorous awards to add to the fun. 

If you want to support Feeding America with us, order our exclusive 5K shirt. All proceeds go to  Feeding America—and Tranont will match 100% of those shirt sales, DOUBLING our combined contribution!

Share kindness rocks

Kindness rocks are a viral trend focused on spreading positivity. It involves painting small rocks in bright colors, writing fun messages on them, then leaving them in easy-to-find places around your neighborhood so others can find and collect them. 

It’s a world-wide movement and a great project for artistic kids or anyone looking to share a positive message with others.  

Visit the Kindness Rocks Project for more information and ideas on how you can brighten someone’s day!

There are lots of ways to create impact with your family this time of year. As you get out and try these ideas or some of your own, be sure to share your experience with us @LiftWhereYouLive to inspire others to Change Life.