Good Deed Suggestions for 5 Yr Old

other ideas is donating food to a foodshelter, along with clothing and the liking. It's the littlest things that would be helpful, teaching them how it feels to be nice and help out.
Like this winter, I would have change and I gave my kids the change to put into the Salvation army bell ringers tin. It's the little things that make the biggest difference.

What about making Easter or Get Well Soon cards to be distributed in hospitals or nursing homes? That would probably truly bring a smile to an ailing, elderly person's face, and your kids would probably enjoy the process.

go thru his books and donate them to a local literacy program. most catholic churches will be able to tell you where one is.

have him help you pick out some boxes of cereal a kid would like; to donate to the food pantry.

have him take the newspaper off the drive of an elderly neighbor and run it up to their house

have him help out with a chore at home that he doesn't usually do.

How about when you do baking you make extra to take to someone? i.e. firefighters, police, hospital waiting rooms, senior centers? That way you are sure it would be well received and they are sure to brighten several people's day.

Each February my boys and I canvass door to door for the Heart and Stroke Foundation. There is no training involved, just an instruction booklet. It only takes one or two afternoons, depending on how many blocks you do. My kids do the talking. It's also a great way to get out and meet your neighbours.

You're right - giving by a five-year-old needs to be something different from the things the grownups can do.

The baking is a good idea. Another kindness a five-year-old can do is to write/draw an encouraging note (with your help) to a neighbor, friend, or relative who needs one. Older people particularly may welcome a note of cheer. So many people around us have just about everything except... something to smile about. And we don't even know it.

Since Easter is early this year, I'm reminded that for many years my children decorated Easter eggs and took them to neighbors' houses.

You might ask your son to think of good deeds he can do around home, too, without anybody else seeing. For that age, even making up his bed or picking up his toys without being told can be a good deed for his Mama!

You could have him write a card "just because".... We've done that and still do... we ll write one to someone special and my son will say, I am writing to you because I love you.. (he can write whatever he wants) as long as it's sincere.
I can't tell you how many people have enjoyed his "just because cards" over the years.. of course, thank you and gratitude cards also go a long way..
If I got a gratitude card out of the blue, WOW.. sure would make my day even more special..

so consider the little things... they definitely can make the difference..

good luck :)

He can make cards for vets. Or make decorations for a children's hospital or nursing home.

My daughter is 15 and with confirmation every week they have to do a good deed. Some weeks are big ones like the 30 hour famine, soup kitchen or other mission work, but the majority of the time its small things.
Go out of your way to help another child
Include a child in recess who is playing alone
Give my treat to another child
Write a thank you note to someone
Hold open a door for an older person
Pick up at least 1 piece of trash outside every day for a week
Bring food to the food shelf
Donate some gently used books
Bring treats to a nursing home
Help mom [insert chore] without being asked

My children who are 4 and 8, we have gone shopping for groceries and we actually handed them to a homeless man we always see begging. Or you can actually donate food to a shelter or church.

I just had my son at the ER for stitches. They gave him a board game on the way out, which made him so happy (we've played it about 20 times in the past week). When I took him to get them out yesterday, we brought two of his toys that he no longer plays with and asked if they'd take them. They were thrilled by the donation. I had never thought of donating toys to an emergency room, but it makes sense now.
B.

Paying for someone's food at a drive through restaurant.

Donating to Goodwill or a local food bank.

Holding a door for someone (or doing this every time you are out and about for a day, week, etc).

Sending flowers or taking them to someone for no reason (or taking them to a nursing home).

Asking to walk someone's dog for free (with your supervision of course).

Picking up trash and donating unused toys is a great idea but what about taking him shopping (give him say $20) and help him plan a few meals say spagetti and sauce and a cake mix and frosting for one and something else as a meal idea that are shelf safe. Then take it to the local food pantry and have it donate it. How about baking brownies and bringing them to the local police station, fire station or first aid squad with a thank you card (hand made) and thank them for their service to your community. Or do you have an elderly neighbor or friend a simple handmade card just to make them smile is always welcome. Are you involved with your church there are always "Senior Saints" that love a simple card of cheer or a local senior center would love the same thing. Teaching our kids to think of others can be very cheap (crayons and paper) or really expensive and your budget and time can determine that. ASK your son how he would like to help others and chances are he will have his own great ideas (and most will be inexpensive and not extreamly time consuming)!!!

I love the picking up trash idea, and the suggestions to bring in the paper for the neighbors or deliver cards to nursing homes are great, too!

Does the school have a paper recycling bin? (Ours does - it's a dumpster, painted bright green and yellow, and it's just for paper - all sorts - and the recycling company pays the school by the pound, so by putting our paper in it, we are both recycling AND donating to the school. Bonus for us, since the only paper our neighborhood recycling company takes is newspaper.) Maybe his household job could be making sure paper goes in a special bin to be dropped off once a month or so? (We have an old printer paper box in the garage, for empty boxes and newspapers, and other "clean" paper stuff. We dump it into the bin, and re-use the box, but the box is cardboard, so if we drop it by accident, it's recyclable, too.)

Tape quarters to the vending machines in hospital waiting areas?

Call the food bank - they don't all let kids help, but some will allow the younger kids to sort cans for them. That's a single-afternoon time commitment.

I don't know how it is there, but here, wildflower season is coming up - probably not as much a draw for your son, as it is my girls - is there a place he can pick some to surprise somebody? You can usually find little vases at craft stores or the dollar store.

Good deeds don't have to be just people, either. Have him maintain a bird feeder. Or collect old linens or clothes for the animal shelter - they'll take anything, as bedding for animal crates. Even if they are in very bad shape - they will use them for sick or unvaccinated animals, so they can throw it away and not spread germs. Bonus: a lot of time, shelters need help socializing and exercising animals. So call the shelter first, but he would probably be allowed to walk smaller dogs or pet the cats and rabbits while you are there to drop things off.

This web site has a lot of good suggestions. The second one is a "school edition."

http://www.greatkindnesschallenge.org/checklist.html

http://www.greatkindnesschallenge.org/School/checklist.html