Time for week 3 of the adventure-a-week challenge! This week’s adventure is a little bit different and at first glance might not seem as obvious as an adventure. However, it did certainly feel like an adventure to my little one! :) And it fits all the rules as outlined in the first post. Specifically, that it must be enjoyable, but doesn’t necessarily have to be entertainment based.
I think we do ourselves and our kids a discredit if we think that enjoyment needs to always come in the form of entertainment. The entertainment industry tries to pump that into us, and I know I’m definitely guilty of it sometimes. But this week’s adventure was certainly enjoyable, and was service related, not entertainment related. And my little one loved it!
All you need for this adventure are your little kids, some blank unlined index cards, and art supplies.
Have your kids decorate the index cards to become bookmarks. If your kids can draw easily on a smaller space, you can cut the index cards in half lengthwise. If you want, you can punch a hole in the top and tie on a ribbon. Just let the kids have fun making the bookmarks, and explain that you’re going to make some new friends and be giving out the bookmarks to people who might be kind of lonely.
Pack everyone in the car and head to a local nursing home. My little one wanted to carry her pictures in a basket to be able to hand them out easily, which I thought was sweet. We had a talk ahead of time about how to behave because I didn’t walk her to walk in and announce “Hey, you’re old, here’s a picture!” Not that I expected that, but you never know what kids might say. I also told her she would need to speak up when talking, because some of them might be a little hard of hearing, and we practiced projecting-without-yelling on the way over. :) I talked it up about how nice it would be to visit some older people who might be kind of lonely, and that making these new friends and making them smile was going to be our adventure. She was gung-ho for it!
Think about what time of day you’ll be going. Maybe even call the nursing home and ask what time of day would be best as far as when the most residents might be out in the public visiting area. We went around 3 or 4 in the afternoon, which was a rather unfortunate time of day … we wanted to visit one gentleman in particular who we know in that nursing home, but he was resting, as it seemed many other people were also resting at that time of day. I think next time we do it, we might go at meal time, and actually have lunch with them, and give little one the chance to visit a little more. Still, even at an apparently nap-ish time of day, there were still several people in the visiting area, and they were happy to see a young face, and my daughter was happy to see them.
Although *awkward moment!* the first picture she gave out was to someone who didn’t live at the nursing home, he was there to visit someone too, I think his mother. But he had grey hair and was sitting with them, and I guess when you’re 4 all adults are older, haha! But he was gracious and just handed it to the person who I think was his mother (she lived in the nursing home), and said, “Oh, thank you, I think I’ll let her have it.”
Some of the people she visited with had books with them and were able to put their bookmarks to use right away. But really, while its fun for kids to make pictures and such, it’s less about giving the bookmarks themselves than that the bookmarks make an easy way to start a conversation, so your kids can visit with the residents and cheer their day – and so your kids can get into the habit of thinking of others, not just themselves. Definitely an enjoyable and fulfilling adventure to make new friends and make some smiles!
Anyone else go on an adventure this week?
Do you have some other ideas for service based “adventures”?
I love to hear from you, please leave your comments below!
Another completely clever idea April! She looks like she is having so much fun. You are the coolest mom!!!!
Happy Friday – Brandi
Haha, I wish I was! But that honor goes to my own mom. ;)
Thanks Brandi, happy Friday to you too! :)
You and your mom can share that title, I think.
This is an excellent example of the importance of thinking through how to introduce your child to a new idea. It will seem to your daughter like it is a completely natural thing to serve, because you have made it fun and natural to her from her early years. Kudos!
Aw, thanks Lori, that made me teary-eyed. :)
Service is something I want to do better about – I do it when I decide to, but I want to be more the kind of person who serves all the time without thinking about it. I have some growing to do in that area I guess. :)
I LOVE this adventure a week idea! i’m going to look at the other posts now. What a fun idea!
Kindness is the best accessory,
Rebecca
Thanks, Rebecca! :) You can get to a list of the other posts by clicking the “adventure-a-week” link near the beginning of the post … or you can click here. :) I’ll be posting a new adventure each Friday through March & April. :)
Such a beautiful idea! Very thoughtful as well as memorable :) I think it’s a fantastic project, I’m glad it went so well! My mom used to take me and my siblings with her to a nursing home nearby where she held a weekly Bible study. Hearing the all the stories and making the people smile there was priceless!
~Katie
Wonderful idea! Thanks for sharing, Katie! :)
I’m just finding this post so my comment is way late, but I had to comment. This is such a wonderful idea and I applaud you for taking your daughter to the nursing home. After spending every single lunch hour for a year at the nursing home with my grandpa I got to see how starved for affection the residents are. Every time that I have taken my daughters in, the residents have been so delighted to see them. These poor people are forgotten most of the time and I love this idea since there aren’t a lot of things that you can do inexpensively. Thank you so much for sharing! :) God bless.