Generosity

Schools are a foundation of children’s knowledge, learning, and growth and are places that should extend beyond teaching the curriculum. Schools should prepare children for their future lives and set core values for them to strive toward a kinder world filled with good people.

Generosity is an act of kindness and spreading goodness throughout the world. Children need to be aware of generosity and giving to understand its importance and become generous people in the future, as of course, they are the future! Schools can help with this by encouraging generosity through daily activities. To achieve this, try these activities to teach children generosity in schools to help children develop empathy and compassion.

Share toys

Younger children struggle with sharing as they see their belongings as valuable and only for them, particularly for those who have no siblings. The thought of sharing toys can be scary for them as they can believe they may never get them back. This can be combatted in the classroom by encouraging kids to bring their favorite toys in every week and rotate them each day around the classroom. Students can explore new toys with reduced feelings of anxiety about their own toys as they get to play with new ones. To encourage them further, emphasize how sharing can bring happiness to others.

Write heartfelt thank-you notes

Ask your class to reflect on what they are grateful for and write heartfelt thank-you notes to others who have made them happy and grateful. This activity provides a fantastic opportunity to explore how their generosity can make others feel good. Encourage them to write these notes to friends, parents, teachers, and family members to make them realize the value of appreciation and kindness.

Have a giving jar

Allocate a jar in the classroom for giving and encourage students to bring in a little money every week to fill the jar. This jar can then be used to give to local charities or organizations that are close to your school once filled. Discuss with your class charities to give to and allow them to decide together who the money will go to. Afterward, discuss with students how their donations have helped to reinforce the positive message of giving. This approach allows kids to understand the impact of their contributions. 

Partake in a charity walk

Signing up for a class charity walk, if possible, is a great way to encourage physical activity while giving back to the community. There are many charity walks to support and partake in, like Light the Night, or you can create your own walk for the whole school to get involved in. Choose your charitable organization or walk to join and promote the walk throughout the class and to parents to entice students to partake and help those less fortunate. 

Discuss ways to be generous through various cultures

Sit with your class and discuss acts of generosity and how different cultures and religions incorporate generosity in their values and principles. Doing this can help kids understand different ways to be generous and try to implement this in their lives. As well as this, delving into cultures and religions, such as discussing the importance of a Muslim’s obligation to pay zakat in 2025, allows students to gain different perspectives and views on generosity while learning about other cultures. Plus, it can help connect people in those cultures or religions to their values and foster pride in who they are.

Collect items for shelters together

Teach your students about shelters and the good work they do for those in need, highlighting the importance of supporting these facilities. Encourage your class to gather essential items that shelters need, such as toiletries and food, from home and bring them into class to pass on to the shelter. To help kids understand what items they need, so they can clearly communicate this to their parents, make a wish list from the shelter and tell students to choose different items each to avoid everyone bringing the same thing in. 

Share stories of the results of being generous

A vital aspect of teaching children generosity and its importance is to show the impact of generosity through stories of the outcomes. This can be an overview of the common positive impact generosity can have on others as many are actually invisible or unknown to us. Research stories of those whose lives have changed due to the generosity of others and read these stories out to your class to reinforce the positive message of being generous. 

Read books about generosity 

Spend some time in class to read books that are about generosity together. Sit in a circle and do some group reading with fun, informative, and fictional books that showcase the importance of being generous. There are many books available to read with your students that you could invest in a few and have a generous reading time every week. Doing this allows kids to understand generosity through captivating stories that spark their imaginations, allowing the positive messages to stick in their minds for longer.

Be a role model by showing students generosity 

As a teacher, the best way to show just why being generous is important is to show your class through your actions, being a vital positive role model that kids need. Demonstrate good habits to them as often as you can and let students see first-hand the power of generosity. You could help another teacher in front of them, dedicate time to a school club, do a random act of kindness to your students, or volunteer and discuss your volunteering journey.

Try these activities to teach children generosity in schools to highlight the importance of being kind, good, and generous humans, helping to create a future filled with goodness. Reinforce how generosity can transform lives to encourage children to partake in the activities and take this core value home with them, continuing to be as generous as they can for years to come!

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By Heidi

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