4 Ways to Teach Your Kids to Give Back During the Holidays
Empathy and acts of kindness are the heart of the holidays, which can be a perfect time to teach your kids the joy of giving.
Here are four strategies to teach kids gratitude and generosity.
1. Help your kids develop empathy for others
Read about and share the story of Georgia or 4-year-old heart-warrior Finn who received his 20th surgery this year.
Stories like these can help kids understand the experiences of and share the feelings of others.
2. Model generosity and acts of kindness
You can lead your kids by example by showing them what generosity and acts of kindness looks like in your everyday life.
One thing you could do is, after reading Georgia or Finn’s stories, brainstorm ways you might be able to help families in similar situations.
Talk to your child about what you can do as a family to support those in need.
3. Choose a charity and give opportunities to donate
Look for charities on Guide Star and Charity Navigator focused on supporting a cause your family resonates with.
Give your kids a chance to practice generosity by donating to a charity.
You can give with confidence to Starlight, who has earned four stars with Charity Navigator for eight years in a row.
4. Volunteer your time and raise money for a cause
You can think of creative and fun ways to raise money with your kids, such as holding a lemonade stand or making custom accessories.
If you’re not sure where to start, we can help.
Learn how you can fundraise with Starlight to impact over 3 million children nationwide.
Model Generosity with a Top-Rated Charity
As you teach your kids to show generosity to others consider donating to Starlight.
Committed to its mission of delivering happiness to seriously ill kids and their families, Starlight has impacted over 3 million kids nationwide in 2024.
This holiday season, we want to ensure that kids can enjoy the happiness of the holidays. We are leaning on community support to make sure that all kids in the hospital have toys to open by December 25th.
We need your help.
Join us in being kind and give joy to families when they need it the most!
Donate now to ensure hospitalized kids nationwide have toys to open by December 25th.
More Ways to Give Back
Discover how our Starlight community supports hospitalized kids through events, streaming, and more!
This blog was last updated November 17, 2025.
