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As Thanksgiving approaches, we’ve been talking to the boys about how we can, at least in a small way, come together and help people feel loved and supported. Most volunteer organizations aren’t able to accommodate child helpers, so my friend Linsey and I decided to have a bake sale with our kids…
A few days before the bake sale, we invited neighborhood friends over to our apartment and asked them to bring homemade treats. We got an incredible haul — including seriously gooey coconut brownies and vanilla spice cookies. Our family made these easy oatmeal chocolate chip cookies, which are a longtime favorite around here.
We set up a table on a nearby street that gets lots of foot traffic, and we held the sale from 3-4pm, when we figured passersby might be craving something sweet.
Also, Linsey had a good tip: Instead of pricing each dessert individually, just ask people to “pay what they wish and take what they wish” — that way, people will often donate more overall (and get more cookies!).
“She’s having her very first bite of cookie,” this mother told me. “This seems like a good time to do that.”
The boys were so excited every time someone stopped and donated.
At the end, we counted up all the bills and discovered that the bake sale had earned $435 in 90 minutes! We couldn’t believe it! We donated all the money to the ACLU.
It was a great afternoon, and we’d love to do more for causes we believe in. Do you have any other ideas for giving back with kids? I’d love to hear. xoxo
P.S. 5 ways to get involved, and books that teach kids empathy.
