Holiday Giving

image: afrobella.com

An easy way to get kids in the habit of giving back and reinforce the meaning of Christmas is to have them help pick charities for family donations. For multi-kid households, the process is simpler if you give them a few good options & ask them to vote on their favorites.

This year, why not put a kid-created charity on the list? Here are five good options, with the types of donations they accept:

Sheltering Books (books, money)
From Ewe to You (handknit items, knitting supplies, money)
Second-Chance Toys (toys)
Tennessee H.U.G.S. (shoes)
Little Red Wagon Foundation (money)

As impressive as it is when kids & teens start their own charities, contributions really keep those charities alive, so participating in family giving is every bit as meaningful as starting something new. Happy holidays, and happy giving!

And Speaking of Christmas Cards...

Need some kids-helping-kids Christmas card stamps for your MAC kids-helping-kids holiday cards? Sports fans will enjoy our latest efforts, benefitting Save the Children & featuring (like the MAC products) kids' artwork. Try this football stamp for your holiday mailing:

Or how about our new baseball stamp?

Not your style? Check out these other kids-helping-kids Christmas card stamps, with snowflakes, snowmen, mittens & other classic holiday themes.

MAC is Back

Grab 'em before they sell out: MAC Cosmetics' Kids Helping Kids holiday cards and gift tags feature art by HIV-affected kids, with proceeds helping peers through the MAC AIDS Fund. In keeping with this year's "Ice Parade" theme, the adorable cards offer plenty of shimmer & shine to light up your holidays.

Trick or Treat!

My first intro to Trick or Treat for UNICEF, born way back in 1950 when American kids wanted to help overseas peers with the after-effects of WWII, was a Judy Blume book. I can't even remember which one -- possibly Are You There God? It's Me Margaret -- but I do remember thinking wow, what a great idea.

Three generations of U.S. trick-or-treaters for UNICEF have raised a staggering $164 million to date. Where does the money go? UNICEF -- the United Nations Children's Fund -- provides clean water and sanitation, vaccinations, medical care for AIDS-affected children, education programs, and more. 

It's not too late to get involved this year. Kids can order a collection kit, plan a costume party for this terrific cause, or even "trick-or-treat online" for UNICEF. Need inspiration? Check out these kid heroes and kids who've been helped.

Walk This Way

Today is International Walk to School Day, with nearly 3,800 schools participating in the U.S. alone. Walk-and bike-to-school rates have plummeted over the last four decades, with many parents citing safety concerns as the barrier. Safe routes are a piece of the puzzle, but kids can help also each other feel safer on the way to and from school by walking together. It's a common-sense way for kids to help each other maintain a healthy weight, manage stress, and add a little fun to the day. (What better time to debrief on the latest videogame release, Idol vote-off, or peer histrionics than walking with a friend?)

Nutty Buddy

With peanut allergy a treacherous condition for many kids circa 2011, brown-bagging families in some districts have found they need to operate within a school no peanut policy. Other schools, like ours, allow nuts but ask families to tag lunches that contain peanut. I asked my 14-year-old to help create a "Contains Peanut" label that would help protect peanut-allergic peers, and this is what we came up with. As always with our shop, 1/2 the design proceeds to go Save the Children.

All American

image: generationon.org

My nieces are all pretty different in personality and style, but at one time or another they've all played with American Girl dolls. So I know what a monster hit these toys are. Pricey outfits notwithstanding, the AG crew & their corresponding books have done girls at least one service: turning their attention to American history & reinforcing what they learn at school.

That point's not lost on Mary-Grace Reeves, a Pensacola (Fla.) 16-year-old named recently to the Parade All-American Service Team. The American Girl Book Club she started at 13 has reached more than 900 Gulf Coast girls in 3 years, building literacy and promoting community service. Cash shortages in Hurricane Ivan's aftermath pushed her to reach out to a diverse mix of funders and suppliers, from the local Kiwanis and friends-of-the-library clubs to restaurants, a local female attorney, even a landscaping company. Guest speakers from the U. of Florida, Daughters of the American Revolution, and others with history connections are invited to speak at each club meeting. "With the ability to read well," says Reeves at generationon.org, "one can do anything."