Pick up Party

Family Adventure

GOAL: Learn the personal and physical rewards of being an “active” citizen!

The ADVENTURE:

Pick-Up Party! This month, tidy up the outside area around your house or neighborhood. It’s a great way to get a little exercise and sunshine, and makes your environment healthier too! If you live in an area that has a lot of litter, this can be a litter pick-up day.

TIPS:

  When you’re done, celebrate with some cool slices of watermelon and time at the pool or under the sprinkler!

  One of the best rewards for service comes naturally by seeing the results! Help your children to notice the impact they are having on their community. Point out how much better the outside of your home or the park looks once you are finished. Talk about who this benefits and how. (Will it be nicer to play at the park or in your backyard? Will your dog be less likely to eat trash? Etc.)

→ Get some heavy-duty trash or lawn bags and some gardening gloves for everyone.

→ The task is simple—pick up litter and put it in the bag. (Remind children not to touch any items that could be sharp.)

→ See how many bags you can collect.

If you live in the city, you may be able to find a local park that is having a volunteer day. Or you can sweep your block or wash your car. The point is to move your body in the sunshine, and make your environment healthier and prettier to live in.

Pre-K Adventure

Young Adventurers will get excited about this activity if you do!

Be sure to help them so that they don't pick up anything sharp, and make it a game. "How many pieces of litter can we pick up? Let's count!" or "How long do you think it will take us to fill this bag?"

You could even make it a game by splitting the family into groups and seeing who can fill their bag the quickest!

Community Engagement Adventure

Organize a neighborhood clean up day!

Have everyone get together to help pick up your neighborhood park, help those who are unable to clean up their yards, or check out justserve.org for an already organized community project.

Teen Adventure

Encourage your teens to invite their friends to participate in this with them! It will help the community and make it more fun!

Bonus, you'll get to spend time getting to know your teens friends as well!