Spring into Service

The past few days have given us a taste of the warm weather that is fast approaching. I’m sure that bike riding, swinging, and running will be on the agenda this weekend!

Mother Nature is right on time with the spring weather to celebrate Wildlife Month in May.  Get information for planning activities, games, and environmental tips with your kids at the National Wildlife Federation site.

Also, have you ever visited the nature trail at Abbot School? The entrance is near the side of the playground. Two years ago, Mrs. Breen’s fourth grade students began a nature trail blog and field guide based on the trail. They won two awards for their work, one through Mass CUE Initiatives and one through the state of Massachusetts. Be sure to check out the award-winning blog, as this year’s third grade students in Mrs. Breen’s class have continued to update the blog and field guide.

With Wildlife Month upon us, spring is also a natural time to teach your kids about environmentalism and community service. Host a clean-up at a community site. Work with a group to coordinate a planting day at local schools. Help your kids go through old books, toys, games, and clothes to reduce, reuse, and recycle. You can find other ideas and information about volunteering with your kids using an environmental twist at Compassionate Kids and this Earth Day site. Also, enjoy some green activities at the upcoming Earth Fair on Saturday, May 14^th.

You can also reinforce service by participating in volunteer work as a family in the community. Westford itself has loads of opportunities to show your family spirit--schools never say no to those who want to spruce up the grounds, the Westford Litter League Green Team hosts weekly town clean-ups, and there are plenty of trails here in town that need maintaining and cleaning. Find an activity that suits your family’s interests and time commitment, and enjoy giving back to the community together!

Looking for other opportunities outside of Westford? The Volunteer Family, Chelmsford Volunteers , and Volunteer Match are all clearinghouse sites where you can browse through various lists of agencies and programs looking for volunteers. Be sure to look for those that mention they welcome kids and families.

Compassionate Kids has a great article about teaching kids the value of volunteering, and how to find the best fit for your family. Also, while doing some research on volunteering, I came across this series of articles in the Birmingham Examiner about volunteering with children and fostering a nurturing and giving nature in children. Both offer practical and fun ideas for sharing your time and talent as a family.

Service learning is a wonderful way for children to feel so good knowing that their actions have helped someone else. You and your children will learn that it just takes one person to make a small difference in the world; that is the true spirit of service. So spring into service, and enjoy your time outdoors together!