I love that summertime brings so many opportunities to have fun with my family! We plan vacations, adventures, outings, beach days, and eat our fair share of ice cream and pizza.

After a while, however, it can feel a little self-indulgent. Sometimes after taking my kids to the library, the park, the movies and the toy store, they will get home, drape themselves on our furniture, and complain that they are “so bored.”

That is why I like to balance our fun family activities with acts of kindness. More than anything, I want my boys to live out the Big Two—loving God and loving others. Hearts that are prayed over and trained to be outward focused instead of inward focused can be used by the Lord to help build His kingdom here on earth! Plus, there is great joy and contentment found in being the bless-ers instead of the bless-ed.

Here are 5 of my favorite ways to spread kindness with my boys in the summer…

Leave Coins by a Fountain

Several years ago, my boys and I were having a rough day at home. The brothers were arguing and I was exhausted. So we grabbed a box of chalk and a roll of pennies and headed to the nearest fountain in our neighborhood. When we arrived, we wrote MAKE A WISH along the edge of the fountain and sprinkled the pennies everywhere. It was a small little thing, but it cheered our family up, as well as delighted the people who walked by. You can see what we did HERE.

Garbage Men Refreshment

What boy doesn’t love trash day? Growing up, my dad would always show kindness to the trash men. As soon as he heard the rumbling of the truck on our street, he would dash to the fridge, pull out a few cold water bottles, and run them out to the garbage men. Now my boys and I carry on his legacy of kindness! And this is the perfect activity for summertime since we are usually home when the truck comes by. Those men deserve a little refreshment!

Donut Drop

Last summer we thought we would pick up some donuts for breakfast, but we wanted to bless someone else too, so we bought an extra dozen donuts and dropped them off on our friends’ doorstep. We even included a note that said, “DONUT you know how much we love you?”  You can see a pic of that HERE.

Thank a Cop

Mr. Rogers’ mother once said, “When bad things happen, look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.”  I want to be counted as one of the helpers and I want my boys to learn how to help, too. One group of people I love to help and encourage is our police officers. These men and women put their lives on the line every day to protect us and they deserve our respect. My boys and I like to drive around to find cop cars. When we find one, we stick this FREE Printable Police Officer Thank You Card on their windshield or deliver it by hand if they’re there!

Senior Visit

There are quite a few seniors living in our neighborhood and I know that they are lonely. I also know that a visit with my two energetic, excited boys can be good therapy for their precious souls! If I have made a batch of chocolate chip zucchini muffins, or banana bread, or picked up an extra bouquet of tulips at the grocery store, we will stroll down the street to drop it off. I love seeing their faces light up at the happy interruption to their routine and I truly enjoy asking them questions and hearing stories about their lives. It’s a win-win!

If you are looking for more ways to share kindness, check out THIS POST that features an entire list of Summer Serve Projects for kids, as well as a FREE Printable for your fridge to remind you to get out there and share His light with others this summer!

Proverbs 11:25 says, “The generous will prosper; those who refresh others will themselves be refreshed.” After you share kindness with someone, you not only get to be the bless-ER, but in the end, you become the bless-ED, too.

Joyfully,

Julie, Happy Home Fairy

*Do you want MORE ways to spread kindness with your boys?  Check out my book below!