Besrey - Aug 29 2025

Family Volunteering: Age-Appropriate Ways Kids Can Help

Volunteering is one of the best ways to help your children develop empathy, learn practical skills, and grow as individuals. Family volunteering isn’t just about developing as individuals. It’s a great opportunity to bond as a family and spend time together. You can use family volunteering as a time to get away from the stress of work and school and do something meaningful together.

If you’re thinking of volunteering with young kids, it’s normal to feel overwhelmed. At Besrey, our balance bike and 7-in-1 tricycle make it easy to bring younger kids along when volunteering outdoors by giving them somewhere to sit and a way of getting around. In this post, we’re sharing age-appropriate ways your kids can help through family volunteering and how outdoor gear can make it easy to involve all your family.

Why Family Volunteering Matters at Every Age

Research shows that kids can get involved in volunteering at any age, as it helps develop their sense of morality. There are dozens of benefits of family volunteering, from helping your kids develop values to giving you an opportunity for quality family time away from screens.

Studies have also shown that volunteering at a young age can help kids thrive. Kids aged 12 and older who have volunteered are 25% less likely to have anxiety, and overall, kids were shown to have improved well-being and better health. It’s never too early to start volunteering with your children, as it’s the perfect way to develop their social awareness, cultivate leadership skills, and build their confidence.

Are you worried your kids are too active to go volunteering? The Besrey 7-in-1 tricycle makes it easy to bring your toddlers along when volunteering with an adjustable handlebar and a compact, foldable design to make it easy to bring with you.

Age-Appropriate Volunteering Ideas for Toddlers to Teens

It can be challenging to find ideas for age-appropriate volunteering for kids. Most of us think of volunteering as something that students and adults do, but you can start volunteering as a family when your kids are toddlers and preschoolers.

We’re breaking down our recommendations of age-appropriate volunteering ideas to get your kids involved at an early age and create new bonding opportunities for your family.

Ages 2-4 | Toddlers and Preschoolers

You can start laying the foundations for family volunteering by doing simple activities with your toddlers and preschoolers. They may be doing similar activities at preschool but incorporating them into your home routine can help further their development.

Here are 4 age-appropriate ways these kids can volunteer:

•Go hiking or explore your local neighborhood with your kids and collect wildflowers to create bouquets to give to friends, family members, or elderly neighbors.

•Let your preschooler help you choose non-perishable food from your cabinets or when you’re out shopping to donate to your local food bank. It’s a simple way to show how easy it is to help others during your daily routine.

•If your toddler loves organizing, ask them to help sort your recycling into individual boxes to teach them good environmental practices.

•Download printable cards for your toddler to color and decorate before bringing them to a nursing home to share with the elderly.

Age 5-7 | Early Elementary

When your kids are early elementary age, you can start bringing them to volunteering events and getting them involved in donating. If your neighborhood has a community garden, it’s a great way to develop their social skills and get them used to volunteering in a more familiar setting.

 Here are 4 age-appropriate ways your kids can volunteer:

•If your child is having their first big haircut (of at least 10 inches), you can suggest they donate their hair to programs like ‘Locks of Love’, which creates free wigs for those who need them.

•On their birthday, let your child choose an organization or community group they would like to donate to.

•Create a ‘Little Free Library’ in front of your home or your local neighborhood and start by filling it with books that your child is no longer interested in reading.

•Bake sweet treats together to donate to your local food bank, medical center, or nursing home.

Age 8-12 | Pre-teens

When your kids are pre-teens, they’re likely to have volunteering ideas of their own. From this age onwards, you want to find volunteering opportunities that align with their interests and causes they feel drawn to. Encourage their interests and have an open dialogue about different types of volunteering they can do.

Here are 4 age-appropriate ways your pre-teen can volunteer:

•Sign up for a clean-up at your local beach or park. Organized clean-ups are usually advertised by local groups or on official websites.

•Start talking to your pre-teen about different causes they can get involved in, whether it’s protecting their local library or writing in support of funding for a new playground.

•If your pre-teen has an interest in a specific subject at school, they can start tutoring younger students in their school or neighborhood.

•Involve other families in your school area and create a donation drive for school supplies, both at the start of a new school year and throughout term time, to ensure classes and students have everything they need. 

Age 13+ | Teenagers

Once your child is a teenager, they can take a more structured approach to volunteering, including signing up to help with local charities and organizations. Teenagers are the perfect age for volunteering, and it’s an age when you might be struggling to spend quality time with your kids.

Here are 4 age-appropriate ways your teenager can volunteer:

•Help elderly or disabled neighbors by walking their dogs, helping with their pets, or collecting their groceries.

•Volunteering to prepare or serve meals at a local soup kitchen.

•Signing up to help at an animal shelter, whether it’s answering phones, caring for the animals, or supporting the shelter during adoption and fostering events.

•Joining an organized volunteering program, such as Habitat for Humanity.

Make Family Volunteering Easier with Besrey’s 5-in-1 Tricycle and Balance Bikes

You can start exploring the benefits of family volunteering at any age. If you’re getting started with toddlers and preschoolers, our balance bike and 7-in-1 tricycle can make volunteering more accessible by making it easier to bring your kids outdoors for extended periods.


Looking for more parenting advice on how to swap screens for meaningful experiences? Explore our blog and read our latest post on 10 indoor play tent ideas to spark your child’s imagination.