Ten easy good turns for Good Turn Week
Scouts Canada’s fifth annual Good Turn Week is happening April 26-May 4. Local Scouting youth are challenging community members of all ages to perform at least one good turn for someone else and ask the recipient to pay it forward. Good turns are a fun way for the whole family to spend time together and a great way to help instil positive values early on. Here are 10 easy good turns the whole family can do:
1. Get cooking: Make a double batch of your family’s favourite dessert; keep some for home and give some to the neighbours.
2. Donate to a food bank: Go to the grocery store and let your children pick out some of their favourite non-perishable foods, then head over to the local food bank to donate them.
3. Give flowers to an elderly neighbour: Plant colourful flowers in a pot; your children will love watching them grow. Or purchase a bouquet. Either gift will brighten your neighbour’s day.
4. Pet-sit: Take care of a friend’s pet while they are away. It’s fun for kids and teaches them responsibility.
5. Make gifts: Make a bunch of bookmarks and then visit the library and ask to leave them at the circulation counter for others to use and enjoy.
6. Volunteer: Gather up the whole family and spend the afternoon volunteering for a local charity.
7. Make it a competition: See how many doors your children can hold open for others when you are out running errands.
8. Give the gift of relaxation: Look after a friend or family member’s children for the day. Have the kids plan some fun activities and special snacks.
9. Good turns at school: Sit down with your children and develop a list of simple good turns they can do for classmates like sharpening a friend’s pencil, or sharing a favourite book.
10. Clean out the closet: Donate clothes, toys and books to charity or take old towels and sheets to the animal shelter.
There are lots of good turns that you and your family can perform and Scouts Canada wants to hear about them. Share your good turn by submitting it to Scouts.ca/goodturn, on Twitter using #goodturn or at facebook.com/scoutscanada.
