There is something special about individuals who serve their country. The sacrifices made benefit the entire country, in addition to many parts of the world, yet their faces often go unseen. As such, it is a nice gesture for families in a community to show the military families among them just how much they care. It is also important to get the kids involved in this endeavor so that they can learn about the sacrifices that are made for freedom. Here are four kid friendly activities that can help you say thank you to military families.
Make Gift Baskets
Gather your kids around, go shopping for some cool gifts, and then make some baskets to give to the military families in your community. Some of them may be on deployment, so it also a fun idea to find out how to mail these baskets abroad. You can really have some fun with this by including items that are specific to the needs of each individual family.
Host a Movie Night
This is a great idea for the military families that have children. Married couples in the military often have difficulty finding time to be alone. Sometimes, they would love to go on a date. Make this possible by offering to host a movie night for all the kids. You can get a couple of other families in the neighborhood to help you with this. That will also the military spouses to go and enjoy dinner and some quality time together. This is a playdate movie night that is a great way to say thank you.
Have a Kids PlayDate
Many military members are going to school at the same time that they are serving. This makes it hard to find the time that they need to study. Offer to take the kids for a few hours and have a playdate with them. The parents can then use that valuable time to get some much needed studying in. University of Maryland University College offers discounts for military families. It’s hard for parents to go to school and work at the same time. This simple gesture is one great for a practical gift. Your kids can think of what games and activities they’ll want to do with their new friends.
Mail Cards to Kids Living Overseas
Kids living overseas can feel isolated. They want to feel a connection with other kids their age back home. Having your children send them cards can go a long way towards making them feel a part of the community, even though they may be continents away.
These are just four ideas that can help your family get involved thanking military service members, spouses, and kids serving at home and abroad. It is a difficult and often thankless job, so it is important that you show how much you care. You never know how much your simple gesture of thanks will mean to a military family.
