Volunteering is one of the most rewarding experiences in life, but it can be difficult to convince your child of that when they can think of a million other things they would rather do. To help get your kids to recognize the benefits of helping others, the staff at our Fort Lauderdale after school program, Life Sports Fitness, have put together the following guide on how to get your child to volunteer.

Volunteer as a family. Instead of dropping your kids off to complete volunteer work, find something the whole family can do. Pitching in in your community together allows your family more time together and strengthens your family bond. Volunteering as a family will also generate conversations about why reaching out to those in need is so important.

Have your kids pick volunteer work based on their interests. If your child likes basketball, the counselors at our after school program in Broward suggest teaching other kids with special needs how to play the game. If they are doing what they love, kids will find volunteer work less tedious and more enjoyable.

Start with small volunteer projects. You don’t have to spend hours upon hours at a local animal shelter to teach your child the importance of giving back. Start your child’s volunteer work off with smaller outreach efforts, like asking her to perform a dance she learned for a small elderly group at a nursing home. She will quickly see how something like that can brighten someone’s day and more than likely want to continue to volunteer.