Paper Chain Service Advent Countdown

This service idea is excerpted/paraphrased from the It’s All About Christmas anthology published by Covenant Communications, page 96. First, choose how many days you want to work on your paper chain (12 days of Christmas, 25 days to Christmas day, the whole 31 days of December, etc.). Cut out 1 1/2 inch strips of holiday red paper and holiday green paper (or Christmas scrapbook paper) and write a service or activity on each strip. As you complete each service, tape/glue/staple/etc. each strip as a circle to the chain (alternating colors). Use as a decoration in your home or on your tree.

Some service ideas given by the editors of It’s All About Christmas (with some additions and modifications of my own) include:

• Make and send Christmas cards to friends and family far away.
• Write inspiring messages in Christmas card and deliver them to a hospital or nursing home.
• Make salt dough ornaments for friends/neighbors/relatives/strangers (we’ve done this and it can turn out awesome, but give yourself plenty of time to complete the project).
• Make and fill a bird feeder.
• Make and deliver Christmas cookies.
• Donate to the food pantry.
• Choose three of your toys to donate to charity (or purchase toys to donate to Toys for Tots).
• Help someone wrap presents.
• Take donations to a thrift shop.
• Give blood.
• Volunteer at the animal shelter.
• Volunteer at a St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital event in your community.
• Volunteer with Meals on Wheels.
• Play games with residents at a care facility.
• Do a craft with residents at a care facility.
• Perform for residents at a care facility.
• Take holiday treats to the police or fire station.
• Buy and decorate a small tree to donate to a family in need.
• Babysit for someone that needs to go Christmas shopping (or host a ‘drop and shop’ activity at a church or community center for people to leave their children at while they shop – movie, craft activity, etc.).

A great way to give service and create a service visual aid for your kids in the form of a decoration. For more services ideas, check out this post on giving kindness for your birthday.