Proverbs for Preschoolers: Sacrificial Giving

Sacrificial Giving

Explaining the difference between giving extra “stuff” away and giving it “all” away is hard. Especially when your sweet 3 year old is looking at you like you’ve lost your last marble when you say it’s time to clean out their toys and give some to the less fortunate. Let’s begin to cultivate a culture of giving for our families from a tender age.

Proverbs 11:24 (NIV)- “One person gives freely, yet gains even more; another withholds unduly, but comes to poverty.”

Bible Story about Giving

God tells us much about wealth. This lesson on giving comes from Mark 12:41-44. Read the story from your favorite Bible version.

The widow gives her last two coins while the wealthy give what they want to. Jesus says the widow gave more than anyone else. She gave all she had. Discuss with your preschooler why it is so important to give all we have back to God.

10 Ways to Teach Giving to Preschoolers

• Have your child go through old toys and pick out a few to give to a shelter or church.
• Start a fund/toy collecting box for Operation Christmas Child boxes.
• Make cookies and deliver them to elderly neighbors and spend some time with them. Teach your children that giving is not limited to stuff or money.
• Help your child make “God loves you” love notes to leave for people when you are out running errands. Place them on top of cans at the grocery store, tuck them into a card slot at Target, sticky note one on the bathroom mirror at a restaurant.
• Prompt your child to share their snack with a sibling, friend, or stranger who might need a snack.
• 6. Pick up 5-10 balloons with money from your “love on people” fund, write “You are loved” on them with a big sharpie, and hand them out to random people or drop some off for a family that needs encouragement.
• Help your child understand giving by teaching them about tithing and having a separate little bank for their tithing money and spending money. Talk to them about different special offering your church takes throughout the year and let them choose if they want to give to a specific one.
• Encourage your child to come up with ways to give. A free lemonade stand, picking extra blankets out to give to homeless shelters, collecting stuffed animals to donate to children’s hospitals, making something special, buying an ice cream for their sibling, etc. Challenge them to think of ways they can give from the blessings they have.
•  Help them become aware. Ask questions to help point their attention toward ways they can be helpers and givers. Perhaps they can give time by helping pick up pine cones from an elderly neighbors yard to make their yard work easier. Maybe they have a toy they just don’t use and can be shown someone who needs a toy. Help train their little eyes to see needs and encourage their little hearts to begin to fill those needs.
• Be an example. If you don’t give of your money, your time, your energy, your love, then how will they even know why it matters much less how to give?  Be prepared for lots of patience building exercises, but the reward is worth it!

I’m Lara, a sinner saved by grace, wife and help-meet to my best friend, John, and homeschooling mama to two bouncing (literally) boys, Teddy and Frederick. Hot tea, good conversations and dark chocolate are some of my favorite things. Grab your favorite mug and join us on our adventures at Lara’s Place and a Cup of Grace!