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52 Weeks of Fun Family Service
Tired of the "Me- Me- Me" syndrome? Want your children to be LESS greedy and selfish and MORE generous, charitable, and hardworking? Then you will absolutely love this book! Merrilee Boyack shares 52 ideas on how to get children to love to serve. Each chapter includes an engaging service idea, modifications for young children or teenagers, family discussion tips, and fun family activities. Youth leaders, and Scout leaders looking for great service activity suggestions will also treasure this book.
224 pages, Paperback
First published December 1, 2007
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103 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews
June 23, 2008
It had a lot of fun ideas, but note the 52 WEEKS of service...it's not kidding. These are like full week service projects that will weigh on the mom of the family.
Like: have a bakesale for the homeless. Cool, except that you have to arrange a place to have it, make the stuff, spend all day selling it, etc. I love to bake stuff, but by the time I bake enough stuff to sell, I'd be too pooped to sell it. Also, my kitchen would get hot. So I thought, hey, I'd do that in the winter to warm up the house. But no...then I'd have to go sell brownies in a blizzard. And then there are dishes that have to be done. Bleh.
So, point being: fun ideas, but they are not simple. So, if you are a super achiever, endless energy lady...this is your book! However, I would like to see someone write a book of sevice for lazy people. I might read it.
Like: have a bakesale for the homeless. Cool, except that you have to arrange a place to have it, make the stuff, spend all day selling it, etc. I love to bake stuff, but by the time I bake enough stuff to sell, I'd be too pooped to sell it. Also, my kitchen would get hot. So I thought, hey, I'd do that in the winter to warm up the house. But no...then I'd have to go sell brownies in a blizzard. And then there are dishes that have to be done. Bleh.
So, point being: fun ideas, but they are not simple. So, if you are a super achiever, endless energy lady...this is your book! However, I would like to see someone write a book of sevice for lazy people. I might read it.
January 27, 2013
This book is a great resource for families. Participating in a service project every week of the year is not a realistic goal for us in our current family situation with very young children, but this book is still a very useful collection of worthwhile service ideas and fun family home evening ideas. It has a great mix of simple service ideas (e.g., make birthday cards for children in foster care, write letters to missionaries), and more involved service projects (e.g., put on an art show for charity, host a charity garage sale). We've used some of the simpler ideas for service projects with our young family (and look forward to using more), and can implement many of the others when our children are older.
December 27, 2009
I love Boyack! She is a fun writer with neat insights. This book was no different. She shared great ideas for including children in family service activities. Each idea also includes a FHE lesson to teach the same week you do the service project. The only reason I couldn't give it 4 or 5 stars is that I felt too many of the ideas were focused on fundraising. I think that it is wonderful to raise funds for worthy causes, but I am not sure if one family could really hold 20 or more fundraisers a year. I think my friends and family would start avoiding me if I was constantly asking them to donate to my favorite causes. Perhaps one or 2 year would be feasible. :)
March 1, 2008
One of the quotes I like the best from this book is, "As parents it is our responsibility- indeed, our quest- to teach our children not just believe in Christ but to be his disciples as well." It is so easy to get caught up in the day to day run of our lives that we forget to give to others. She has some fun and practical ways that every family can serve, regardless of age or income. From neighbors, city parks, to formal groups like 'Mothers Without Borders'. The best way for kids to forget about their own material wants is to loose themselves in others.
March 2, 2011
Some great ideas to get kids involved in giving to and helping others. I really liked the author's suggestions for different charities to support and her ideas for helping kids to raise money for their chosen charities (garage sale for charity, art sale, bake sale, donating a birthday). Also some fun ideas that were not fund raisers- planting a tree in memory of someone, recording family history stories, planting flowers, etc. My boys need a little help to break out of the "Me Me Me" cycle, and I'm excited to try some of these together.
May 19, 2014
Overall, had some fun ideas to incorporate service into your family. There are definitely some ideas that are better for older children and families, but several ideas I want to try and do, like firefighter appreciation, service hunt, and a few others. I like how she outlines a potential whole entire family home evening night, even though for us, that would be too long. Stimulates you into thinking how you can involve service in your family.
March 11, 2008
Although, we've decided to become a family that serves I'm not sure the problem is really finding ways to serve, though if it were this book would give you an idea for each week of the year. Reading this book and her other books is enjoyable, it's just putting it all in to practice that I need to work at.
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December 2, 2008Just pulled this out again for some ideas for incorporating service into our Christmas. This is a great resource if your stuck for ideas for getting your family more service-oriented. Some are so simple they might be really obvious to people who are naturally other-centered, but I need help in this department. She also includes adaptations for younger kids.
May 21, 2009
I love this book, it has great ideas for serving on many different levels (and for all ages). The best part is the inspiring message at the beginning the author imparts to us as parents to help grow a true spirit of selfless service in ourselves, and then children; they grow to be life long miracle workers for others as their character exemplifies true discipleship of Christ.
July 20, 2009
This is such a fun book. It's a great way to get your brain started on how to serve and serve with children. She has ideas for young children and teenagers and adults. Service is one of the ways we can take the focus off of ourselves...and bringing our families along is great for everyone. I have to buy this book!
August 27, 2010
This really has some fun and creative ideas for service. Some will require a little more planning, but others are pretty simple and great for a family night. There are many opportunities for service out there, but I liked this book because it compiles all the information you need, and plans it out step by step.
October 5, 2008
Lots of fun ideas for family service projects. We try to do one service project each month for Family Night. When I need an idea, I flip through this book. Each chapter is short and simple and the projects are easily adaptable to kids of all ages.
September 5, 2008
This book is good for people that want lots of ideas for bigger service projects that can involve the whole family. Most of these are not quick, 1 hour projects. But that's the point - the author has a deep testimony that meaningful family service makes a better family, better kids.
May 2, 2009
As a mother and teacher I HIGHLY reccommend this book. It is a must have for anyone wanting to increase service in their or their family's life. It's a wonderful resource I use in both my my home and classroom as it has the tools and, most importatnly, the motivation to incorperate service.
October 17, 2009
This was a great book to get me motivated to serve as a family. The first few chapters teach why it is so important to make family service a way of life and the blessings it brings. Then there are 52 ideas (explained in detail) of fun ways to serve as a family.
June 12, 2010
Great ideas that are easy to do, and fun for kids to do. What I liked best, though, is that I realized we already do quite a bit of service. Most of it is for our family and our neighbors, though. It would be nice for us to start thinking on a more global scale.
May 15, 2008
I really enjoy Merrilee and her presentation at Time Out was incredible! I need ideas and ways to make things work and she gives tons of fun ideas here!
June 23, 2008
Awesome book! I loved it. It walks you through, step-by-step how to do specific service projects with friends and family. Can't wait to do more.
August 7, 2008
This book has so many great service ideas that I'm sure nobody could do them all in 52 weeks! The ideas are great for organizations looking for service ideas, too (not just families).
August 2, 2010
I really enjoyed this book. I am excited to use it for Family Home Evening and as devotionals in the morning for home school!
October 23, 2008
Some really great ways to develop a family that is service oriented! And the service ideas are do fun!
February 19, 2009
Fun ideas!
August 7, 2009
There are great ideas for family service! I love this book!!!
August 13, 2009
Neat, inspiring ideas. Too bad there is a strong Mormon influence as far as recommended books and several comments. However, these things are easily ignored and the main service ideas sound fun!
March 23, 2010
I may become annoying because of this book but lots of ideas for cultivating non-obnoxious children. I will be returning to it.
May 19, 2010
Looking forward to trying some of these out!
May 24, 2010
Great FHE ideas...my kids really enjoy the project ideas.
March 12, 2011
Love it! Great ideas! Great stories! This is what I want to do with my family.
Want to read
April 27, 2012Enjoying it so far!
June 6, 2012
Really enjoyed the creative and fun ideas for service with my kids. Great questions to get discussions going as well. We've implemented a couple things as a family with very positive results.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews