Take some time to teach your children why you care about and want to help refugees. Whether or not your kids have learned about the various refugee crises at school or in the news, you can start by checking out this helpful resource on how to talk about refugees with your kids.
Then, here are five meaningful activities that can help your kids make a big impact on refugee crises like Syria, South Sudan, and Myanmar. Take your pick and choose an activity to do, or make it a challenge to do all five.
1. Activity: What would you take? (20 minutes)
- Watch this video: What would you take?
- How would you feel if war broke out in your neighborhood and you had to leave? Take five minutes to think about what you would do if you had to leave your home behind.
- Then spend five minutes writing a list or drawing what you would want to take with you.
- Now, take five minutes to talk about your list or drawings. Why did you make your choices? How did you feel about the choices you had to make? What was hard, and what was easy?
- End by praying for people who have to leave their homes because of violence they can’t control: Good Shepherd, no refugee is a stranger to You, and no one is far from Your loving care. Watch over children and families as they travel to refugee camps or move somewhere else in their country. Shelter their hearts and their bodies.
2. Pray: Ask God to help refugee children and families (15 minutes)
Prayer is a powerful, free way to make a big impact. When we come to our Heavenly Father and ask him to help the innocent, we are doing what David did in Psalm 82:3-4 when he asked God to “Defend the weak and the fatherless; uphold the cause of the poor and the oppressed. Rescue the weak and the needy; deliver them from the hand of the wicked.” Here are some prayer points to get you started:
- Dear Heavenly Father, help the children wrapped up in the crises in Syria, South Sudan, Myanmar, Venezuela, and other places. Provide kids with food and water if they don’t have it.
- Protect children and families from people who are fighting around them.
- Take care of kids who have had to leave their homes. Watch out for them, and help them find safe new homes.
- Help families who have had to split up find each other again.
- More than anything, Jesus, please bring peace and stability to these places so everyone can go home and live a full life.
3. Spread awareness: Inspire others to help refugees (30-minute prep, 5- to 10-minute presentation)
Encourage your children to share what they’ve learned about refugees and how they want to help by giving a presentation at Sunday school, vacation Bible school, summer camp, small group, or with a group of their friends.
- Here is a great photo slideshow about what life is like for Syrian refugee children. Use the photos and captions as a ready-made presentation, or you can use your favorites to create your own.
- Get creative by using PowerPoint, Google Slides, or whichever presentation software your kids’ school uses, or print the photos and paste them onto a poster board.
4. Activity: Donate allowance or chores money (15 minutes)
Encourage your children to donate the money they earn this week. Challenge them to see how much they can earn to donate! You’ll give refugee families support for a brighter future by providing essentials like:
- Access to healthcare and nutritious food
- Clean water or latrines in refugee camps
- Shelter and emergency supplies
- Survival packs for new refugee camp arrivals
- Dignity kits for women and girls that include clothing, hygiene products, and baby kits
- Safe places for children to play and learn
- Protection for children vulnerable to exploitation
5. Fundraise for refugees: Set up a fundraiser (60+ minutes)
Watch this video about Tyler, who has been using lemonade stands to raise money for clean water projects. With his first lemonade stand, Tyler raised $400. But his lemonade stand is forever evolving with new ideas. To date, he has raised more than $19,000.
“I want to show God’s love to a hurting world,” Tyler says. “I want to do something — something life-changing — and I would like you to join me.”
If your child is feeling inspired to do something big, you could help them set up a fundraising page to help people affected by disasters and refugee crises. They can do anything they want as a fundraiser.
Your kids can make a real difference in the world. You can help your kids grow into generous and kind world-changers. Remember, even with all the influences out there, the way you model putting your faith into action is foundational, formative, and inspiring.
