Last Updated on January 10, 2025
Making care packages using these simple blessing bag ideas is a wonderful family or group activity to teach children to take action to care for others in their community.
Practicing random acts of kindness and charitable giving has always been important to me, so teaching my children compassion for others is just as important. If you feel the same way, you’ll be glad to know there are age-appropriate ways to include children in caring for the community.
Our family has a long tradition of making blessing bags for the homeless this time of year. We’ve been making homeless care packages as a family since my children were as young as three years old.
How to Talk to Kids About Homelessness
Teaching children to think about and care for others can be challenging. Addressing the issues around homelessness is daunting for adults, let alone children.
But we can all understand being hungry. Making blessing bags for the homeless is a great way to encourage compassion in even young children in a way that they can understand.
Here are a few ideas about how to talk to your kids about homelessness before you make the bags and head out to deliver them:
- Ask your kids what kinds of questions they have about homelessness. If you’re not sure how to answer them or if you just want some help in knowing how to have this discussion, there’s a guide about how to talk to your children about homelessness that’s based on whatever age they are.
- Watch videos and read books together to help make homelessness seem less scary and easier for kids to understand it on their level. If you have younger kids (ages 0 – 6), there’s great resources from Sesame Street that you can watch or read together, along with ideas for questions you can ask your kids about what they’re seeing/reading.
- If you have older kids, a good way to start the discussion is asking them what they already know about homelessness. It might surprise you how much they already know and understand, and then if they have any misinformation, you can give them more facts.
What to Put in the Blessing Bags
Here are some ideas about things to include in your bags and what to think about as you choose the items. Your kids will enjoy helping you shop for them.
Considerations — What to think about as you choose the items
- Individually wrapped, single-serving items are best.
- Choose easy-to-open items that do not require a can opener.
- Choose resealable items, if possible.
- Add plastic utensils if they’re needed for any items.
- Choose easy-to-chew items. Some homeless deal with dental issues.
- Choose colorful packaging to brighten someone’s day.
- Add a napkin or cleaning wipe.
- Always add a personal note.
- Place the contents in a zippered plastic bag. This keeps everything sanitary and the bag can be used once the contents are consumed.
Snack Items — Look for individually packaged snack items that are filling
- Granola Bars
- Cheese or Peanut Butter Crackers
- Muffins
- Cereal Bars
- Crackers
Protein — Add individually packaged shelf-stable protein items
- Protein Bars
- Tuna Packets – Choose options that don’t require a can opener.
- Canned Meat- Choose options that don’t require a can opener.
- Nuts
- Peanut Butter – Individual, one-serving packets or containers. Packets are preferable. Include a knife if adding a container.
Fruit or Vegetable Snacks — Shelf-stable fruit or veggies are the best choices
- Applesauce – Squeeze packets are better. Include a spoon if adding a container.
- Dried Fruit
- Fruit Leather
- Dried Veggies
- Veggie Snacks
Drinks — One or more individual shelf-stable drink options
- Water – Everyone can drink water and it’s resealable.
- Fruit Juice – Choose easy-to-open containers.
- Vegetable Juice Mixes – Choose easy-to-open containers.
Candy or a Treat — Everyone appreciates a treat in their day
- I prefer to add hard candy or lollipops. They are a sweet treat in addition to helping with sore throats and freshening breath.
- Choose individually wrapped treats.
Gift Card — Add a gift card to a local establishment with a value of approximately $5 to $10
- In addition to providing a meal, this allows the recipient the pleasure of choosing their meal and drink.
- It provides access to a heated or air conditioned chair and table.
- It also provides access to the bathroom. It can be difficult for the homeless to find a bathroom to use and to wash up without first making a purchase at a store or restaurant.
Add a Note
The nice thing about a blessing bag is the personal connection. You can make it even more meaningful by adding a note to every bag you make.
If you are making blessing bags with children, have them draw a picture or write a note (give them some guidance on what to say and not to say) to include in each bag. Nothing is more encouraging than a colorful drawing or a heart-felt note from a child.
If you’d prefer, you can download this free Blessing Bag Note printable to add to your care packages.
Click this link to download/print the lunch notes — Blessing Bag Ideas Notes
Ideas for How to Assemble the Blessing Bags
Before you start the assembly process, it’s a lot of fun for the kids and a great opportunity to discuss each item and why it was chosen for the care packages. My children and I look forward to making blessing bags each year. It’s a treasured family tradition.
Timing
We usually make our blessing bags on Thanksgiving day. You can make them on whatever day you prefer, but it is a great activity to do during Thanksgiving break since it’s a good reminder for your kids to be thankful for what they have — and then the bags will be ready for you to hand out as the weather gets colder.
Stations
We set up stations in the living room with each blessing bag item. Our children “trick or treat” around the living room — they stop at each station and fill their bag with the items.
You can also have your kids help set out the items at each station so they can participate in the entire process.
Supervise as Needed
If you have younger kids, the adults can hand out the items and supervise so that each bag is filled completely with all the items.
If you have older kids, feel free to join the assemble line and go around the room and fill up the bags just like your kids are doing.
Where to Hand Out Blessing Bags
The intention of making a blessing bag is to care for someone in need in your community – to bless them. You’ll find that your family is also blessed by making and handing out these homeless care packages.
- Homeless Shelters: Some shelters may allow you to distribute bags directly to residents or use them as part of their outreach efforts. Contact them first before you head over there to see what they’ll allow.
- Soup Kitchens or Food Pantries: Contact organizations serving meals to the homeless to see if they’d like to include your blessing bags as a supplementary resource.
- Street Outreach: Visit areas where homeless individuals frequently gather, such as parks, transit stations, or underpasses and ask them if they would like a bag.
- Churches or Faith-Based Organizations: Many churches have outreach programs for the homeless and can help distribute the bags.
- Community Events: Look for organized homeless outreach events or fairs where services are provided to those in need and ask them if it would be okay to hand out the bags.
- While Running Errands: You can also keep several in your car and hand them out when you meet someone in need.
You can find more ideas for homeless care packages and blessing bags here.
Additional Random Acts of Kindness
Keep the idea of helping others going strong with some of these other printables and activities.
- Loving the Elderly with Random Acts of Kindness: Over two dozen random acts of kindness for loving the elderly and showing our appreciation for their wisdom and experience.
- Spread the Feels with Random Acts of Kindness: We are all busy rushing around these days. Instead of keeping to ourselves as we go about our day, we should Spread the Feels with Random Acts of Kindness.
- Free Random Acts of Kindness Cards for Kids: These random acts of kindness cards for kids are an easy way to inspire your children to be kind, charitable, and considerate of others.
- 30 Random Acts of Kindness for Moms of Little Kids: Spread kindness to moms of small children with these 30 random acts of kindness to inspire compassion, support and camaraderie.
- Fun Places to Leave Random Acts of Kindness Gifts: 39 places where you can leave random acts of kindness gifts like friendly notes or spare change to brighten someone’s day.
- How To Turn “Random Acts Of Kindness” Into A Family Lifestyle: Learn how to spread joy, kindness, and love not just within your own family but also with those around you.
