As the holidays approach each year I begin purging the play room, one toy at a time when the kids aren’t looking. Admittedly, the amount of toys we acquire throughout the year is ridiculous. Our play room is filled to the brim with tiny cars, stuffed animals, dolls, ride-on toys, dress up clothes and more. In fact, the toys spill into every room of our house — there are puzzle pieces and magnatiles running down my staircase, cash register money jamming my vacuum, board game pieces and LEGOS hiding under the couch, and many of our kitchen cabinets filled with art supplies and more. Literally, there are toys everywhere…and more will be coming…
But this year, instead of stressing out and covertly purging one Lincoln Log at a time, Matt and I started what we hope to be a life lesson and annual tradition to help cultivate a philanthropic mindset in our kiddos using The Giving Sack, a Christmas book authored, illustrated and self-published by Leanne Hill. While the holidays are filled with the hustle and bustle of festivities and celebration, we want them to know it’s also a time to be grateful and generous, and to understand that there are many kids in our own backyard who do not get to experience Christmas in the same way they have been blessed.
So a few weeks ago we introduced The Giving Sack. We talked with the kids about simplifying and paring down our play room by donating some of their toys. We discussed what to keep and what to donate, and how their generosity would affect others in our community…
Caroline was excited to donate all of Thomas’s toys for him while preserving all of her things. Meanwhile, Thomas was a little more skeptical of the entire process. But hey, it’s our first year introducing the book and we’ve donated two sacks of toys together (as round 1 of the clean out) so I’ll call it a success!
You can purchase The Giving Sack Storybook & Sack here!
Kids Pajamas
