Kids Helping Out

Why helping out feels so good

Lethbridge is the kind of city where neighbours shovel each other’s walks after a snowfall and wave from the porch. These projects are a way for kids to be part of that. Each one is simple, needs only a few things from around the house, and does real good for birds, people or the places we share.

Finish one project and you’ve earned the Kindness Hero badge on our Earn Your Badges page.

Winter: feed the birds

When the north wind blows and the snow covers everything, a feeder in the yard can be a real help to birds, and a lot of fun to watch from the kitchen window. The trick is to give them the right food and keep it clean.

What to put in it

• Black-oil sunflower seeds. The Cornell Lab of Ornithology says they attract the greatest number of bird species. Hinterland Who’s Who, from the Canadian Wildlife Federation and Environment and Climate Change Canada, calls sunflower seeds among the most versatile foods for birds.
• Plain beef suet. Cornell calls it an excellent high-energy food, which is just what birds need on a cold night.
• Nyjer (thistle) seed for little finches such as goldfinches, siskins and redpolls, as Cornell suggests.
• Skip the table scraps. Cornell says food must never be mouldy, and that scraps can attract starlings, house sparrows, rats and raccoons instead.

Where to hang it

• Close to a window, or well away from it. Cornell says feeders within about 1 metre of a window are safest. Hinterland Who’s Who says trouble usually happens when feeders are less than 10 metres from a window, so if yours can’t go right beside the glass, put it more than 10 metres away.
• About 3 metres from bushes where a cat could hide, as both sources suggest. Project FeederWatch, run by Cornell and Birds Canada, strongly recommends keeping pet cats indoors.
• Help birds see the glass. FeederWatch suggests marking the outside of windows with patterns spaced no more than 5 cm (2 inches) apart, using tape, stickers or paint.

Keep it clean

1. Every two weeks, and more often when lots of birds are visiting, take the feeder down for a clean. Cornell and Birds Canada both give this timing.
2. A grown-up does the soak. Birds Canada says to scrub and soak feeders in a solution of 1 part bleach to 9 parts water. Kids can do the scrubbing with gloves on, but bleach is a grown-up job.
3. Rinse well and let it dry completely before you refill it.
4. Tidy up underneath. Rake up the shells and dropped seed, and throw out any seed that got wet, as Birds Canada advises.
5. Wash your hands with soap and water after handling the feeder or seed.

Christmas: cards for seniors

December can be lonely for some older people, especially those who live in care homes or whose families are far away. A handmade card from a child can make someone’s whole week.

1. Ask first. Have a grown-up call a care home, a seniors’ centre or a community group (your school, club or place of worship may already have a connection). Ask whether they’d like cards, how many, and when and how to drop them off. They may have rules, so it’s always best to check.
2. Make them bright and cheerful. Draw a winter scene: the coulees under snow, the High Level Bridge, a snowman, a magpie in the snow, our Christmas lights. Use crayons, markers or paper cut-outs.
3. Write a warm message, such as “Merry Christmas from a neighbour!” or “Thinking of you this winter.” Sign your first name only, and your age if you like. Leave out your last name and address.
4. Deliver them with your grown-up, the way the care home or group asked.

Spring: a neighbourhood cleanup

When the last snowbank melts, all the litter that was hidden away all winter shows up, and our spring winds blow it into fences, hedges and coulees. A cleanup is one of the most satisfying things a family can do. You can see the difference right away.

Join a City or Nature Centre cleanup

• The City’s Adopt-A-Park program is open to individuals, families, neighbourhood groups and schools. You can adopt a park, or sign up for a one-time litter cleanup or a neighbourhood cleanup. The City says it can help with bags, gloves and tips for running your event. Sign up through the Adopt-A-Park page, and do it early: the City says to expect a confirmation email within seven business days.
• The Helen Schuler Nature Centre takes part in the Great Canadian Shoreline Cleanup, a national program that records every piece of litter collected. It says the Nature Centre can provide gloves, bags and data sheets if you organize your own shoreline or coulee cleanup. See its conservation page.

Cleanup safety

• Always with a grown-up. An adult should be with every group of kids, the whole time.
• Wear gloves, closed-toe shoes and clothes for the weather. Spring wind can be cold.
• Never pick up anything sharp. If you see a needle, broken glass or anything you’re not sure about, don’t touch it. Stay back and tell your grown-up. A grown-up can report it to the City’s needle pick-up hotline, listed on its safety contacts page.
• Stay off steep coulee slopes, away from the water’s edge and away from traffic. Pick a safe area like a park, a schoolyard or your own block.
• In the coulees, watch for rattlesnakes. The City says to wear long pants and sturdy shoes there. If you see a snake, back away slowly and never run. If anyone is bitten, stay calm and get to the hospital as soon as possible.
• Wash your hands well when you’re done, before snacks.

Any time: a food bank collection

The Lethbridge Food Bank says it serves more than 1,500 members from Lethbridge and area each month, with food hampers plus fresh bread and produce. A food drive run by kids is a wonderful way to help, and it’s good practice at planning, too.

1. Check what’s needed. Needs change through the year, so have a grown-up look at the Lethbridge Food Bank’s website for its current list and how to drop off donations before you start.
2. Collect the right kind of food. A 2024 school food drive for the Lethbridge Food Bank asked for food that’s non-perishable and not expired. Stick to unopened packages.
3. Set a goal and make a poster. Ask your family, your class, your team or your street. A box by the front door and a “We’ve collected ___ cans!” chart work wonders.
4. Check dates as you go. This is a great job for kids: read each date and set aside anything that’s past it, because the food drive asked for food that isn’t expired.
5. Drop it off with your grown-up, the way the food bank asks.

Printable kindness checklist

Bird feeder (winter)

• ☐ Feeder filled with black-oil sunflower seeds or plain suet
• ☐ Hung close to a window or well away, and about 3 m from bushes
• ☐ Cleaned every two weeks (grown-up does the bleach soak)
• ☐ Hands washed after every fill
• ☐ Bird list started: ______________________

Cards for seniors (December)

• ☐ Grown-up asked a care home or group first
• ☐ ____ cards made, signed with my first name only
• ☐ Delivered the way they asked

Neighbourhood cleanup (spring)

• ☐ Signed up with Adopt-A-Park or the Nature Centre (or picked a safe spot with my grown-up)
• ☐ Gloves on; nothing sharp touched
• ☐ ____ bags collected

Food bank collection

• ☐ Checked the food bank’s current needs
• ☐ Goal: ____ items. We collected: ____
• ☐ Every date checked; dropped off with a grown-up

Keep exploring

Looking for community events where families can lend a hand? Check what’s on and our upcoming kids’ events page.

Sources

• Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Winter Bird Feeding (BirdNotes, 2014: black-oil sunflower seeds attract the most species; plain beef suet; nyjer for small finches; no mouldy food; table scraps attract starlings, house sparrows, rats and raccoons; within 3 feet of a window safest; about 10 feet from cover; clean every two weeks): allaboutbirds.org (PDF)
• Cornell Lab of Ornithology, All About Birds, How to clean your bird feeder (about every two weeks, more often in heavy use or wet weather; no more than 1 part bleach to 9 parts water; rinse and dry; clean the ground below): allaboutbirds.org
• Birds Canada, Immediate action required to assist feeder birds on the West Coast (every two weeks scrub and soak in 1 part bleach to 9 parts water; rinse and dry; rake under feeders; discard wet seed; take feeders down for two weeks if a sick bird appears or an outbreak is reported nearby): birdscanada.org
• Environment and Climate Change Canada, Avian influenza and wild birds (do not touch or feed wild birds by hand; clean feeders regularly; report sick or dead wild birds): canada.ca (PDF)
• Government of Alberta, H5N1 avian influenza in Alberta (concerns about sick or dead wild birds go to Fish and Wildlife): alberta.ca
• Hinterland Who’s Who (Canadian Wildlife Federation and Environment and Climate Change Canada), Bird feeding (sunflower seeds among the most versatile foods; beef suet; problems when feeders are less than 10 m from windows; 2 to 3 m from shrubs; keep feeding through bad weather): hww.ca
• Project FeederWatch (Cornell Lab of Ornithology and Birds Canada), Safe feeding environment (window patterns no more than 2 inches apart; keep cats indoors): feederwatch.org
• Helen Schuler Nature Centre, Outdoor experience (“Keep wildlife wild – no feeding wildlife”): nature.lethbridge.ca
• City of Lethbridge, Adopt-A-Park Program (open to individuals, families, neighbourhood groups and schools; one-time litter cleanup; neighbourhood cleanup with bags and gloves; confirmation within seven business days): lethbridge.ca
• Helen Schuler Nature Centre, Conservation and Shoreline Cleanup (Great Canadian Shoreline Cleanup; shoreline or coulee litter pickups; gloves, bags and data sheets for self-organized cleanups): nature.lethbridge.ca and shoreline cleanup
• City of Lethbridge, Rattlesnake mitigation (rattlesnakes in the coulees; pants and sturdy footwear; step back slowly, never run; if bitten, get to a hospital; don’t cut or suck out venom): lethbridge.ca
• City of Lethbridge, Safety contacts (Needle Pick-up Hotline for needles and drug debris; online reporting form; don’t handle or dispose of needles yourself): lethbridge.ca
• CanadaHelps, Lethbridge Food Bank Society (official website; more than 1,500 members each month; monthly hampers and fresh bread and produce): canadahelps.org
• Lethbridge School Division, Nicholas Sheran Elementary School food drive notice (October 3, 2024: “non-perishable, non-expired food donations” for the Lethbridge Food Bank): lethsd.ab.ca