Community

-Cleaning up a nature area (safer than the streets) - collect litter (wear gloves, have them hold the trash bags while adults pick up sharp things), clear paths of downed twigs (recycle as kindling or stack as protective homes for small animals like red squirrels)
-go to nursing homes or senior centers to sing or to do crafts (decorate the windows with paper flowers)
-bake cookies to take to the firefighters or police officers
-collect soda/soup can pop tops to donate to non-profits that sell this higher quality aluminum; put collection bins (even large coffee cans or plastic pretzel jars with a slot cut in the lid) at the bottle redemption centers
- install painted trash cans or doggie poop bag stations at parks and create an awareness campaign
-make posters and flyers for hazardous waste pick-up day so people don't throw batteries or pesticides or paints in the landfill
-work with the civic club or rotary club to create a spring festival or July 4th celebration with a family fun run, vendors, face painting, games, etc. Kids can decorate their bikes in red/white/blue and lead a parade. Kids can work on posters that go to area businesses or write ideas on why this is important, then let the adults in some of the organizations use their ideas to bring the event to fruition. This could be a fundraiser for town recreation programs or an after school arts program.
- team up with the high school honor society or any other group to work on a project. A car wash to raise money for a cause is good - older kids do the soap and scrubbing, younger kids do the hose squirting.
- organize a food drive for the food pantry at an "off" time - everyone does them in November and December, but the summer is the worst time because all those kids on school lunch/breakfast programs are home with no nutritious food. Turn it into a lesson on nutrition too - take the kids on a tour of the pantry, have them learn what's needed, and set about creating a community event to collect things. Invite a celebrity such as a news personality or an athlete as a "draw" - charge a small fee for photos or autographs to go into the program. Create a large cash collection jar.
- organize a walk-a-thon for a charity or join a Relay For Life for the Cancer Society. Kids can walk shorter distances or ride their bikes in a parade to kick off an event.
-have the kids work with the police department to create a bike helmet & safety campaign, or with the fire department to work on fire safety or labeling the rooms of smaller children in homes (Tot Finder stickers, etc.).

Pick up litter around the neighborhood or along the sides of the road (obviously somewhere where they won't get run over). Volunteer at the library, they can help put away books or sort books from movies. Volunteer at a pet shelter, they have them walk the dogs or pet the cats- usually not the "dirty" work at that age. Help plant flowers at the park or at a retirement center. My daughter and I are starting to volunteer at the humane society (she just turned 8) and they have her play with the animals and we walk the dogs since the regular workers are so busy cleaning and taking care of the animals, we do the "loving".

I love community gardens. They're beautiful, useful and build ties.

I don't know if it is possible but plant flowers or a tree in a park/hospital/elders communities would be nice.
Maybe bring cards or books to a children's hospital?

Bring cookies to a senior neighbor
Pick up trash on their street
Get the newspaper for a neighbor and put it right by their door

make greeting cards to different nursing homes, hospitals, visit nursing homes, pick up litter, plant a tree, go to local library and ask to help read to younger children or if the school allows it, go to younger grades and read to children. Give their toys to homeless or woman's shelter.