Here we are just a few days before Christmas. What can little hands of young children give to their family and friends that comes from their hearts? Actions speak louder than words — and even more than something material.

Doing good deeds from the hands of a young child means so much more to a little child because he or she actually did it. Children truly learn the meaning that it is more blessed to give than receive when they are involved in the actual giving process.

Families, I have two suggestions I’d like to share with you that I used with my young students in the classroom to give to their families during the holidays.

r Good deeds coupon books: These are so easy to make. Count the number of days you and your child decide upon over the holidays you want for your child to give you the gift of a good deed. Cut paper in long rectangle shapes, just like you would see as a grocery-store coupon. Your child can make a cover for the coupon book. Staple the pages together and put in an area your child can get to. Have your young child think of ways he or she can help you during the holiday season. Examples could be helping to: set the table; pick up trash in the house to put in garbage can; and spend time playing with your pet.

Think of jobs that your young child can developmentally do. When you have needs for help on a daily basis, you and your child can tear out that coupon for that particular job. After they do the good deed, praise your child that the gift coupon has been redeemed as a gift for you. A variation of the coupon book is the Good Deeds Jar. The job paper strips are placed in the jar for parents to draw from.

r Tradition of the Straws: This is a Christian tradition where each time someone in the family does an anonymous good deed for someone else, they get to place one straw in the manger to help make a bed of hay for Baby Jesus. Straw can be made from pine straw, strips of paper or yarn, to name a few. On Christmas Eve, as the acts of kindness are counted, Baby Jesus is then placed on top of the straw that represents all the acts of love that have been done leading up to Christmas.

Beth Pinyerd lives in Daphne and serves as director of younger children at Faith Family Fellowship in Spanish Fort.