This activity gives purpose to any walk in your town, perfect if your family is outside getting a daily quotient of sunshine during social distancing!

We set off downtown and I assigned Travis the goal of finding signs of any community helpers. The trick here was not necessarily to spot the helpers themselves, which Travis can readily identify (police offices, firemen) but rather signs of them.

First up was a fire hydrant! That was used by the firemen, and Travis gave it a big thumbs up.

Next we spotted a recycling bin. I pointed out how the bin doesn’t empty itself; we need sanitation workers!

Now that he had the idea, he began to notice subtler signs, posing by an ATM for bankers, and ladders for construction workers. We also walked past the library, representing the librarians.

Once we reached the town green, Travis spotted the memorial to local war heroes, which was a moving and apropos moment.

This would be a great outdoor extension to any school lesson plan on “community helpers”!