The article reveals the importance and effectiveness of volunteer activity as a means of forming social and civic competence of older preschool children in preschool education institutions. The current state of the problem of the formation of social and civic competence of older preschool children in preschool education institutions has been analyzed, and an analysis of professional publications, current legislative documents and educational programs on the specified problem has been carried out. The necessity of forming the motivation and competence of future schoolchildren regarding further active participation in social and public life has been updated. The conceptual apparatus of the researched issues is characterized, namely the concepts: "volunteer", "volunteer activity", "socialization", "pedagogy of empowerment", "social and civic competence", "charitable, ecological and social actions"; attention is focused on individual means that will contribute to the formation of social and civic competence of children. The meaningful component of the formation of social and civic competence of older preschoolers in the conditions of a preschool education institution in volunteer activities is analyzed. Aspects of the formation of social and civic activity of children of older preschool age through their involvement in volunteer activities in preschool education institutions, in particular, in charity actions, are considered. Children, in the process of involving them in social activities, learn to be proactive, to express their opinions and hear the opinions of others, to feel that others respect them for their actions and deeds. Volunteer activity is characterized through the process of developing children's emotional and value attitude; formation of social skills; involvement of parents. It has been proven that volunteer activity as a means will contribute to the formation of social and civic competence of older preschool children.