Kindness in the Classroom ®
6th - 8th Grade
Our new Kindness in the Classroom® curriculum is a Tier 1 evidenced-based social emotional learning curriculum designed to help schools create a culture of kindness. Each unit teaches six core kindness concepts: Respect, Caring, Inclusiveness, Integrity, Responsibility, and Courage.
Use the links below to find everything you need to effectively teach important kindness skills to your kids. Click here if you are looking for Grades K-5
- Rooted in Kindness
- Focus on Teacher Self Care
- Digital Citizenship
- Mapped to Standards
- Strong Equity Lens
- Teacher Approved
- Available In Over 100 Languages
Note: We use Google Translate to create translated materials, so please be aware that translations may not be 100% accurate.
Make kindness the norm™ at your school—here's everything you need to teach important kindness skills to your kids.
Distance Learning Mini-lessons
While academics are important during this time of distancing, we believe social emotional skills are incredibly valuable to our mental health. For those of you looking to include social emotional learning into your daily/weekly curriculum, we've added some mini-lessons that can be done at home alone or with others in your household. Most importantly, take care of yourself and your own well-being. It's not easy to learn if you aren't practicing self care!
Download All Mini-lessons
Also check out our distance learning tips for schools and parents and other free school resources below.
2022-23 School Kindness Calendar
More Information
Scroll down to read more about Kindness in the Classroom®
Kindness Beyond The Classroom ™
NEW! Teach important kindness skills in an out of school time setting.
Kindness Beyond the Classroom™ is a concise yet comprehensive curriculum that you can use to extend kindness beyond the typical school day. There is a mix of whole group and small group lessons that focus on one of our six kindness concepts: Respect, Caring, Inclusiveness, Integrity, Responsibility, and Courage. We also have two “kindness boost” lessons at the end of each unit that you can use when you feel that students need a quick shot of kindness!
Free Kindness in the Classroom ® Training Materials
Don't expect kindness in schools—teach it! We'll show you how!
We are very proud to announce that all of our training materials are available online so that anyone can use them! Much of the training is focused on self-care for you—the educator. Specifically, building resilience, gratitude, kindness and reconnecting to what you do best—teaching. (That’s why we titled the training “Kindness in the Classroom®: Cultivating Resilience Through Kindness”.)
We hope you take the time to check out the new training! Here is a quick overview video to help you get acquainted. ( download video here if you can't access YouTube) If you aren’t an educator, consider using it (with a few tweaks) where you work. The information & activities can be used in any context.
Better yet, share these materials with educators you know! The training (and the curriculum) is fun and will benefit anyone who participates because all the activities and information are based on scientific research. We invite you to share your feedback with us at [email protected] .
Our Approach
Why teaching kindness matters & how we go about it.
The Random Acts of Kindness (RAK) Foundation is a small nonprofit that invests our resources into making kindness the norm. We are rooted in the belief that all people can connect through kindness and that kindness can be taught. We follow a simple framework for everything we do: Inspire, Empower, Act, Reflect and Share. Our evidence-based Kindness in the Classroom® curriculum gives students the social and emotional skills needed to live more successful lives. We create a common language between schools, work and home with all of our resources.
What does social emotional learning (SEL) have to do with kindness?
Reading. Writing. Arithmetic. They’re the keys to the success of our kids, right? But what about the skills that will help when things get tough?
What about the ability to communicate your feelings and needs? To really listen to others? To keep your emotions in check, and understand other points of view that you may not agree with? To empathize with people who are different?
We believe these skills—all linked to kindness—are just as important as academic skills.
Our Kindness in the Classroom ® program was created to integrate intentional kindness skill building with the development of social and emotional competencies. Our lessons include six kindness concepts which, when used consistently, provide students a scaffold to build the necessary skills to move from self-awareness to action.
According to a CASEL (the Collaborative for Academic and Social and Emotional Learning) study, 93% of teachers believe it’s important to teach SEL—and 95% of them believe it can be taught. Their confidence was well founded—because they found that teachers who included SEL programs in their instruction saw an 11-17% increase in the academic scores of their students. Check out our research for more information on the benefits of teaching kindness .
The Kindness Framework
There's a lot to read about kindness here on our website. But one of the most beautiful things about kindness is its ease and simplicity.
That's reflected in our "Kindness Framework", which is what we call the simple, five-step cycle that we follow in each of our lesson plans. Here's how it works:
Kindness in the Classroom lessons teach kindness skills through a step-by step framework of Share, Inspire, Empower, Act, and Reflect. Each lesson starts with the ‘share’ step to reinforce learning from previous lessons. The ‘act’ piece is woven into the lessons but really takes place in the projects.
STEP 1: SHARE
Each of our lessons starts with a 'share' where the class can share what they've learned and experienced with others since the previous lesson. This reinforces what they've learned and experienced, helps others to experience it and makes it far more likely that they'll express kindness again!
STEP 2: INSPIRE
Through various modalities, each kindness lesson is designed to inspire students and allow teachers to feel inspired as well!
STEP 3: EMPOWER
Inspiration is good—but transformation begins to happen when students are given the tools that will let them act on that inspiration. The 'empower' step is for teachers to lead the class through discussions designed to empower students to find ways to be kind in their daily lives.
STEP 4: ACT
The opportunity to act exists throughout the lessons, but it really comes into play in the projects. Once students have the ideas and the tools, they put it all into action. The unit projects will have students bringing real, tangible kindness into the world.
STEP 5: REFLECT
At the end of each lesson and project, students will have experienced how great it feels to perform acts of kindness. And what does everyone want to do after doing something that feels great (besides ‘do it again')? Talk about it, of course! At the end of each lesson, teachers guide students to reflect on what they've just experienced and learned & identify how doing kindness affects their own lives and the lives of those around them.
Success Stories
Read about other schools & districts who've seen great success using our curriculum.
D11 Colorado Springs Schools
Kindness in the Classroom is being implemented in 35 elementary schools (K-5) with a total of over 11,000 students over a five year period between 2017 and 2022. The first year of implementation, five schools taught the Kindness in the Classroom curriculum.
Teaching social emotional competencies, at a universal level, is one of the primary goals within our Comprehensive Student Support Model in Colorado Springs District 11. We were looking for a curriculum that would help increase prosocial behaviors and we have definitely seen the benefit to our community while using Kindness in the Classroom. We chose Kindness in the Classroom for many reasons including the fact that it had strong research behind it showing improved culture and student outcomes.
One of our pain points, as with many schools and districts, is how we’d find the time to implement the program. We ask teachers to spend 30 minutes, once a week, teaching the lessons and they have been able to integrate it very well. Some teachers have gone beyond with projects and ideas outside of the curriculum to embed the concepts into their schools.
Our students come from varying backgrounds and lifestyles, often coming to school lacking the skills needed to effectively and happily socialize, cope with various struggles and still perform academically. Kindness in the Classroom gives students a safe environment to discuss emotions and ethical/moral views with an educated and trusted adult. In one of our schools, we have seen a 38% decrease in discipline referrals after the first year of implementation. Staff, parents and students are really seeing a difference.
One student said, “No one is alone. There are people all around them. People just need to ask to be their friend or play with them.” He explained that he has learned to “never give up, work hard, and help anyone that needs the help.”
Generation Schools
Generation Schools Network’s mission is to co-create healthy school ecosystems by partnering with educators, students, families and communities to elevate the education experience.
Along with their school improvement work, GSN has been offering their social/emotional program called “Advocacy” and using the Kindness in the Classroom curriculum in 11 rural schools in Colorado.
At Bayfield Primary School, grade level teams decided to work through the same units at the same time in order to keep a consistent message throughout each grade level. Students created artwork representing their interpretations of the concepts being taught to display throughout the school. The school counselor said, “The most significant outcome is witnessing students being able to advocate for their needs, resolve or avoid conflicts and employ the concepts of social emotional learning.”
Student survey results showed that more than 78% of students agree that they have developed skills that will help them succeed in school, work and life and 93% of teachers reported that they have developed meaningful relationships with their students through GSN’s Advocacy Program and use of the Kindness in the Classroom curriculum.
Rocky Top Middle School
One of the priorities at Rocky Top Middle School has always been to intentionally address the social emotional needs of staff and students in order to increase academic achievement and maintain a positive climate and culture throughout the building. However, last year was the first time we changed the structure of the master schedule to ensure delivery of direct instruction in the area of social emotional learning.
Using Kindness in the Classroom as the foundation for that class, our staff was empowered to facilitate learning in a creative way that allowed them to truly connect with their students. Families reported that their children felt safe and welcome in the school environment and that the direct instruction of the KiC curriculum gave them a strong foundation for conversations at home.
“Our students are really excited to focus on kindness. In fact, the Yearbook Club declared kindness as the theme of the entire yearbook. The cover boasts the quote, 'Kindness is the opportunity that we all have everyday to change the world.' The first photos in the yearbook show students displaying signs advertising 'We choose kindness here!' Throughout the yearbook there were even quotes and poems from students about kindness received and given.
Since including Kindness in the Classroom as our social emotional learning curriculum there has been a significant increase in academic achievement and the positive climate and culture throughout the building.
Teaching kindness really does make a difference!
The Random Acts of Kindness Foundation has taken our highly effective, evidence-based Kindness in the Classroom social emotional learning curriculum and only made it better. By including a focus on equity, teacher self-care, and digital citizenship, we are excited to share a more engaging, relatable, and inclusive curriculum.
- SRI Pilot Study
- University of British Columbia Research
- CASEL: The Impact of Enhancing Student's Social & Emotional Learning
- Standards Mapping Report (2019)
- Focus Group Report (2018)
- Equity Report
According to their findings, teachers using our curriculum report feeling more connected to their students, seeing more kindness in their classrooms, halls and on the playgrounds, and noticing their students demonstrating more empathic, caring traits.
That’s great news, but it doesn’t stop there. The teachers also noted improved trust, fewer referrals to the office, more respect between students, and a generally more positive school and classroom culture!
To understand why social-emotional learning is so important, read this Teaching the Whole Child brief created by the Center on Great Teachers & Leaders at American Institutes for Research . It also includes good information on practical ways schools & districts can incorporate social-emotional learning programs into their schools.
Additional Resources
Even more resources to help you teach kindness to your kids.
Our handy guide with tips on how to start a kindness club at your school.
Our hand-picked collection of kindness-themed books used in our lessons. Listed by grade.
Need a few fun game ideas to play with kids? Grab our list of games and go!
Introduce the Kindness in the Classroom® curriculum to parents & caregivers at home.
Here are the answers to some common questions about Kindness in the Classroom ® .
Let us know if you have questions that aren't covered below.
What is Kindness in the Classroom ® ?
Kindness in the Classroom ® is a free Tier 1 evidenced-based social emotional learning curriculum designed to helps schools create a culture of kindness. By including a focus on equity, teacher self-care, and digital citizenship, The Random Acts of Kindness Foundation is excited to share an engaging, relatable, and inclusive curriculum.
How much does Kindness in the Classroom ® cost?
THE CURRICULUM IS COMPLETELY FREE OF CHARGE. Many of the materials required for lessons are items that teachers and schools already have on hand. There are some books that are required for a few of the lessons which might need to be purchased, though most lessons link to a video of someone reading the book if funds are not available to purchase the required books.
How long are the lessons and how much preparation is needed?
Teachers’ time is precious. With that in mind, the lessons and projects can be taught for 30-45 minutes once a week. Each lesson gives a time estimate to aid teachers in adapting the lesson into shorter class periods. Most teachers report needing no more than 15 minutes to prepare for the lessons.
What is the Kindness Framework?
Read about our approach to teaching kindness & the Kindness Framework here .
Do I need to teach all the lessons? Do they need to be taught in order?
Lessons are sequential within each unit. The units are designed to help students develop their social emotional skills through a process of being inspired, feeling empowered to be kind, acting on that feeling, reflecting on what they have learned, and sharing their experiences. However, you may implement selected lessons based on your students needs.
How does the curriculum fit with district, state and national standards?
All Kindness in the Classroom ® lesson plans have been mapped to the five CASEL Core Social Emotional Learning (SEL) Competencies, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Health Education Standards (NHES), the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) Standards, when applicable, and the national Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts & Literacy, Mathematics, History/Social Studies, and Science & Technical Subjects. Utilization and adoption of these national standards and competencies vary by state, however, teachers can align their own state standards with each lesson as well. For each unit, a Standards Map was created to summarize each of the standards met by all lessons within that unit.
Why is it important to teach social and emotional learning (SEL)?
There are so many reasons! Aside from increased academic performance, SEL programs like Kindness in the Classroom ® improve attitudes and behaviors and reduce emotional distress. Research shows that students receiving the curriculum had greater empathy and sympathy for fellow students and teachers, were intrinsically motivated to be kinder and caring and showed decreased aggressive and antisocial behaviors. Interestingly, teachers reported they had significantly fewer conflicts with their students after teaching the curriculum and said they had more time for teaching... all resulting in students having more time for learning.
How can I successfully implement Kindness in the Classroom ® ?
The fact that you’re even considering implementing SEL in your classroom means you’re already on the road to success. To get started, you can complete an initial Implementation Assessment to help plan a roadmap to successfully bring Kindness in the Classroom to your school—with full support of staff, administration and parent / guardians. After that, you can check our Grades K-5 and Grades 6-8 how to get started documents and then review the teacher training materials .
Do I need training in order to implement Kindness in the Classroom ® ?
Training is not required to use the curriculum, but it is encouraged. The lessons are designed for ease of use and minimal preparation. If your school is planning to use the curriculum within a grade level or throughout the school, it is beneficial to use our free training called Cultivating Resilience Through Kindness to get acquainted with our materials.
Does the entire school need to implement Kindness in the Classroom ® ?
While it is advantageous to use Kindness in the Classroom ® school-wide, you may also wish to implement by grade levels first, and then roll out the program to other grades later.
Is Kindness in the Classroom ® an anti-bullying program?
Kindness in the Classroom ® is designed to pro-actively build healthy relationships among students and a culture of kindness within your school. With this effective curriculum, bullying can oftentimes be prevented.
Does Kindness in the Classroom ® align with CASEL?
Yes, the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL)—the world’s leading organization for advancing social emotional learning—has recognized Kindness in the Classroom ® as a CASEL SELect program for excellence in supporting SEL in schools and districts nationwide.
Is Kindness in the Classroom ® culturally responsive? (Equity)
The curriculum has been rated “excellent” by the Equity Project based on this report .
Is there is difference between the K-5 and 6-8 curriculum?
Yes! The elementary and middle school programs were designed differently with the needs of those children and schools in mind. Please see our implementation guide for K-5 here and the guide for grades 6-8 here .
What does the research say about the effectiveness of Kindness in the Classroom ® ?
Please refer to our Research & Reports section to review several reports we commissioned on the effectiveness of Kindness in the Classroom®. Spoiler alert: it works!
40 Empathy Activities & Worksheets for Students & Adults
While many of a child’s everyday activities, such as playing, going to school, and interacting with caregivers, will provide natural opportunities to develop these critical traits, there is plenty we can do to proactively develop a child’s kindness and empathy.
Likewise, imagine how different classrooms, offices, organizations, and homes around the world might be if more adults stopped to consider how they might demonstrate more empathy and kindness in their regular interactions.
To this end, this article will walk you through a range of fun activities, exercises, and worksheets to help both children and adults develop the capacity for kindness and empathy in everyday life.
Kindness and empathy are important in fostering emotional intelligence. Before you read on, we thought you might like to download our 3 Emotional Intelligence Exercises for free . These science-based exercises will not only enhance your ability to understand and work with your emotions but will also give you the tools to foster the emotional intelligence of your clients, students or employees.
This Article Contains:
How to teach kindness to children, 7 kindness activities for elementary students, preschoolers, and middle schoolers, world kindness day activities.
- How to Teach Empathy to Children & Adults
3 Empathy Worksheets for Students & Adults (PDFs)
Other fun empathy exercises for the classroom, a take-home message.
How do you teach something as important as kindness to children?
This likely sounds like a very daunting task. The good news is that kindness is a natural human response that likely won’t need much prodding or encouragement. However, it is something that should be practiced regularly to ensure that it will stick with kids throughout childhood and into adulthood.
Kindness can be taught at home or in the classroom, and preferably, it’s taught in both contexts.
There are many strategies for teaching kindness—far too many to include them all here—but below are six solid strategies to start with (Proud to be Primary, 2017).
Brainstorm ideas as a class (or a family)
Children (and adults) are more likely to be engaged and involved in something they helped create or develop (Dirks, Cummings, & Pierce, 1996). With this concept in mind, brainstorming ideas on how to be kind as a class should instill a sense of ownership in kids that helps them feel excited about practicing kindness.
You can brainstorm as a large group with open-ended questions like, “What was something kind you saw someone do lately—big or small?” Write down the students’ responses on a whiteboard or chalkboard and break them into two categories (big vs. small), but be sure to emphasize the importance of small acts of kindness in addition to grand gestures.
You can also have students brainstorm independently by passing out a notecard to each child and instructing the students to write down something nice that someone else did for them lately and how it made them feel. Once the students are done, collect the notecards and read them aloud in order to help the students understand acts of kindness.
Random acts of kindness
Once students understand what acts of kindness are, introduce them to the idea of random acts of kindness. Sharing this idea with students can encourage them to show kindness to their friends and families in unexpected ways.
One method is to use complimentary notes or positive sticky notes. Provide the class with a supply of sticky notes and explain that anyone can take a sticky note at any time and write down a compliment for another student. They should sneak the sticky note onto that student’s desk when he or she is not looking to make it truly random and fun.
Another method is to use thank-you notes. Give your students some time to write down their appreciation for someone who recently did something nice for them, and encourage them to deliver their notes as soon as they can.
Acts of kindness challenge
Challenging your students to a competition can be an effective motivator for increasing kindness. In this challenge, students will recognize when someone does something nice for them unexpectedly and surprise others with random acts of kindness themselves.
Give the students a goal to meet, such as performing three kind acts per week or noticing five kind acts per week. To keep them excited about the challenge, give them star stickers to add to a classroom chart or a paper cutout to stick on a bulletin board when they meet their goal.
While you are encouraging students to be kinder to others, make sure to practice some kindness yourself. Give each student at least one compliment before the end of the day. Before letting your students go for the day, tell them that you purposely complimented each of them during the day and that you noticed a positive change in the classroom mood.
Explain that these positive changes are common outcomes of practicing kindness.
Read books about kindness
Depending on how old your students are, you might want to read them one of these age-appropriate books about practicing kindness.
For kindergarteners to second-graders, Nancy Elizabeth Wallace’s The Kindness Quilt is a good book to read and discuss.
For more advanced readers, Carol McCloud’s Have You Filled a Bucket Today? will teach students the idea that everyone carries an invisible bucket that can be filled with compliments and kindness.
Classroom lessons
Classroom lessons on kindness can also have a big impact on how kind students tend to be. There are many lessons out there of various lengths that utilize different methods of teaching kindness.
For ideas on how to incorporate classroom lessons on kindness into your teaching, the Random Acts of Kindness Foundation has several useful lesson plans and curriculums targeted toward a range of different year and age groups on their website.
Rewards and positive reinforcement
Finally, you can use rewards and positive reinforcement to encourage more kindness in the classroom. This can be as simple as a moment of praise or a sticker, or something more personal like a kindness card or a certificate of kindness.
You can even recruit the other students to help you pass out rewards for students caught being kind.
Many of these can be adapted for use in the home as well as the classroom.
However, the most important thing to remember when it comes to teaching kindness is to model the behavior you hope to see in the children—be kind yourself, and they will be more likely to mirror that kindness (Radke-Yarrow & Zahn-Waxler, 1984).
A quick Google search will reveal dozens, if not hundreds, of kindness activities for children and students. We’ve listed some of our favorites below.
1. How are you?
How Are You? is a very simple activity, but its potential to encourage a positive emotional state should not be underestimated. Integrating it into your lessons is as easy as asking a single question at the beginning of class:
“How are you feeling today?”
Not only will this let the students know that someone cares about how they are feeling, but it also signals to them that sometimes they’ll be feeling something negative—and that there’s nothing wrong with that.
We can all use this reminder that we are human and are all subject to emotions and feelings that we’d rather not have.
This reminder can be especially helpful for teenagers, who are likely dealing with more intense and varied emotions than people of other age groups.
After asking this question, you can instruct students to turn and talk to their neighbor, or share with the whole class.
Starting the day with this activity can get students in the right frame of mind to be more kind and empathetic towards one another, and it can alert you to potential problems with specific students.
2. Group circle
Before beginning this activity, choose a “talking piece”—this is an object that is passed around the group and signals that the holder has exclusive speaking rights. You can use a stuffed animal, a small beach ball, or any object that is easy to hold and pass around.
If you can, remove the desks or tables from the classroom. If this is not possible, you can either push the desks and chairs to the perimeter of the room, arrange the chairs in a circle, or sit on the floor with the whole class.
Tell your students that in the Group Circle , only one person may talk at a time and everyone else must listen quietly and respectfully.
Show the class the talking piece and explain that only the individual holding the talking piece may speak.
- First, have the students pass the talking piece around the circle as a way to check in with each student. This is a good opportunity for everyone to practice holding and passing the talking piece, as well as an opportunity for students to say a few quick words about how they are feeling or what is on their mind.
- As the teacher/facilitator of the activity, introduce a topic or ask a question that you would like the circle to respond to. However, after you have sparked the conversation, make sure to take your seat in the circle, and become a member rather than a leader.
This activity can be a good way to start the day, end the day, or simply encourage community and kindness at any time.
It is especially useful after something particularly emotional or traumatic happens, whether that event took place in the classroom, in your city, or on another continent.
The Group Circle exercise helps students relate to one another, and it can encourage students to accept and share feelings that may be difficult to talk about. This lesson outline also contains tips and suggestions to help you get started.
3. Nice things
This is a quick and easy activity you can try with children of nearly any age. It’s an especially good idea to use this positive, mood-boosting activity to start class (or your day, if you’re at home).
Instruct each student to turn to one of their neighbors and tell him or her something good. Specifically, you can have them finish one of these positive “talking stems,” or prompts:
- One nice thing in my life is…
- Something nice that happened is…
Encourage the kids to be creative with their “nice thing,” but if they’re having trouble coming up with something, assure them that the nice thing can be as small as eating something they liked for dinner last night.
Once all students have shared a nice thing with their partners, open it up to the entire classroom. Ask for volunteers who would like to share their nice thing with the class, or volunteers who have given their neighbors permission to share their nice things for them.
This is an excellent activity to get kids in a positive mood, and it’s appropriate for kids of all ages—even teenagers can find at least one good thing in their lives.
Sharing the nice thing will put the students in a more positive frame of mind, and sharing something personal and positive with others will make them feel heard and affirmed by others.
4. Silent appreciation
Given the nature of the silent appreciation activity , it will only be suitable for classes where everyone has at least some writing ability—so it likely won’t work for a classroom of preschoolers.
First, you will need to put together a handout with sentence stems (or prompts) on it:
- One cool thing I’ve learned from you is…
- I admire your personality because…
- I am so grateful that you do/are…
- I have confidence in you when…
- Some great things about you are…
- I think it’s great the way you…
- I enjoy spending time with you because…
Make sure to leave plenty of room for students to finish these sentences, especially if they are younger writers. Next, pass out the handouts and ask each student to write only their name at the top of the paper.
Collect the handouts and pass them out once again, randomly this time.
Make sure each student received a different student’s handout.
Instruct the students to be silent for a few minutes while they write something about the person whose handout they received. They can respond to just one sentence stem or several if they have more good things to say about the person.
After the few minutes are up, have each student pass the handout to another student (not the handout’s owner, yet).
Encourage the students to complete whichever sentence stem calls to them, whether another student has completed it or not.
After doing a few rounds of this, pass all of the papers back to their owners and give them a chance to read all of the nice things their peers have written about them.
If you’d like to continue the positivity, you can ask for volunteers to share one or two of the nice things on their handout. It will make the reader feel good, the writer feels good, and encourage everyone to be a little more positive.
5. Thank you post
Another activity that can help students practice their writing while injecting a little positivity into the classroom is called Thank You Post .
First, create a “postbox” to leave in the back of the classroom. This can be an opportunity to get creative and make a postbox that reflects the class, or you can have the class help you create the box. For example, you could have the class vote on a theme for the postbox, or each student could pick out one small space on it to decorate however he or she would like.
Wherever you place the postbox, make sure to leave small slips of paper or sticky notes nearby.
Tell students that they can use the box to write down positive messages, thank-you notes, or messages of appreciation or encouragement to their fellow students or the teacher, teaching assistant, or another adult in the classroom.
The students may need some examples of what to write. Model what a good appreciation message sounds like by reading a few sample messages out loud with the class.
You have a couple of options when it comes to reading the notes of appreciation:
- You can open up the Thank You Post every few days and read all the notes, or “mail”, to the class;
- You can take out a few notes and read them to the class every day (early in the day to encourage positivity in the classroom or late in the day to end class on a positive note); or
- You can give students a set amount of time to contribute to the postbox, then distribute the notes to their intended recipients at the end of that period (i.e., the last class before winter break or summer vacation).
You can choose any of these methods or create your own method that works for your class. The important thing is that each student should eventually get to hear or read a note of thanks or appreciation that someone has written about him or her.
This activity encourages students to be kind to one another and to be on the lookout for positive things to write down and slip into the Thank You Post.
6. Here’s to…
If you have a particularly chatty class or a class that hasn’t mastered writing yet, this Here’s To… activity can be a good substitute for the Thank You Post .
Your students will likely need some modeling to get comfortable with this activity, especially if you have a lot of shy kids in your class. Plan at least a couple of weeks of modeling these mini “toasts” before encouraging your students to join in.
There are many ways to start a Here’s To (Student) toast, but three positive sentence stems might include:
- I truly enjoy how . . .
- Here’s to ___, for their amazing. . .
- I’d like to give a mention to . . .
Use sentiments like these to thank students for their contributions, praise them for a job well-done, or call out an act of kindness .
Eventually, your students may pick up on what you’re doing and start making their own Here’s To… toasts. However, you may need to specifically encourage them to join you in calling out fellow students for praise or thanks.
This activity can be a great way to end the day. Spending just a few minutes on it at the end of class can boost everyone’s mood, give students a chance to publicly appreciate one another, and send students home riding a wave of positivity and kindness.
7. Partner up
It’s as simple as assigning each student a partner—you can let the students pick their own partners, you can choose a companion for them, or you can alternate between both methods.
If your students tend to stick with their existing friend groups or cliques, assigning a buddy rather than letting them choose may be more effective.
You don’t have to use the word “partner”; instead, pick a word that fits well with your class’s interests.
If you have a lot of young kids who aspire to become pilots, you can use the term “copilot.” If your classroom is an older one with a good sense of humor, you can say they’ll pair up with a “wingman” or “wingwoman.”
Whatever terminology you choose, the activity is the same—students will work with their partners and turn to their partners first when they need help.
For example, if a student missed a day of class and needs copies of handouts or lecture notes, she should first ask her partner.
Or, if a student is having trouble with a concept that’s being taught, he should first check in with his partner to see whether he or she can explain it before asking another person.
You’ve probably noticed a theme—whatever issue or problem a student is having (unless it’s an emergency), he or she should first work one-on-one with a partner to attempt to solve it. If that fails, the student can ask the teacher.
To make sure students get a chance to work on their relationship skills with a wide range of people and personalities, have them switch buddies regularly. They can find a new partner each week, every other week, every month, or any period of time that works for your class.
This activity will give your students ample opportunity to build communication skills , practice accountability, and be kind to one another.
It’s an international day of kindness recognized by countries around the world that encourages everyone to look beyond the boundaries of race, religion, and politics and to appreciate the humanity in all of us.
World Kindness Day is the perfect time to practice kindness, whether it’s toward family members, friends, coworkers, or strangers.
While many of the activities and exercises are perfect for World Kindness Day, the Random Acts of Kindness Foundation also has a list of 10 easy activities you can do to celebrate the holiday.
The activities are:
- Compliment the first three people you talk to;
- Write a handwritten note to a teacher;
- Say “good morning” to the person next to you on the elevator (or bus, or subway, or street);
- Pick up litter. Spend 10 minutes cleaning a park or your neighborhood;
- Place uplifting notes in library books, on restroom mirrors, on someone’s locker, or on a coworker’s computer screen;
- Dedicate 24 hours to spreading positivity on social media;
- Hold up inspiring signs during rush hour;
- Leave a generous tip;
- Send flowers to a friend;
- Set an alarm to go off three times on World Kindness Day. When the alarm sounds, stop what you’re doing and call, text, or email someone simply to tell them how awesome they are (The Random Acts of Kindness Foundation, 2013).
If that’s not enough for you, here are five more ideas from The Random Acts of Kindness Foundation (2016):
- Positive Sticky Notes: Leave sticky notes with positive messages (i.e., “You are amazing, smart, and talented”) on your friends’ (or strangers!) lockers or your coworkers’ desks;
- Thank-You Letter: Write (and send!) an anonymous letter to someone you respect in your school, workplace, or other community space;
- RAK Bulletin Board: Create a bulletin board in your school or workplace and provide plenty of paper in fun shapes or designs on which people can write about the random acts of kindness they have received or benefitted from;
- RAK Calendar: Download the random acts of kindness calendar sheet here and share it with your students. Challenge students to complete all 30 acts of kindness or at least one in each of the five categories (On the Playground, In the Hallway, In the Classroom, Towards Adults, and Towards Kids);
- Custodian Appreciation: Have your students write letters and put up signs showing their appreciation for the people who keep the school clean and tidy. Encourage your students to make a special effort to keep the classroom clean to lighten the custodians’ workload.
For more ideas on how to celebrate World Kindness Day with random acts of kindness, take a look at the many ideas listed on the Random Acts of Kindness website .
How to Teach Empathy to Children and Adults
While kindness involves acts of goodwill, smiles, and positive words, empathy is about earnest listening, relating to one another, and putting yourself in someone else’s shoes (Hall, Schwartz, & Duong, 2021).
There are many ways to introduce, discuss, and encourage empathy in the classroom, including tackling empathy directly by including it in the curriculum (Crowley & Saide, 2016).
For example, if you teach language arts, have the class define empathy and identify characters in literature that demonstrate empathy. Or, if you teach public speaking, highlight the importance of empathizing with one’s audience—students should think about who their audience is and how to best relate to that audience before stepping to the podium.
You could also take some concrete steps to inject your classroom with a culture of empathy, steps like (Crowley & Saide, 2016):
- Reading stories from the perspective of characters similar to your students;
- Following a student schedule for a day;
- Surveying students frequently to help students understand what is in the minds of their peers.
Just as modeling kindness is vital to teaching the concept to students, so is modeling empathy. The most important thing you can do to encourage empathy in your students is to use empathy yourself, whether with your students, other teachers, or even with fictional characters.
Show your students how to be empathetic towards others, even if you don’t agree with that person or are not necessarily sympathetic towards them.
As noted earlier, it is vital to start teaching kindness and empathy early on, but adults are also capable of increasing their capacity for empathy. The following resource is a good source of information on teaching empathy to adults:
- This PDF from Dr. Lawrence J. Bookbinder and Jan Johnson makes an excellent handout for an empathy-building class or for clients in counseling who want to increase their empathy. It defines empathy, describes why it’s an important trait to have, and explains how to practice it, how it will benefit those you care about, and how it will benefit you personally.
While it’s important to instill kindness and empathy as early as possible, it’s never too late to learn how to be more empathetic. There are many worksheets and activities for students, adolescents, and adults to enhance their capacity for empathy.
Below is a list of some worksheets and exercises that work well for students and adults.
Practicing empathic listening
This is a very useful exercise that can encourage empathy in people of all ages. Therapists are advised to begin with an explanation of what empathetic listening involves – use these main elements to give a good flavor for the approach as a whole:
- Keeping one’s comments and opinions to oneself – concentrate on not talking while the other person is talking;
- Maintaining good eye contact and pay attention while looking directly at them;
- Pausing where required;
- When the other person stops talking try to paraphrasing key words or translate what he or she said – this is reflecting what you believe you have heard to ensure a clear understanding exists;
- Remaining focused on the other person as they talk;
- Considering their perspective – that is, listening in order to fully understand what the other is saying rather than preparing your reply;
- Communicating non-verbally with encouraging body language (such as nodding), while being aware of their non-verbal cues; and
- Identifying or reflecting the speaker’s feelings, for example, you can say, “You sound angry,” or “You seem to be upset.”
Listening might sound like an easy thing to do, but there is a big difference between listening without paying much attention and active listening (Robertson, 2005). Active listening is the best way to connect with another person and is vital for healthy relationships.
The second part of this worksheet takes this general description of active listening and encourages you to apply it in your life.
Step One is Practicing Pausing/Wait Time , and it works well with subgroups of three people if you are working with a larger group. Once participants are in triads, each will have a distinct role:
- The Speaker receives a prompt: “ Something I’ve been thinking about recently… ” and gives a response.
- The Interviewer listens. Once the Speaker has finished, they pause. If the Speaker doesn’t say anything further, they will then share a paraphrased version of what they said, and pause again.
- The speaker may say something else – if not, the Interviewer should offer an open-ended question before pausing once more. All in all, the conversational exchange should go on for around a minute and a half.
- The third participant, the Observer, watches the interaction between the other two participants, taking in-depth notes to provide constructive feedback later. They should note the duration for each pause in seconds, and the worksheet provides a space for this.
Some of the key benefits of this exercise are also found in reflecting on the activity after each participant has had a turn at each role. Prompts for discussion include:
- What is the purpose of waiting for 3-5 seconds before speaking?
- What did you notice about the average time Listeners waited before responding? and
- How did the speaker react when the listener waited?
There are a further two parts to this exercise – Practice Paraphrasing , and Reflecting Feelings. Together, they offer a valuable and comprehensive approach to honing the Empathic Techniques introduced above.
If this exercise interests you, here are a further five steps to practicing empathic listening in a real-life situation:
- Choose a person with whom you are having relationship difficulties or a person who holds different beliefs from your own, and really try to step into their shoes. For example, try to imagine you are doing someone else’s work. You can see whether your ability to empathize increases once you understand the other person’s point of view;
- Think about the conversations that you have had with that person. Consciously check your interpretations of what the person is saying;
- You can begin by focusing on the person, and before moving forward, think about what would happen if you framed the conversation with the question, “I just want to make sure I understand you. Can I clarify?” Rarely do people say no to this;
- Clarify what you’ve heard by reflecting the meanings and feelings of the other person. You can check if you fully understood the other by asking;
- When you are speaking, you can ask the other person if he or she wouldn’t mind sharing what they’ve heard you say. Then, if you feel misunderstood, you can consider how to correct his or her perception.
The full worksheet is available as part of a subscription to the Positive Psychology Toolkit© , however this shortened version – Listening Accurately Worksheet – is available for download.
Empathy bingo
Print out the handout found on the last page of this Empathy Bingo PDF, or copy the words to pieces of paper. The twelve squares should read:
- One-Upping;
- Storytelling;
- Shutting Down;
- Sympathizing;
- Interrogating;
- Explaining;
- Correcting;
- Fixing It; and
- Empathizing.
If you’re leading a group through this exercise, you can simply read through the dialogue between two people (labeled “A” and “B”) and instruct the group to decide which square corresponds with which conversation.
If you’re working through this worksheet on your own, have a friend write down the dialogues on a separate sheet of paper (so you don’t inadvertently see the correct pairings) and work through the activity by matching the reactions to the conversations.
The dialogues include back-and-forths such as:
A: I’m worried about having enough money to pay my bills this month.
B: I’ll loan you the money.
A: Look at my scar from the cycling accident.
B: That’s nothing, you should see the one I have on my knee.
A: I got caught in traffic for two hours in 100-degree weather and no air conditioning.
B: That reminds me of the time . . .
As you can see, each of these dialogues displays a reaction we may have when someone shares with us.
None of the three examples included here showcase empathy, but each dialogue models a particular type of reaction so that you have a chance to see them in action.
In case you’re wondering, the first dialogue corresponds to “Fixing It,” the second corresponds to “One-Upping,” and the third corresponds to “Storytelling.”
This exercise can help you or a group learn about the different ways we can respond to a friend in need of empathy, and why empathy is usually the best choice.
What is empathy? Worksheet
This empathy worksheet is great for students and younger children due to the simple language and child-oriented depictions of empathy, but the message of this worksheet can be useful for older students and adults as well.
Completing this worksheet will help students learn what empathy is, how to spot empathy, how to practice empathy, and why it’s important.
The handout offers the following description of empathy:
“Empathy is understanding and caring about what other people are feeling.
It is about putting yourself in their position so you can feel the same way as them. If another kid’s balloon blows away, you may empathize with him because you can understand his feeling of sadness.
Maybe, you might also feel a bit sad too. Feeling happy, sad, or another way because someone else does is empathy.”
After this definition of empathy, the second page provides space for the student to answer some prompts that will get him or her thinking about empathy.
These questions/prompts are:
- Write about a time when you felt happy or sad because you felt what someone else was feeling;
- Do you think empathy is a good thing? and
- Write some ways you might strengthen your empathy by caring for others.
Responding to these prompts will encourage students to think of themselves as capable of empathizing with others, to think about how to practice empathy going forward, and to think critically about why empathy is so important.
Aside from all of the activities and exercises mentioned already, there are a few other fun exercises that can help your students build empathy.
Among them, an Empathy Race, Book Synopsis – and Storytelling .
Amazing empathy race
This activity involves the whole school, including staff members. Students are divided into teams and follow clues to activity stations that are set up throughout the school, with envelopes containing prompts and materials for the students to work with.
There are many different activities you could use here, but one good example activity is to provide students with a clue about a staff member. When they guess who the staff member is, they head to that person’s office to collect the next activity—conducting an interview and listening with compassion to the staff member.
This is a large-scale exercise, to be sure, but the payoff can be enormous in terms of enhancing empathy in the entire school.
Sculpting stories
This exercise involves students interviewing a person of their choice (inside or outside the school) and creating visual representations of what they learned. This will encourage students to practice active and compassionate listening, to put themselves in another’s shoes, and to share their stories with others.
Empathy book synopsis
Here’s another exercise that involves sharing stories: an Empathy Book Synopsis .
This involves instructing each student to select a character from a book they love (or one that you assign) and write a short book summary, or synopsis, focusing on this character and his or her experiences.
This activity will allow students to practice synthesizing events from a person’s life into feelings or needs—an important skill for any future literature and writing courses—as well as effectively relating to others in the real world.
If students have easy access to technology, a video can be substituted for the speech or write-up.
There are plenty of resources out there for helping children and students to become kinder, more empathetic people. Adults can also learn these traits. It’s never too late to focus on building empathy and kindness in ourselves and in our communities.
The challenge of helping students (and adults) build kindness and empathy can seem overwhelming at first, but there are many practical ways to do it, and the outcome can be enormously positive for all involved.
What are your thoughts on teaching kindness and empathy in the classroom? How do you teach your children or students to be kind, or how do you work on building those traits in yourself? Let us know in the comments section below. We would love to hear from you.
We hope you enjoyed reading this article. Don’t forget to download our 3 Emotional Intelligence Exercises for free .
- Crowley, B., & Saide, B. (2016). Building empathy in classrooms and schools. Education Week. Retrieved from http://www.edweek.org/tm/articles/2016/01/20/building-empathy-in-classrooms-and-schools.html
- Dirks, K. T., Cummings, L. L., & Pierce, J. L. (1996). Psychological ownership in organizations: Conditions under which individuals promote and resist change. Research in Organizational Change and Development , 9, 1-23.
- Hall, J. A., Schwartz, R., & Duong, F. (2021). How do laypeople define empathy? The Journal of Social Psychology , 161(1), 5-24.
- Inspire Kindness. (2020). World Kindness Day 2020: Your complete guide . Retrieved from https://inspirekindness.com/blog/world-kindness-day
- Proud to Be Primary. (2017, May 8). Teaching kindness in the classroom. Proud to Be Primary. Retrieved from https://proudtobeprimary.com/teaching-kindness-classroom/
- Radke-Yarrow, M., & Zahn-Waxler, C. (1984). Roots, motives, and patterns in children’s prosocial behavior. In E. Staub, D. Bar-Tal, J. Karylowski, & J. Reykowski (Eds.), Development and Maintenance of Prosocial Behavior. Critical Issues in Social Justice (Vol. 31, pp. 81-99). Boston, MA: Springer.
- Random Acts of Kindness Foundation. (2013, November 13). 10 fun ways to celebrate World Kindness Day. The Random Acts of Kindness Foundation. Retrieved from https://www.randomactsofkindness.org/the-kindness-blog/2766-10-fun-ways-to-celebrate-world-kindness-day
- Random Acts of Kindness Foundation. (2016, December 1). 5 simple classroom activities to celebrate World Kindness Day. The Random Acts of Kindness Foundation. Retrieved from https://www.randomactsofkindness.org/the-kindness-blog/1-5-simple-classroom-activities-to-celebrate-world-kindness-day
- Robertson, K. (2005). Active listening: more than just paying attention. Australian Family Physician, 34(12), 1053-1055.
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Thank you very helpful information.
Very useful information. These tools will help you have a success group of people on your team.
Such great activities and fun challenges for kids. I will try some of these with my kids. I think you could make those in a kind of a scratch-board where kids could scratch out the things they have done and see their progress over time. Thanks for the idea! I also have something to add to your list. At the end of the thirty-day marathon, kids could read a book about kindness. I have just the one here aliciaortego.com/kindness-is-my-superpower/. Hope you’ll like it.
Excellent and very helpful!
It is a great source of knowledge upon the kindness activities empathy worksheets. I am really happy to come across this exceptionally well written content. I love this article, thanks for producing such great contents. I love your posts always. Thanks for sharing and look for more in future!!
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- Student Council & Leadership
That’s the reason many students participate in their schools’ Student Council and Leadership programs. They want to have fun. Has that been true for you? Because it’s certainly been true for me.
Of course, planning dances, deciding spirit dress up days , and running pep assemblies are fun, as well as necessary, responsibilities of a high school or middle school student government program, but what if your student leaders also worked to make your school more inclusive and serve other students and the community?
There’s certainly nothing wrong with fun, but I learned quickly in my first year as a student council advisor that fun was the only expectation several of my students had. And their definition was tightly narrowed to only things like dances, pep assemblies, and lunchtime class competitions. It got frustrating at times trying to constantly nudge students to consider a bigger mission than just fun.
Over time, I was able to develop a program with service leadership at its core. Simply speaking, service leadership is a mindset shift that frames everything we do under the mission of serving others. And one of the most effective ways I found to nurture this new thinking was to schedule two Kindness Projects in our calendar, one in the fall as part of our Intro to Leadership Unit and one again in the spring.
Students lead the entire project, from brainstorming, to execution, to reflection. There are only two rules: it must spread positivity and it must be inclusive.
If you want to try your own Kindness Project, everything you need is included in a FREE Service Leadership PBL Kit . This kit not only has a few foundational activities to lead students through, but it also has all the planning sheets they need to carry out a successful project!
And while it’s always best to have students generate their own original ideas for a Kindness Project that fills a specific need at your school, here are 13 awesome ideas that are doable, impactful, and still really fun! Feel free to borrow or just use them as a brainstorm starting point.
1. “Take What You Need” Bulletin Board
This is a popular one, but when done correctly, it never gets old. Have students brainstorm possible emotional supports their classmates may need (ex. courage, commitment, self-love), then search for a dozen or more quotes that can be meaningful mantras and reminders for that need. Grab a pack of assorted-color sticky notes and write all the quotes related to a certain need on the same colored stickies.
Post them on a centralized bulletin board so anyone walking by can easily find a quote to fit what they need. The colors also let your student leaders more easily refill the bulletin board, especially if certain ones go faster than others.
2. Thank You Note Station
In a high-traffic location at your school, set up a basket filled with blank cards and envelopes for students to write thank you notes to those who deserve appreciation. Have your student leaders get it started by writing a few samples to display next to it, as well as write and deliver some of their own cards to schoolmates.
3. Staff & Community Holiday Cards
In honor of whatever is the next upcoming holiday, have students send out handmade and handwritten cards to a specially chosen group of people (ex. support staff, teachers, parent volunteers, or community members). Send notes of gratitude at Thanksgiving to one group and then notes of appreciation at Valentine’s or Saint Patrick’s Day to another.
4. Kindness Hot Cocoa Cups
Pull out all your colored markers and get to doodling on white paper cups. Have students write or draw anything that sends a positive, uplifting, or goofy message. Then, serve hot cocoa in them. We love doing this one in January.
6. Stall Messages
This is perfect for sayings a little longer than a quick quote, but single quotes work great, too! Have students design signs that have powerful messages of encouragement and positivity and put them on the insides of bathroom stall doors, above sinks, or at drinking fountains. Similarly, students could post weekly or monthly calendars to encourage attendance and involvement to various school activities.
7. Kindness Rocks
This is another popular project seen already in many communities, but you can’t deny how exciting it is to find a painted rock. Have students find, clean, and paint small rocks with acrylic paint, then spray seal them. The best ones usually don’t have any specific kindness message at all, but rather have fun, bright images on them. Your students could either hide them around campus or throughout the community.
8. Name Poem
This is a great surprise to do at an assembly. Get a list of your entire student body and write a silly poem incorporating everyone’s name. If your school is large, then an option could be to do one grade at a different pep assembly throughout the year, or group duplicate names together in one mention. This kind of experience has every kid leaning in, waiting to hear their name, and it makes those with unique names be stars because they get their own individual mention. Just make sure whoever reads it pronounces the names correctly! This is great to do at the beginning of the year at your Welcome Back assembly.
9. Staff Shout Out
This one is easy to incorporate in the morning announcements. Students write their own shout outs about a staff member or solicit nominations from other students in the school and read them out for the whole school to hear. Teacher Appreciation Week in May is a perfect time to do this one.
10. Conference Coffee Bar
If your school holds parent-teacher conferences, the entire staff will be so appreciative of your student leaders for putting together some coffee and hot water with a few creamer and mix-in options.
11. On-Call Help
Create request tickets and hand them out to staff members. If anyone needs simple tasks completed that aren’t super urgent, like taking empty boxes out to the recycle bin, then they can turn in a ticket and within a day or so your students leaders can come by their classroom or office and complete the task.
12. Morning High Fives
This one is just what it sounds like. Your student leaders station themselves at all the entrances to your school, and for the 10 minutes prior to the start of the school day they give out high fives and welcome everyone coming in. Mondays or Fridays are great days to do this one.
13. Kindness Bingo
Have your students create boards with all sorts of small, single acts of kindness (ex. giving a compliment) then challenge others in the school to participate. Since the end goal is spreading kindness, this shouldn’t become a competition with prizes, but rather a nudge or reminder to serve others, too!
If you are ready to teach service leadership and host your own Kindness Project, then click below to get your own copy of the FREE Starter Kit. It includes three lessons and everything you need to complete a school-wide Kindness Project!
Click below for your FREE download!
Image credits: Simon Ray
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20 School-Wide Kindness Initiatives
Spread the word:
A few months ago, I did a giveaway on Instagram for a “ Kindness is Always Cool ” t-shirt. I asked the counselors who entered to share their favorite or most effective school wide kindness initiatives. Many counselors are doing RAK week but adding their own creative flair for engagement. I was blown away by the creativity and amazing impact these initiatives were making not only within the schools, but in the local and larger communities as well. With their permission, I am sharing these counselors’ amazing ideas below to spread the creativity!
“My school is named Cassell, and we are building a new school building to open in August. When students are caught being kind, it is read on the announcements, and then the student can come write his name on a brick to staple to a castle going up on the bulletin board in the cafeteria. They also get a small certificate and prize. Kids love it!” -Ashley, VA @counselorstation
“We did the Great Kindness Challenge for the first time this year. I also had a class be my Secret Kindness Agents this year. We started with secret missions inside of the school, and then we branched out into the community during second semester. We made May Day baskets and delivered them to the neighboring houses that surround our school. We also made care packages to donate to the pediatric floor of our local hospital. Our PTA was wonderful and donated some funds to make these projects possible.” Ainslee
“For the month of December, the Kindness Elves visit each of our classes and leave them a random act of kindness to do for someone in the school or community.” -Olivia, MO
“We did the Great Kindness Challenge but the best part was that the kids decided to do the Coins for Children drive for an orphanage they hear about in Baja, California. We are a Title I School of 517 kids, and they raised $1400 in 4 days! The awesome part was that our goal was $200! And the kids are already talking about doing it again at the beginning of the year.” -Erika, @rmkcounselor
“Our students raised money for Pennies for Patients – Change 4 Change. Our Bears raised $2,306.37 for Leukemia and Lymphoma Society! So fun to see how this turned out, we were floored!” -Lisa, Billings, Montana
“I did a Lighting Up the Season with Kindness [activity]. Kids would write on a lightbulb whenever they saw another student do a random act of kindness.” -Patty
“[We made a] wishing well for kiddos to toss kindness coins in to receive their kindness destiny! We had a speaker at the bottom and we said things like, “Thank a teacher today,” and “Sit by someone new,” into a microphone around the corner when they threw in a coin. Such a hit!” [email protected]
“Our elementary counseling team implanted the Great Kindness Challenge at all of the elementary schools in our district. It was amazing to see the children completing RAK for others and continuing past the designated week.” -Leilani, CA
“I loved the kindness boards. The students wrote kind things that were done for them on sticky notes and put them on the board. The whole school could see what people were doing so it encouraged them to be kind as well!” -Sarah, CA
“We did Random Acts of Kindness Week in February, and as a part of that, we did an assembly on kindness and each class made “Kindness Chains” to see if we could reach them all the way around the school.” -Crystal, CO
“I start the year with Have You Filled a Bucket Today? lesson for each grade level and give them a chance to make buckets (some grade levels do origami style, others I use cups to keep it simple) then they practice ‘filling buckets’ for each other with compliments for their classmates! I also love RAK week and last year did a staff shout outs bulletin board so teachers/staff could get compliments too.” – Stephanie
“This year I made the whole month of February our Random Acts of Kindness month! I think my favorite park was our kindness tree. Students wrote down on paper leaves how they showed kindness and we watched our tree bloom with kindness!” (inspired by The School Counseling Files) -Madison, NC
“I usually invite my social skills groups to be secret agents of kindness.” -Rebecca, NC
“I did Counselor’s Kindness Challenge for NCSW [National School Counseling Week]. Students had a bingo-like board with ideas for spreading kindness. Once they completed the challenge, they turned the boards back into me. I drew 5 students from each level to win lunch with me.” Kate, OH
“I had a school wide kindness chain that hung in the cafeteria. Also, my Girls Empowerment Club made happy thought boxes for each 5th grade class, and Empathy Club did a donation drive for the local animal shelter. All was done in the month of February!” [email protected]
“We did a positive Post-it note campaign this year! It was awesome to see the words of advice and encouragement they gave fellow students. And even cooler to see the hallways, lockers, and bathroom mirrors covered with kindness!” -Natalie, NC
“Teachers refer students to my kindness committee to help me do kind things around the school for kids and staff each month.” -Rachel, CT
“We have the Kindness Revolution at my school! It’s a great program where kindness bracelets are passed around the school. When a student has a bracelet and sees a kind act, they give them the bracelet!” -Amanda, KS
“[When we see] the students being kind [we nominate] them for Student of the Month with written affirmations of what they have done to deserve it.” -Cait
“I have used Kindness BINGO and Kindness Tic Tac Toe to get students actively engaged and give them ideas for ways they can show kindness around the school. I use BINGO with upper elementary grades. For third and fourth grade (and sometimes second, depending on your students), they try for a regular BINGO by completing 5 kind acts in a row. For fifth grade, they go for a ‘blackout’ BINGO by completing all of the kind acts on the card! With early elementary grades, I use Kindness Tic Tac Toe and they complete 3 kind acts in a row on their cards. When the students bring a completed card to me, we have a little celebration and affirmation of their amazing kindness!” -Counselor Keri (download both of these for FREE by clicking on the pictures below)
What other school wide kindness initiatives are you using to engage your students in acts of kindness? Let me know in the comments section below!
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3 thoughts on “ 20 School-Wide Kindness Initiatives ”
- Pingback: Kindness Activity: The Ripple Effect School Counseling Activity
One idea I have for Spring this year is to fill plastic eggs with RAK ideas. I will hide them around the school and whoever finds them must complete that RAK. I will have a bucket by my office for them to return the empty eggs to be recycled for more RAK. I will hide about 5-7 each day for the month of March. Some will be hidden on the playground, others in the school building. During my February guidance lessons, I will explain the activity to all grades and provide them with the “rules”.
That is an AWESOME idea!! The kids will love that!
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Tales From a Very Busy Teacher
A Teaching Blog
10 Kindness Lessons and Activities for Elementary School
Whether you’re celebrating a week-long kindness themed week at your school or you’re looking for kindness activities to complete with just your class, I’ve got you covered!
It’s important that we explicitly teach empathy, kindness, and compassion to our students. We cannot assume they already know what these traits encompass. And sometimes, it’s just nice to have a reminder of what kindness entails.
1. Kindness Bulletin Board
At our school, we had a week-long celebration of kindness. We celebrated during the last week of February. Since Kindness Week fell closer to St. Patrick’s Day than Valentine’s Day (like the Great Kindness Challenge) we created a large school bulletin board to show that “Kindness is Golden.”
To help us create this board, teachers had their students write about different ways they could show kindness, using the sentence frames that were provided to them. The students wrote their sentence on gold coins. We used the coins to create a display at the front of our school.
Each morning of Kindness Week, we had our 6th grade student council representatives lead announcements over the loudspeaker about Kindness Week, our kindness challenge for the day, and a kindness quote.
We also worked as a school to reach 1,000 Random Acts of Kindness (RAKs). If teachers, yard aides, custodians, office staff, librarians, aides, administrators, or anyone from our school community caught students completing a random act of kindness (RAK), students earned a blue BEST Ticket. They wrote their RAKs on the back of the ticket and turned it into the office. We held a raffle every day and the winners got to choose a prize from our Be Your BEST treasure box.
Here’s an example of another kindness bulletin board we displayed at our school! Click here to get the titles, hearts, and coins for your school.
2. How Full is Your Bucket?
Watch the YouTube version of How Full is Your Bucket?
Or if you have the actual book you can read it instead.
Lead the class in a discussion about what it means to fill someone’s bucket.
Create a class chart of ways we can fill each other’s bucket as friends, family members, students, etc. You can have students follow along using the graphic organizer . They’ll need to use these ideas later for writing on a bucket.
Students can share and discuss ideas for filling buckets.
Finally, students can write down different ways they will fill buckets onto these buckets .
3. Make Joy Happen
Start by showing this short clip to students, Make Joy Happen . Try to start it by not prefacing it with anything.
After watching the clip, gather students’ ideas about what they think the video is showing or trying to explain. There are multiple messages:
- Treat others the way you want to be treated
- Understand other people’s perspectives (empathy)
- Spread kindness and get kindness in return
During the discussion, make an anchor chart of students’ ideas.
Then have students share ideas with partners and provide students with sentence frames. You can write the sentence frames on the anchor chart.
Ex. The message is __ because __
When ___ then ___
Because __ then __
The meaning of __ is __
After discussion, you can have students use this recount graphic organizer to explain what the video was about.
Have students connect the video to their own lives based on recent experiences or ways they can show kindness based on what they saw in the video.
Ex. sentence frames:
A connection I can make is ___
Based on the __ I can ___
4. Wrinkled Heart Activity
You’ll need to cut out a giant heart from construction paper for this activity. Or you can print this one onto pink or red paper. It has a nice rhyming phrase that can be displayed after you complete the activity.
Show students the heart and ask students to share examples of unkind actions (school appropriate). If they feel comfortable enough, they can also share real-life experiences they may have had at school. As each unkind experience is shared, fold the heart. Keep folding the heart for each unkind gesture until the heart is completely folded. Then ask students to share positive experiences and kind gestures. For each positive experience or a kind gesture, unfold the heart. Complete the sharing until the heart is complete unfolded and open.
The visual of the heart is an explanation that when unkind things happen it can hurt our hearts (the folds in the heart). As we experienced kindness and forgiveness, our heart opens back up but it is still wrinkled symbolizing that even if we apologize for unkind actions, our unkind actions can still leave a negative mark on someone’s heart.
Give students a smaller heart and have them write different ways they can be kind.
With my class, I read a story (that I wrote) about a boy name Troy. He was having a bad day, and each time something unkind happened to him, I folded his heart. When we were done reading the story, we went back and thought of different things that could have happened to help his heart. You can find the story here .
5. Stand in My Shoes
Have students listen to the story Stand in My Shoes .
After listening to the story, tell students that empathy is the ability to understand and share feelings with another. Then ask students examples of empathy they saw in the video.
If you need to, go back and watch certain parts again to really understand the examples shown in the story.
Create an anchor chart to chart your ideas about empathy.
Use these shoes to have students write about what it means to walk in another’s shoes. They can write in the bottom part of the shoe and then decorate the shoe.
6. Color Your World with Kindness
Show this video, Color Your World with Kindness , and discuss the main idea and what happens throughout the video.
Explain that kindness is spread from one to another, like a domino effect.
Have students brainstorm (aloud or on paper) ideas on how they can be kind. You can have a brief class discussion on their choices.
Explain to students that being kind and showing acts of kindness is a way of living. Explain that there are different quotes that help us remember to stay kind and give us the motivation to continue the kindness chain of events. Give students the kindness quotes . Ask students to pick a quote they identify with the most. Have students write the quote on the bottom of the self-portrait page, and then they can draw themselves holding the quote. Here is an example . If you would like, you can have students type the quote, print out the paper and then draw their self-portrait. You can find the template here .
7. The Olive Branch
Show this video, Olive Branch , and discuss what it means to feel like either character.
Read the Compassionate Informational Text and annotate with the annotation bookmark .
Guide students through the annotation, and hold a discussion while annotating.
After annotating with students, ask the discussion question s. Have students answer the questions (as a whole group or with A/B partners) using their discussion frames.
8. Enemy Pie
Show students the story Enemy Pie and have them use the graphic organizer to determine the central message of the story. Pause at important moments in the story to have students discuss which important details they’re writing down.
After listening to the story, discuss the implications of kindness, compassion, and assuming best intentions.
Students can have A/B conversations using their graphic organizer to discuss the central message.
9. What Would You Do?
Read the “ What Would You Do ?” scenarios and discuss student responses in a whole group format. You can also break the students up into groups to discuss the scenario cards. These would be great cards to use during a morning meeting or during a circle time with your class.
Discuss that making kind choices and being kind is the key to all of their answers.
10. Celebrate Diversity
Celebrate diversity with your class by reading about different languages, cultures, and beliefs. The National Education Association has a great list of diverse stories you could read to your class. Choose one book daily and hold a read aloud. You can even take suggestions from your students about their favorite books that represent their family’s culture.
Here is a list of my favorite books that celebrate diversity. You can click the affiliate link to find it on Amazon.
Island Born
Alma and How She Got Her Name
Malala’s Magic Pencil
Marvelous Cornelius
Martina the Beautiful Cockroach
My Name is Yoon
Immi’s Gift
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10 Kindness Projects for Kindness Day and Lessons for Kids
Need kindness projects for kindness day, kindness week or kindness lessons? Teach empathy and encourage your child to help others by adding a kindness challenge for kids. We have kindness fun, kindness crafts for sunday school, kindness games for preschoolers and up and other random acts of kindness projects and kindness tools to teach kids to pass on kindness!
We’ve got you covered with awesome and easy random acts of kindness ideas!
Kindness Day 2020: Friday, November 13, 2020
February is designated as Kindness Month
Before we go any further, let’s define kindness to help you discuss it with children.
What Is Kindness?
The kindness meaning is, “the quality of being friendly, generous, and considerate.” Kindness synonyms include: warmth, gentleness, and care. An example of kindness is to help, as in to help others.
One of the best ways to define kindness for kids is to illustrate, both through how treat others and also through reading books and watching videos about being kind.
This is a fantastic kids’ kindness video to share with your kids to give you a “kind” definition and help illustrate the concept of kindness and the effects of the “pay it forward” mentality:
Color Your World With Kindness [VIDEO]
Don’t miss our list of fun and easy kindness projects later in this post!
KEEP READING!
Why Is Kindness Important?
Kindness is important to talk about with your kids.
In this day and age of instant online feedback, FOMO, constantly measuring against others, and nonstop bullying, it doesn’t hurt to spend some time on topics like kindness, gratitude, and grace during your lessons.
And, kindness isn’t just important for others, it actually has benefits for the person doing the acts of kindness!
For example, did you know that helping others can actually make your child (and you!) happier and improve self-esteem?
So, what kindness does to your body?
Check out these fun facts about kindness.
13 Unexpected Health Benefits of Acts of Kindness
- Increases oxytocin (the “love” hormone)
- Improves energy
- Increases happiness
- Extends lifespan
- Increases pleasure by giving you a “helper’s high”
- Helps produce Serotonin, the “feel good” chemical
- Helps to reduce pain by producing the body’s natural painkillers (Endorphins)
- Makes you age slower by being less stressed
- Improves mood
- Helps with relationship satisfaction
- Decreases social anxiety
- Improves satisfaction in life
- Reduces blood pressure
ALSO WATCH: The Science of Kindness [VIDEO]
World Kindness Day, Random Acts of Kindness Week, And Other Kindness Dates
There are several kindness dates observed throughout the year all over the world:
World Kindness Day: November 13th
National Random Acts of Kindness Day: February 17th
Random Acts of Kindness Week, or RAK Week: One Week Every February, generally ending on February 17th (National Random Acts of Kindness Day)
Of course, you don’t have to wait for a special day to do any of these kindness project ideas, but you should mark them on your calendar and plan to celebrate those days, too!
TO GO WITH YOUR KINDNESS STUDIES:
Thankful activities: gratitude stone craft.
How to Be Kind?
How to teach kindness and empathy.
But, how do we teach our kids how to be kind?
And, what about raising a compassionate child in the age of entitlement?
If you’re stuck on how to teach kindness and empathy, check out this video:
Raising Kind Kids VIDEO
Looking for a kindness icebreaker? (Try kindness games!)
Kindness activities and games about helping each other are great ways to have fun with this topic.
Here are some great kindness activities for kids:
(Note: We have that Sneak Cards Card Game and it is FABULOUS!)
These are fun ways to teach that kindness is contagious!
Quotes About Kindness and Kindness Bible Verses
A great way to start off a kindness week, kindness day, or a kindness unit study is to get yourself in the right frame of mind with kindness quotes and kindness verses.
These are also fun for printing on crafts or making kindness coloring pages or kindness worksheets.
Here are some of our favorite choose kindness quotes and quotes about kindness for kids:
“Always be a little kinder than necessary.” -James M. Barrie, creator of Peter Pan
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“Carry out a random act of kindness, with no expectation of reward, safe in the knowledge that one day someone might do the same for you.” -Princess Diana
“Love and kindness are never wasted. They always make a difference. They bless the one who receives them, and they bless you, the giver.” -Barbara de Angelis
Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you. -Ephesians 4:32
“The level of our success is limited only by our imagination and no act of kindness, however small, is ever wasted.” -Aesop
“Wherever there is a human being, there is an opportunity for a kindness.” -Lucius Annaeus Seneca
“A single act of kindness throws out roots in all directions, and the roots spring up and make new trees.” -Amelia Earhart
A man who is kind benefits himself, but a cruel man hurts himself. -Proverbs 11:17
Whoever is generous to the poor lends to the Lord , and he will repay him for his deed. -Proverbs 19:17
RANDOM ACTS OF KINDNESS IDEAS
10 kindness projects where kids can show act of random kindness.
We’ve also put together an awesomely fun list of things you can do with your kids to celebrate kindness and show them kindness examples and discuss why kindness is important.
You can even create your own kindness campaign or kindness challenge!
Remember, one simple act of kindness can change a person’s life.
(And, isn’t that a great thing to teach kids?)
Here are 10 fun kindness week ideas to encourage random acts of kindness, compassion, generosity, empathy (and, just all around goodness).
Random Acts of Kindness Ideas #1: Create a Kindness Jar
Create a kindness jar together by discussing different things that your family can do for others. Place the ideas that you all come up with into a jar.
Then, use the kindness jar throughout the month to perform small acts of kindness.
Each person draws an act of kindness and compassion out of the jar for the week or month, and then performs the kindness listed.
This is actually a great ongoing kindness project idea!
(HINT: Don’t just limit it to one day or one week per year.)
Random Acts of Kindness Ideas #2: Fill an “Amazing Box”
Think someone is amazing?
(Or, several someones?)
Print out this pillow box template , assemble it, and then fill it with small treats or trinkets and deliver it to a friend, mentor, or family member.
Don’t forget to have the kids write a note about why they think the person is amazing.
If you want to do a kindness project on a larger scale, have them deliver the Amazing Boxes to shelter kids or to a nursing home.
Random Acts of Kindness Ideas #3. Make a Kindness Chain
You know those old-fashioned paper chains? Elevate those babies into an ongoing kindness project!
Each time you or the kids witness (or do) a kindness, write it on a slip of paper and add it to the paper chain .
At the end of the school year (or whatever time you specify), you’ll have a document of all the cool things that the kids did for others (or that were done for them)!
Random Acts of Kindness Ideas #4. Create a “Color Me Kind” Page
Download this awesome kindness coloring page and then let the kids get creative.
While coloring, discuss the topic of kindness, compassion, or empathy.
Often, kids will open up more if they are doing something with their hands!
Be sure to talk to them about times that they’ve witnessed people not being kind and how things could’ve been handled differently.
Random Acts of Kindness Ideas #5. Hand Out Compliment Cards
Print out these free compliment cards and then have fun decorating them.
After, let your kids hand them out to neighbors, friends, family members, or even strangers at the library or grocery store.
Random Acts of Kindness Ideas #6. Decorate Kindness Stones (Kindness Rocks Project)
Another fun kindness project idea is to paint gratitude stones (kindness stones) .
Decorate the stones and then write kind words on each one — like happy, smile, peace, love, dance, you matter, live/life/love, pay it forward, etc.
The kids can then leave them in surprise places, like on the playground, in the park, on the hiking trail, and more.
Just think about the smile they will cause when people find this little surprise!
Random Acts of Kindness Ideas #7. Make a Kindness Flower Craft
Using the flower idea found here , make a kindness hand flower.
After placing the handprint on the paper, let it dry and then write “Kindness” on the palm.
In each flower, write ways to be kind (or, maybe ways someone has been kind to the kids).
You can keep the kindness hand flower or give it to a friend or family member.
Random Acts of Kindness Ideas #8: Incorporate Kindness Into Your Studies
Grab these free kindness lesson plans for your studies:
Random Acts of Kindness
Acts of Kindness
RAK Foundation
Random Acts of Kindness Ideas #9. Volunteer
Volunteering and community involvement is an important part of living a healthy life.
According to The Positive Psychlopedia :
A 2001 study found that regular volunteering increases happiness, life satisfaction, self-esteem, and sense of control over life. And it works for young and old alike: black inner-city teens who tutor younger children have more positive attitudes toward the self, others, their education, and the future; and elderly people who volunteer are more satisfied with life.
Giving back to your community or to a cause teaches kids how to get involved and also can give them a new perspective about others.
(Not to mention, it looks great on college or job applications or a homeschool portfolio!)
But, volunteering just seems like such a … commitment, right?
It doesn’t have to be!
You can find one-time (or even once per month, etc.) causes to get involved in by checking out volunteer websites like VolunteerMatch.org .
OR, you can even volunteer while stuck at home !
Helping others, after all, is the ultimate kindness!
Random Acts of Kindness Ideas #10. Read About Kindness | Kindness Books for Kids
Read books about kindness and then spend some time discussing the message from each book. It’s a great way to illustrate to kids that words of kindness matter.
Need some inspiration?
Kindness Books for Kids
CHECK OUT THESE RELATED KINDNESS TOPICS NEXT
Crazy Cool Kindness Books with Lesson Plans
WONDER LESSON PLANS (BOOK AND MOVIE)
What Is Grace? | Activities and Games to Teach Grace to Kids
Let us know about your kindness projects!
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21 Kindness Activities for Kids
The world needs more kindness, and we can foster it in our kids through fun activities.
Kindness is one of the most important attributes we can help our kids learn. The best part is that it doesn’t take much teaching. Kids are hard-wired for kindness. They might just need a gentle reminder of what is already inside them.
How to Teach Kindness
Being kind and being nice are two different things. If we want our kids to learn empathy and kindness, we must help them understand what it is all about. The best way to teach kindness is to model it.
“You can’t be what you can’t see” – Marian Wright Edelman
Saying thank you and respecting our children is a way to teach kindness . When we make space for their big emotions and offer them empathy, we show them what kindness looks like. Being kind takes intention, and we can cultivate that through fun activities.
Here are 21 kindness activities for kids:
1. Kindness Journal
This activity is great for older kids who might need extra motivation in the kindness department. Adolescence is tricky to navigate. It is invaluable to give your teen the tools they need to examine their emotions and actions.
Fostering an attitude of kindness will stand your child in good stead as they grow.
A few writing prompts could be:
- What was the last kind thing I did for someone?
- What does kindness mean to me?
- How could I help someone in need?
You can adapt this activity for younger kids so they can form the habit of keeping a journal. For example, smaller kids can draw acts of kindness rather than writing.
2. Group Games
The smile game.
This kindness activity works well with preschoolers. Draw a smiley face on a ball or bean bag. Put on some upbeat music and get the kids to throw the smiley face at each other. Whoever is holding the smiley face when the music stops has to say something kind to members of the group.
The goal is to make them smile. Put a 15-second timer on, and the child scores a point for every smile they get. Games like this teach kids the power of saying something nice.
If You’re ‘Something’ and You Know It
This is a great game to make kids aware of the facial expressions associated with emotions.
You sing it to the tune of “If you’re happy and you know it”, and you can insert different emotions. The kids will then have to make the corresponding facial expression.
This helps kids name, identify and respond to different feelings. It is a fun game to encourage empathy and teaches children how to show kindness.
3. Kindness Tree
A kindness tree is a great visual representation of your kids’ acts of kindness.
You can make it out of paper, stick it on the wall, or use a branch. Each time your kids perform a kind act, they can write it on a leaf and add it to the tree.
A fun idea is to have them write how those acts made them feel on flowers and fruit. They can add these to the tree as a reminder that kindness leads to positive emotions.
4. Books and Skits
Teaching kindness through reading can go a long way, particularly with younger kids.
Here are some amazing books about kindness for kids:
- Kindness Makes Us Strong by Sophie Beer
- The Nice Book by David Ezra Stein
- Last Stop on Market Street by Matt de la Pena
- Here We Are by Oliver Jeffers
- My Heart by Corinna Luyken
You can use these books as inspiration for skits and role-play. These will help reinforce the message of kindness.
5. Donations
Donating food, toys, clothes, and diapers is an important kindness activity for kids. It teaches them about people outside their immediate sphere and gives them a sense of community.
Helping others is a great way for kids to see the real and direct effects of kindness. Seeing the joy it brings will encourage them to keep it up.
6. Growing a Plant
Growing a seed is an easy way for kids to get hands-on experience with kindness. Nurturing a seed takes care, thoughtfulness, patience, and love. These are all qualities that we want our kids to practice.
The kids can decorate their pots with a kind saying or action. You can encourage them to say one kind thing to their plants daily. Some kids might find it easier to say something kind to a plant before they start saying something kind to others.
7. Daily Kindness Affirmations
Doing kind acts for others is important, but so is being kind to yourself. Positive affirmations are essential for kids, so why not add kindness affirmations to your morning routine? If kids can feel positive about themselves, they will find it easier to be kind to others.
Here are 5 kindness affirmations for your morning routine:
- Kindness lives in me
- I choose kind words
- Being kind makes me feel good
- I can change someone’s day with kindness
- I stand up for others
8. Kindness Coupons
Kindness coupons are a practical way for kids to practice being kind daily. They can have a coupon booklet filled with thoughtful acts they can do for their friends.
Not only will it get kids involved with being kind, but it will also show them that kindness is contagious. The fact that it makes you feel good is a bonus.
9. Kindness Coloring Pages
Coloring pages with kindness affirmations are a fun way of teaching kindness. They are creative and fun, and you can pin them up afterward as a colorful reminder. Younger children can have coloring pages of kind acts which are relatable and practical.
10. Random Acts of Kindness Mailbox
A random act of kindness mailbox is a fun idea that gets the whole family involved.
Write a list of kind acts on pieces of paper and post them into the mailbox at the start of the week. Then each family member can pick as many acts as they want to perform throughout the week. This kindness activity teaches children that being kind to others is a family affair.
Here are some ideas:
- Help clean up without asking
- Give someone a compliment
- Text a funny meme
- Make someone else’s bed
- Pack away the groceries
- Pick up litter
11. Kindness Worm
You can have a kindness worm at home or in the classroom. Start the beginning of the year with just a head and add on body segments as your kids do kind acts.
A worm is a great way for your kids to see kindness in action as the worm gets longer. The fun part is there is no limit on the number of segments you can add. The worm will just get longer and longer.
12. Kindness Bingo
This fun kindness activity works for the whole family and encourages kindness throughout the month.
Each family member can get their own bingo sheet filled with kindness ideas. They can cross off the acts as they complete them. The first person to complete the chart gets a prize.
You could also have a family chart rather than individual ones. That way, you can include more significant acts, and your kids can see you modeling kindness. It is a simple way to create a culture of kindness in your home.
13. Kindness Songs
Singing is good for your soul and makes you happy. It is also something most kids love to do, so adding some kindness songs to your morning circle is sure to be a hit. Songs are also a catchy way for kids to remember important messages.
Here are some kindness song ideas for kids that are sure to get everyone up and moving:
- It’s Easy To Be Kind
- Kindness by the Juicebox Jukebox
- Kindness is Free
- Kindness Dance: Kindness Is Up To Us
- Compassion Song
14. Smiling Challenge
This activity to teach kindness is a fun one for kids of all ages. Challenge your kids to smile at ten strangers to see who smiles back.
Smiling is infectious and spreading happiness and positivity is an act of kindness we could all do more of.
15. Kindness Bookmark
The more we expose our kids to kindness, the more likely they are to internalize it.
Kindness bookmarks are great for your family read aloud and make thoughtful gifts. You can add pressed flowers and leaves and laminate them or use contact. Your kids can even keep a stash of bookmarks in the car, leave some at the library, or hand them out at the park.
16. Check-In Time
So often, we get caught up in the busyness of life that we forget to check in on the people closest to us. Having a daily check-in will teach your child to be more aware of other people’s feelings. You can chat to your kids about how they are feeling and find out how they are doing.
Knowing their feelings are valid and accepted will help them be more understanding and accepting of others.
17. Kindness Spotlight
Each week choose a famous person who has demonstrated kindness. Giving kids a big picture view of how kindness has a ripple effect is powerful. Using real-life examples also gives your kids a positive role model to look up to.
An act of kindness can change the world and that is an impactful message to teach your kids.
18. Kindness Jar
This is an excellent activity for the classroom or at home. All you need is a jar, tub, bucket, really anything. You can also choose what you fill your kindness jar with. It could be pompoms, paper, rocks, you name it.
You can even print a jar picture and add stickers to it. A printable jar allows you to stick it anywhere, move it around, or give one to each child.
The goal is to add to the jar every time someone does a kind act until it is full. Then you can get a reward as a class or family. A kindness jar teaches accountability and kindness. It also helps kids work together as they try to be more kind to each other.
19. Talking About Your Fears
Part of being kind is being empathetic. Talking about fears can work at home or in a classroom setting. Being vulnerable enough to discuss their concerns teaches kids to be kind to themselves and others.
20. Volunteer
Acts of community service are practical ways for kids to experience the joy of being kind. For example, you can visit a retirement home, walk dogs, or help at the local soup kitchen.
These are helpful ways for kids to understand the importance of kindness. They are also helpful actions that really make a difference.
21. Kindness Calendar
If everyone needs an extra nudge to remember to be kind then a Kindness Calendar is a great family activity.
You can have a kindness calendar for each month or choose a couple of months of the year. Pick a different act of kindness for each day of the month. They can be small things that each member of the family can complete on their own or they can be bigger family projects.
Kindness is Contagious, So Get Spreading
Kindness is a fantastic quality to have, and we should all try to incorporate more kind acts into our lives. The world could certainly do with more of it.
Teaching kindness to kids looks like fun activities, songs, but most importantly, daily actions. Kindness is something we can control, so take the time to spread some joy and watch as your kids do the same.
- New? Start Here!
- Kindergarten
Kindness Projects for Kids Ideas
Kindness Project Ideas
Kindness projects.
Print out these printable card/gift tag and give a gift like sweets, flowers or homemade items. Print out compliment cards for friends or use these coloring pages to color and give away too! Scratch off cards will make awesome gifts, especially if it has a kind message to uncover.
Kindness projects for kids
Kindness projects ideas
Kindness project for students
Kindness projects for kids.
No more excuses, now you have plenty ideas to spread kindness like confetti! So many fun Random Act of Kindness Ideas so your family can bless others all year long!
Looking for more outdoor activities for kids and things to do in the summer ? Your toddler, preschool, pre k, kindergarten, and elementary age kids will love these fun ideas to keep them busy all summer long:
- Marshmallow Shooters – go over 30 feet!
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About the author.
Nadia is South African mom to two littlies, a former preschool teacher and currently working as a reading therapist at a remedial school. She blogs over at teach-me-mommy.com about easy and playful activities inspiring you to be your child's first teacher.
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24 Awesome Ways To Encourage Being Kind at School
Kindness is cool! And there are lots of easy ways to spread good vibes.
by Kerri Beauchesne
If there was ever a time to be kind, it’s right now. As parent group leaders, we just love that we have the chance to influence our school culture for the better, making kindness, empathy, inclusion, and acceptance an everyday thing. Below, we’ve rounded up loads of feel-good ideas to inspire your whole school!
1. Throw kindness around like confetti—as in, all over the school campus.
You might want to bring that umbrella to Doughnuts With Dudes because we’re about to make it rain kindness! Encourage students and staff to leave anonymous “kindness cards” (sticky notes scribbled with messages of hope, peace, and all-around awesomeness) on cars in the parking lot, vending machines, lockers, desks, and elsewhere.
2. Invite students to write notes to school staff at an appreciation station.
It doesn’t take much to lift someone up—a few kind words can change everything. Set up an appreciation station in the school cafeteria or lobby where students can drop by to write notes. Then, collect and distribute notes to staff members during Teacher Appreciation Week, National Custodian Day, Principal Appreciation Day, School Secretary Appreciation Day, and School Bus Driver Appreciation Day—and let’s not forget the lunch monitors, either.
3. Teach kids to be kind to others—and themselves—both online and offline at a Family Tech Talk: Virtual Edition event.
Kids face a lot of pressure, from perfecting that filtered pic on Instagram to fighting hours-long Fortnite battles with buddies. It’s easy to feel excluded, addicted to the screen, not good enough, not thin enough—the list goes on. Our free Family Tech Talk offers a chance for families at your school to connect about these issues and talk openly about the importance of being kind to others and yourself (both IRL and virtually) while finding a healthy balance between time spent online and offline. You plan the event; the Trend Micro expert teaches and answers parent questions over Zoom.
4. Create a Kindness Rocks garden (literally).
Invite students to decorate rocks with messages of kindness, empathy, and hope during recess. Collect and place them in a designated garden, or line the walkway of an outdoor learning space with the decorated rocks. A few tips from one of our rock star PTO leaders: Prep rocks in advance with Rust-Oleum American Accents 2x Ultra Cover spray paint, then decorate with oil-based paint pens (just make sure you open and activate them in advance). Finally, seal rocks with Mod Podge clear acrylic sealer.
5. This tree of kindness display is kind of hard to miss—but that’s the point.
Given students hearts to write down acts of kindness they performed. Hold a kindness challenge and tally up how many kind acts your school community performs.
6. Start an after-school Kindness Club where kids learn how to spread kindness and encourage others to do the same.
Students at Whipple Elementary in Canton, Ohio, get together regularly to make kindness a priority at their school, from signing kindness pledges to passing out kindness notes and lollipops at football games. Nonprofit organizations like the Kind Campaign offer free resources to help schools start a Kind Club in addition to providing in-school kindness assemblies.
7. Something good is in the air! Get things rolling with a Kindness Counts Night.
Getting kids involved in bettering the world around them helps develop both perspective and empathy—and the knowledge that we can all help change the world for the better. During a Kindness Counts Night, families can make cards for local nursing homes and hospitals, assemble blessing bags for homeless shelters, and donate items like winter coats for families in need. Show kids the power of kindness by inviting them to add a heart to stick to a wall of kindness.
8. Trade your (sort of creepy) Elf of the Shelf for Kindness Elves.
Come December, that pesky Elf on the Shelf can be found wreaking harmless holiday havoc in classrooms everywhere (he’s even been blamed for that paper jam in the office). But some schools are trading it for Kindness Elves who bring notes asking children to do one kind thing each day. For instance: “Write cards to kids at St. Jude”; “bring in canned goods for the local food pantry”; “compliment the person sitting next to you”; “pick up trash around the school property.”
9. Kick that school spiritwear up a notch with some school kindwear.
Great to don during antibullying month (October) and Random Acts of Kindness Week (February), “kindwear” is the fun way to show that your students are proud to be kind. Some of our favorite shirt sayings: Kind Is Cool, Choose Kind, Throw Kindness Around Like Confetti, and Kindness Is Contagious.
10. Rally around kindness with a schoolwide lip dub.
Come together to celebrate the fabric of your school community with an all-school lip dub video. Show kids that individually we may be different, but we each play an important part and together we can accomplish anything. Hold a kindness rally at the end of the video to celebrate all the differences that make your school great!
11. Deck the halls (and stalls) with powerful messages of kindness and positivity.
Gather parent volunteers and teachers to paint inspirational quotations on walls in the school restrooms or lobby. (For all you non-painters out there, you can use vinyl, too.)
12. Source volunteer talent (mad woodworking skills a plus) to make a buddy bench.
Great for the early elementary years, a buddy bench offers an easy way for kids looking for playmates to connect during recess.
13. Dedicate some of that precious PTO bulletin board space to making a kindness bulletin board.
Or fill envelopes with different acts of kindness that students can draw from anytime.
Digital citizenship FTW! Teach kids and parents what really matters for online safety
14. make a poster with a message for students..
The simple message on this poster made by the Conneaut Lake (Penn.) Elementary PTO reminds students of their role in spreading kindness. Hang your poster at student eye level in a highly trafficked area of the school, like a hallway near the cafeteria or the wall near the exit to the playground.
15. Hold a schoolwide Kindness Challenge Week.
Challenge students to perform different acts of kindness all week (these fun “kindness challenge” pencils make it hard to pick just one!). Give each day of the week a theme to encourage kids to think about how their actions and behavior affect those around them. We love this “What-if Week” idea shared in our Facebook group for leaders :
Monday: What if we practice positivity? (wear pink or purple) Tuesday: What if we serve others? (wear camouflage or superhero cape) Wednesday: What if we don’t judge others by how they look? (wear funky glasses) Thursday: What if we stand up for one another? (school spirit shirt & jeans) Friday: What if we have no excuses? (wear college gear)
16. Hold a disabilities awareness fair to show students what it’s like to live with different disabilities.
With nearly 13 percent of children receiving special education services (as reported by the National Center for Education Statistics), there’s good reason to help foster a kinder, more understanding, and more inclusive school community. Disabilities Awareness Month (March) is a great opportunity to give students the chance to learn, hands-on, what it’s like to live with different challenges—from spectrum disorders like autism to vision, speech, and physical impairments. Set up tables, each manned by a parent volunteer or child (or both) who can talk about what it’s like living with that specific disability. From learning to read Braille to trying out a wheelchair to meeting a service dog, kids get to be curious in a respectful way while learning and asking questions. Connect with your school’s special ed department for resources.
17. Provide a moderated activity during recess for kids who tend to fly solo.
Give students who might otherwise play alone the opportunity to engage with their classmates during a structured, feel-good activity. Offer a sensory path to encourage physical movement, games like giant Jenga, or an epic Lego wall to encourage kids to build together. Roll out an arts and crafts cart to allow quieter kids to create, draw, and color, or invite students to help the PTO with a “VIP task” like gluing googly eyes to cups for the upcoming monster-theme movie night. Motivate older students to help out with this effort by recruiting “kindness ninja” ambassadors.
18. Instead of pledging laps walked or minutes read, kids pledge acts of kindness during a good deeds-athon.
From cutting their hair for Locks of Love to sending a card to a sick neighbor, kids learn that being kind is actually pretty easy. (Psst: Your group can coordinate schoolwide kindness efforts, like a Kindness Challenge Week, to help facilitate!)
19. Chalk the walk (and you might just be the reason someone smiles today).
Greet students and staff with sidewalk notes that remind them that anything is possible, kindness is cool, and more.
20. Loop a kindness chain around the hallways as a reminder that no good deed goes unnoticed.
Start a schoolwide kindness paper chain and see how far it can reach throughout the school. To start, give paper strips to teachers. When a student or teacher is the recipient of a random act of kindness, have them write it on a strip of paper and add a link to their classroom chain. On the last day, staple classroom chains together and string throughout the hallways.
21. Start each day with good vibes by having kids read a kindness quote.
Have students from each grade take turns sharing the quote of the day during morning announcements.
22. Take an aerial photo of students in the shape of a heart.
Source a drone (just ask those techie 5th graders!) and have students assemble on the blacktop in heart formation. Print the photo on thank-you cards that you can hand out when you catch kids (and adults) being kind, or share on your group’s social media channels as your school’s emblem of kindness.
23. Got kind kids? Let them show off all the good deeds they’ve done during a kindness share fair.
A kindness share fair is an opportunity for students to celebrate all the good deeds they’ve done throughout the year, from making board games and cards for senior center residents to baking cupcakes for the local police station.
24. Invite them to a kindness cafe.
As part of an extensive school kindness program implemented through the 365Z Foundation , organizers at Chaffee Elementary in Oxford, Mass., recognize students who’ve shown kind behavior in a variety of ways. At the kindness cafe, kids who’ve demonstrated kindness have their lunch with Captain Kindness (alter ego of school principal Robert Pelczarski); after lunch, they enjoy a surprise treat. “We set some expectations on what we hope to see in regards to kindness and behavior,” Pelczarski says. “We celebrate the heck out of kids when we see kind acts and deeds...then when we find some kids that deserve even more rewards (or need them) and we celebrate even further!”
Encourage kids to be kind to themselves and others online and offline with our free Family Tech Talk Night program . Our toolkit includes everything you need to put on this important event for families—a presentation with a script, helpful parent take-homes (like 21 hot apps kids are using right now), a pledge for kids to sign, and promotional tools.
Originally posted in 2018 and updated regularly. Elizabeth S. Leaver contributed to this article.
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20 Kindness Activities for Middle School
June 6, 2022 // by Eisha Mohsin
In a world that is becoming increasingly harsh and unkind, it's becoming even more important to teach empathy to children by inculcating a culture of empathy in school. Here is a list of activities for students that can be easily built into the student schedule with ease and challenge them to be a better version of themselves every day.
1. Notes of Appreciation
Give each of your students sticky notes and give them ample opportunity to write positive messages addressed to one of their teachers and classmates. Locate an empty wall in your classroom and allow students to neatly stick their messages of appreciation onto the wall. Read out all the sticky notes and watch their faces light up!
Learn more: Teach Starter
2. Classroom Pantry
Increase your students' capacity for empathy by asking them to bring pantry items in on a voluntary basis, and create a system where the less privileged students in class can feel free to take whatever they want from this community pantry.
Learn more: WCS Kids
3. Clothing Drive
This is another easy opportunity to teach middle school students the idea of empathy. Tell them that not all children are fortunate enough to be able to afford decent clothes. Ask them to donate their gently worn clothes if possible. Once the whole class has brought something, collect and donate all articles of clothing to an orphanage or charity.
Learn more: The Early Childhood Academy
4. Kindness Door Art Competition
Grab some pieces of paper and tell your students to draw door art keeping the theme of kindness in mind. This is a great opportunity for students to exercise their creative skills and compete with fellow students. The student with the best idea gets to execute it as door art!
5. Box of Compliments
This fun activity can continue for a few days on end. Decorate a shoebox and cut own a slit in the center of it. Give students slips of paper and ask them to write anonymous compliments about their classmates. Read out a few compliments at the end of class each day.
6. Kindness in Chalk
This is an excellent activity that will allow your students to be outdoors and put everyone in a positive mood. Give everyone a few pieces of chalk, take them outside the classroom and get them to draw on the school's sidewalks. It can be something as simple as a smiley face, a rainbow, or just a few words of motivation or encouragement!
7. Mend the Heart
This is a powerful activity that will hopefully help turn your students into more empathetic people. Give each student a separate sheet of paper, and tell them to draw a heart on it, and cut it out. Ask them to crumple it, and once they do, ask them to restore it to its original position. Of course, they wouldn't be able to do so - a perfect representation of the fact that broken hearts are not easy to fix.
8. Kindness Checklist
This is yet another easy way to build empathy in children . Download a kindness checklist online, print it out, and distribute it amongst the students. Give them a month to work on it. The aim is to tick off as many acts of kindness as possible. At the end of the month, the kids with the most amount of tick marks can get a "Certificate of Kindness".
Learn more: Ripple Kindness
9. Kindness Bookmarks
Another simple but positive, mood-boosting activity that encourages not only kindness but also reading age-appropriate books. Print out and cut a few kindness-themed bookmarks. Ask students to decorate them and laminate them and use them to read and enhance their language arts skills as well!
10. A Patchwork Quilt of Kindness
Give each student a piece of patchwork. This can either be blank for the students to fill out or have uplifting notes or an appreciation message focused around kindness. Stitch all the patches together to form a quilt and donate it to someone in need!
11. Hug Coupons
Kindness month is the per0fect time to print, cut, and distribute these hug coupons. The positive effects of a hug are well documented across a range of people, and this activity will enhance students' compassionate listening skills since it will challenge them to keep their eyes and ears open for people who might need a hug!
12. Surprise Janitorial Staff
Start the year off on a positive note by acquiring a list of birthdays of all the janitorial staff members. This group of people is integral to the running of any school but is often ignored or made to feel invisible. On each birthday, bake a cake and get students to sing "Happy Birthday" as they cut their cake!
Learn more: Tip Hero
13. Buddy Bench
Here is another one of the easier acts of kindness. Talk to your school principal and see if you can paint a few benches around the school and rebrand them as "buddy benches". Anybody who needs a friend can let his or her fellow students know simply by sitting on the bench!
Learn more: TMJ4
14. Group Discussion
During your classroom lessons, talk to children about what the definition of empathy is by giving everyday examples of depictions of empathy. Challenge students to lean in and ask their friends and family how they are doing on a regular basis. Tell them that earnest listening and paying attention to other peoples' body language can give them a clue about how they're feeling.
Learn more: Free Spirit
15. Read a Book
This creative activity will enhance your students' active listening skills by getting the entire classroom to participate in a read-aloud of a book that emphasizes the importance of kindness when it comes to building healthy relationships. You can get a teaching assistant to do this while you catch up on any pending lecture notes!
16. Notes in Library Books
This is the perfect activity to teach kindness to introverted middle schoolers. Give everyone plenty of paper to write down as many positive messages as possible. Dedicate a class period to take them to the library and give them a bit of time to slip their hand-written note(s) into random books.
Learn more: Random Acts of Kindness
17. A Moment of Praise
This activity is best for a chatty class who needs their communication skills to be redirected in a more positive direction. Start the day by giving each of your students a compliment, and tell them to think of a compliment for the partner on their right.
Learn more: Social Emotional Workshop
18. Practice Accountability
Force students to have a sense of ownership about their negative actions by calling them out on them and asking them what they should have done differently in that situation. This will help build better relationship skills over time.
Learn more: Overcoming Obstacles
19. Digital Jigsaw
This is a popular activity that children can complete with their fellow students. Find a kindness-themed digital jigsaw and watch them come together to finish it! The digital jigsaw is best projected onto a large smart board at the front of the class so that students can work on it together as a group.
Learn more: Smithsonian Libraries and Archives
20. Kindness Word Search
Make your classroom lessons more engaging and less monotonous by including this fun crossword! Print out as many copies as you need and put a timer on the board and let the students race against each other to finish.
Learn more: Worksheet Place
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Kindness Activities for Every Positive Classroom
Try these six kindness activities for the classroom, including setting goals, random acts of kindness challenge, children’s book ideas, and lesson suggestions.
Kindness Activities to Build a Kind K-2 Classroom
Kindness matters, and it can turn a child’s whole day around. When you have kind children, the day is brighter and more productive. How can we as teachers improve our kids’ behavior and attitudes towards each other and create a pleasant learning environment through teaching kindness?
These six kindness activities for the classroom are easy to implement. I know you and your classroom students are going to love them.
Why Include Kindness Activities?
Kindness activities are just as important as teaching Math, Reading, and other subjects. Kids learn from a multitude of methods on how to behave and how to retain book information. The most important way to teach anything in the classroom is almost always direct instruction.
Unfortunately, some students aren’t seeing kindness in their homes and haven’t been taught by example. So anytime you can take a moment to teach children how to treat others with kindness, you should seize the opportunity. In doing so, you’ll see an improvement in the classroom climate, student behavior, and in your morale.
6 Strategies for Teaching Kindness
1. brainstorm kindness ideas as a class.
Anytime you are introducing a new concept, try to provide a basic understanding of it at the beginning. Some children may not have experience giving or receiving acts of kindness, and you will want them to feel they can quickly meet expectations. They may need you to provide clear examples of what kindness in the classroom looks like. One way is to activate prior knowledge by brainstorming ideas as a class.
Whole Group Brainstorming: Ask an open-ended question such as “What was something kind you saw someone do lately – big or small?” and jot down the responses on the whiteboard or chart paper. Two categories: Big Things and Small Things, so that the children can see that it doesn’t always have to be something big, but that small things count just as much!
Independent Acknowledgement: Pass a notecard out to each child and have them write down something nice done for them lately and how it made them feel. Collect them, and read them aloud for everyone to hear and understand how kindness makes the heart happy.
Bucket filling is a system that encourages students to act independently to fill each other’s invisible buckets by doing kind acts.
2. Random Acts of Kindness
One of the simplest things to encourage students to do is to find opportunities to show each other kindness in random, unexpected ways.
“Complimentary” Notes: Provide sticky notes in a noticeable spot in the classroom for students to take at any time (they’re “complimentary”!). Students can use them to write a compliment or SMILE-a-GRAM to another student and stick it anonymously on someone’s desk when they’re not looking.
Thank-you Notes: Have children think of people who have done something nice for them lately. Let them pick whom they want to say “Thank you.” It could be the lady who serves them lunch at the cafeteria, the bus driver who takes them to school every day, or the older sibling who helped them with their Math homework. Give them an opportunity in class, just a few minutes a week, to write a thank-you note for someone . Encourage students by reminding them that the person they thank will be delighted at the unexpected kindness shown.
3. Acts of Kindness Challenge
Challenge students in the class to meet a goal to do kind things for others regularly. A challenge can motivate and excite kids into completing a task and create a positive habit. In this case, the task would be to recognize when others do something nice for them unexpectedly or to surprise others with random acts of kindness.
Give them goals: You could give them a goal to meet, perhaps 5 acts per week, and a checklist or calendar to help them keep track. When they’ve completed the list or calendar of acts of kindness, they could add a star to a classroom chart or a shape cutout to a classroom bulletin board dedicated to the challenge. The things your kids do randomly for each other might be to sharpen a friend’s dull pencils, take a classmate’s trash for them at lunchtime, or send an anonymous note of encouragement to a peer who needs it.
The Compliment Experiment: Make a point to compliment each child during the day without the other children noticing. At the end of the day, tell the students that you held an experiment all day, that you complimented each child during the day, to see if their attitudes improved throughout the day. Tell them you noticed a change in the classroom atmosphere for the better and that showing kindness could do that. Encourage them to show kindness to others throughout the day themselves and see what a difference THEY can make.
4. Read Books About Kindness
Literature units are a fun way to introduce and expand on topics in a meaningful way. Use a favorite book to teach your students about kindness, such as these. Add them to your list of kindness activities!
The Kindness Quilt: One of my favorite books for K-2 that teaches kindness is The Kindness Quilt by Nancy Elizabeth Wallace. In this delightful book, the main character, Minna, is assigned to report on an act of kindness that she does. She can’t decide what to write on, so she ends up making a quilt with many kind acts represented, along with the help of her friends, classmates, and eventually the whole school.
Have You Filled a Bucket Today? : “This heartwarming book encourages positive behavior by using the concept of an invisible bucket to show children how easy and rewarding it is to express kindness, appreciation, and love by “filling buckets.”
Sharing examples and stories with kids is an excellent way to encourage kindness. Any of these titles would make beautiful additions to your classroom bookshelf!
Check out my list of kindness picture books on Amazon .
5. Kindness Lessons
Lessons about kindness don’t have to take long. A short mini-lesson or discussion during your SEL morning meeting may be all you need. Or, a classroom meeting may be the perfect time to address or introduce what kindness means. If you feel a longer lesson is necessary, here are some ideas for you to check out.
- Inspirational Words: Write this quote from the Dalai Lama on a thinking map: “Be kind whenever possible. It is always possible.” Ask students what the quote means, and jot down their interpretations and extensions of the meaning. Give students a writing assignment to describe how we can be kind always. Teach them kindness quotes and have them color them in and display in the classroom.
- Literature-based lessons: Use The Kindness Quilt to teach a lesson on working together to promote kindness, and create a classroom kindness quilt of your own . Or, use the book The Cool Bean to teach a lesson about how being cool means being kind .
- Kindness Role Playing: Children need practice being kind, especially if these examples are not evident in their lives. Give them simple scenarios they can act out or play a kindness game using Kindness Cards .
- Make it an occasion worth celebrating: Make a point yearly to celebrate “National Kindness Day” (February 17th). Here is a plan to encourage acts of kindness for kids.
- For more information and resources, check out the educator resources page at randomactsofkindness.org. There are tons of resources there for each child in your room.
6. Positive Reinforcement with Kindness Notes & Rewards
A well-timed word of praise or a cheerful award can be all it takes to reinforce good behavior. Here are several ideas for ways to positively reward acts of kindness in your classroom.
- Try some of these ideas for when you catch your students in the act of showing kindness to their classmates. Praise and kindness go a long way, as do simple things like coupons, a marble jar, certificates, and brag tags. Read more about these creative and cost-effective rewards .
- Give your students something they can give too! These kindness cards are the perfect way for students to announce their pride in themselves for doing good, and to spread the word and motivate others to do the same.
FREE Random Acts of Kindness List of Ideas
Download a free copy of RAOK ideas to promote kindness in your classroom. Print and post your copy as a helpful visual for kids!
Click the image below to sign-up for your free copy!
FREE Kindness Calendar Poster Kit
Encourage students to complete acts all month long with this FREE Kindness Calendar Poster kit.
This kit gives you over a month of ideas ready for you and all the materials to put together a reusable calendar. Create a kindness challenge together!
Click the image below to get a free copy!
Kindness Classroom Resources
Kindness lessons & activities unit for k-2.
Are you looking for detailed lesson plans filled with activities and discussion ideas to help you teach kindness? This Kindness SEL curriculum is teacher-tested and includes five detailed lessons filled with hands-on and mindful activities that teach children about kindness, have them complete a kindness challenge with random acts of kindness, and ways to be a bucket filler.
Through various thought-provoking lessons, discussions, community-building ideas, and engaging activities, children will learn…
- What is Kindness? This lesson teaches kids to understand what kindness is and describe what it means to be a kind kid.
- How to Be Kind to Others : This lesson teaches children to describe and demonstrate ways of being kind to others. They will make efforts to show kindness to others each day.
- Generosity & Giving : This lesson teaches children to describe what generosity and giving means and demonstrate ways of being generous.
- To perform acts during a Kindness Challenge : This lesson teaches children to understand what random acts of kindness are and perform as many acts as they can during a kindness challenge.
- Bucket Filler System : This lesson teaches children to understand the bucket filling system and make an effort to be a bucket filler who helps fill other people’s buckets.
Create meaningful learning opportunities with these additional kindness resources!
Kindness Book Companions
Kindness Classroom Challenge Pack
Digital Kindness Unit for K-2
Kindness Unit for Grades 3-5
Social Emotional Learning Curriculum
Teach children in K-2 essential life lessons when they need it the most with units and activities on emotions, self-regulation, growth mindset, empathy, social awareness, friendship, kindness, respect, and responsibility. Click here to learn more!
Promoting kindness in the classroom is a win-win situation for you and your students, especially with these kindness activities. Everyone will enjoy giving and receiving acts of kindness, and as a teacher, you’ll smile at the uplifting attitudes of your students as they do.
More Activities that Promote Kindness
Morning Meetings
Acts of Kindness for Kids
Teaching Empathy
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Lesson Plans and Activities
Our Lesson Plans and Activities teach children about the importance of kindness, the science of kindness and the impact it has on our physical and mental health. They are designed by teachers, for teachers, and support many of the aims and objectives of the new statutory PSHE curriculum for relationships and health education in primary schools. They are all downloadable free of charge.
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25+ Kindness Project Ideas for Kids
Start a kindness movement in your school or community with these kindness project ideas for elementary school and kids of all ages! Although optimally, kindness starts at home, it definitely needs to be reinforced in the school environment. Not all children see kindness modeled at home, though, which makes it all the more vital that they receive and see kindness at school or through other adults. After all, kids need to see kindness in the places they spend most of their day, and in an environment where they’ll interact with most people.
Kindness Project Ideas for Kids
Kindness matters, especially with kids. A kind act or kind word can turn a child’s day around. Promoting kindness helps reduce bullying and disruptive behavior and increases social awareness and emotional well-being.
Encouraging kindness and compassion are well worth it because those little acts of kindness spread quickly!
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Kindness Ideas from Natural Beach Living
25+ random acts of kindness for school.
Here you’ll find ideas for teachers, students, and parents to spread kindness at school. Since children spend so much of their time here, it’s important that the school is a kind, supportive place. Every person who does a kind act makes a difference!
25+ Random Acts of Kindness for Preschoolers and Kindergarteners
Teaching kids to be kind and considerate starts at a young age. If you want to raise kind kids, check out this list of ideas for preschoolers and kindergarteners to get in on the kindness action.
200+ Best Random Acts of Kindness
This is our HUGE collection of random acts of kindness, and you don’t want to miss it! We’re on a mission to spread kindness wherever we can, and there are loads of cute, easy, and FUN ideas to try here.
25+ Kindness Books for Children
Practicing kindness starts by teaching kindness, and these books help you do just that. Make sure your home library or school library is stocked with a few of these books!
64+ Random Acts of Kindness Cards for Kids
More Kindness Project Ideas for Kids
Kindness Tree from naturalbeachliving.com: Our Kindness Tree is a great way for families to express kindness to each other, but this can also be used in the classroom. Keep some hearts and markers close to the tree (as well as a hole punch and string) so that kids can add a kind message for someone whenever they’d like.
Kindness Rocks from naturalbeachliving.com: Kindness rocks are a great way to spread smiles! You can hide these on the playground at school (if permission is given), or put them around your community to bring a little cheer into your neighborhood.
Kids Kindness Challenge from naturalbeachliving.com: Use our printable to take the kindness challenge! This is a great way to get the whole school involved. It includes ideas that students can do individually, in a classroom, or as a school. Imagine the people you could help if each student donates a can of food!
Random Acts of Kindness Printable Cards from naturalbeachliving.com: Leave treats and fun surprises around the school with these beautiful printable tags attached.
Kindness Bookmarks from naturalbeachliving.com: Leave some bookmarks in the school library. You can put some at the front desk for people to grab when they check out books and insert some into popular books for people to find.
Random Acts of Kindness Lunchbox Notes from naturalbeachliving.com: Lunchtime is a great time to remind students to be kind to one another. It’s a prime time for socializing, and a genuine smile or eating with someone who’s sitting alone can make such a big difference in a child’s day. These can be handed out along with the kids’ lunch trays or given out at the lunch table.
Random Acts of Kindness Christmas Basket – Delivery Driver Snack Sign : during the holiday season service workers are extra busy, so providing them with a drink and snack is such a thoughtful way to say thank you and show your appreciation.
Kindness Activities for Kids
Sunbeam Kindness Challenge: Teaching children they can be little shining lights of kindness to others is no small task, but it can be so rewarding. If you’re looking for ways to encourage generosity in your classroom or family, you’re going to love the sunbeam acts of kindness challenge.
You’ve been Egged Challenge or Project: spread a little extra kindness and cheer to your friends, school, classrooms, and neighbors this spring season by egging people with kindness.
Random Acts of Kindness Dinner Basket and Kindness Printable : Show someone you care by surprising them with a Random Acts of Kindness Meal. You can ask everyone in the class or school to donate items from the grocery store to create several Random Acts of Kindness Dinner Baskets for those in need.
Kindness Pencil Toppers from coffeeandcarpool.com: Kids can make these to share with their classmates to share some kind words, but this is a great way for teachers to do the same. Anytime a child needs a pencil, their day gets a little brighter.
Acts of Kindness
Book and a Treat from growingbookbybook.com: Donate books to the free library in your area (or to your school library), and attach a gift card for a treat at a local restaurant with a binder clip. What a nice idea! The recipient gets two gifts in one.
Kindness Clips from happinessishomemade.net: We’ve mentioned this one before, but this is such a fun idea for a school-wide kindness project. It’s so easy to discreetly clip one of these kindness clips onto someone’s backpack or jacket to give the recipient a little confidence boost during the school day.
Bucket Filler Ideas for the Classroom from proudtobeprimary.com: Have children sort sentences into “bucket fillers” or “bucket dippers” to help them learn which actions are supportive and which are negative.
Bucket Filler Snack from lessons4littleones: Add pom poms to “buckets” made by the children whenever they do something kind. When the bucket is full, the pom-poms magically turn into snacks or goodies.
Blessing Bags from wondermomwannabe: Work together as a classroom to collect items for blessing bags for the homeless in the area. This is a wonderful project for the holidays but would be welcome anytime during the year.
Simple Acts of Kindness
Paper Chain of Kindness from sugarspiceandglitter.com: Let the children add a link to the paper chain of kindness to acknowledge whenever someone is kind to them. This can be an ongoing, collaborative project that lasts for a week, a month, or the entire school year.
Pet Supplies Collection for Animal Shelter from seevanessacraft.com: Animal shelters are so often in need of extra food, blankets, and toys for the animals to play with. A school drive to collect these items would make some furry friends very happy!
Kindness Placemats for Senior Citizens from coffeecupsandcrayons.com: Partner with your local Meals on Wheels or nursing home to allow kids to create these cheerful placemats for seniors to use when eating their meals. It’s a sweet way to let them know you care.
Post Cards for Seniors from sunnydayfamily.com: Speaking of seniors in nursing homes, some of them may not have family or friends who can write to them. Why not send some happy mail as a class? These colorable postcards are sure to bring about some smiles.
Acts of Kindness Bingo from fantasticfunandlearning.com: Kids can take the “Things to Do at School” BINGO sheet with them to school and see if they can cross off items horizontally, vertically, or diagonally. Challenge them to get BINGO in one day… or one week… or challenge them to fill up the entire card in a month!
Kindness Challenge
Kindness Poster from squirrellyminds.com: Put kindness posters up throughout the school as frequent reminders for the kids and staff to be kind to each other.
Kindness Tic Tac Toe from happygoluckyblog.com: Create a kindness tic tac toe like this one, but perhaps change it for items that can be completed at the school. For instance, “pick up trash at a local park” could be changed to “pick up trash on the playground.” Challenge kids to complete 3 acts of kindness in a row, and present them with a certificate or token of appreciation for their kindness when they complete it.
Have You Filled a Bucket Today? Craft from glitteronadime.com: This sensory activity is a great way to reinforce the concepts in the Have You Filled a Bucket Today book with young children. They can shape playdough into whatever they’d like to represent kindness—whether that’s hearts, playdough buckets, or something else. They then use the other materials that represent kindness to “fill it up.”
Kindness Ideas
Pin this list of kindness projects for elementary school to come back to anytime you want to start a kindness initiative!
Acts of Kindness Ideas
101 best random acts of kindness ideas.
Teaching Kindness to Kids – All of the Kindness Activities and Ideas You Need
Click Here to Grab a Great Set of Random Acts of Kindness Cards to Use in Your Classroom
Teach Starter Teach Starter
60+ random acts of kindness ideas for kids to make the classroom a kinder place.
Random acts of kindness may be small moments in the school day, but they can make a major difference in students’ lives. And yet, as teachers we know that working this concept into a busy school year can be complicated. With 180 days and countless directives, how do you manage to encourage your students to be generous and gracious and sprinkle these random acts of kindness into the day? For that matter, what are some random acts of kindness ideas for kids that you can use in your classroom?
Whether you’re looking to celebrate Random Acts of Kindness Day on February 17 (just after Valentine’s Day ) or just looking for some random acts of kindness ideas for kids to add to your social-emotional lessons , the teachers on the Teach Starter team have put together this how-to guide for teachers to make this concept both easier to teach and truly inspiring to kids. Read on for the origin of the Random Acts of Kindness concept plus ideas for students to use in your classroom this school year!
Need Random Acts of Kindness Day printables ASAP? Head over to download now!
What Is a Random Act of Kindness?
The name may give it all away. Then again, maybe not.
By definition, a random act of kindness is a selfless action performed by an individual to help or benefit someone else, without any expectation of recognition or reward. These acts can be small or large and can have a significant impact on the person or people receiving them, as well as the person performing the act.
Some of the more common examples of random acts of kindness include paying for someone’s coffee in line behind you, leaving a note of encouragement, or helping a neighbor with a task — and of course there are hundreds upon hundreds of examples that we see students do every day from offering a pencil to a classmate when they don’t have one to carrying a buddy’s lunch tray in the cafeteria.
What Is the Origin of Random Acts of Kindness?
The concept of doing kind things for other people has been around for as long as there have been people, but the origin of the phrase Random Acts of Kindness is a bit murky — there’s no way to know who said it first.
Most credit the phrase’s popularity to a California woman named Anne Herbert who wrote an article titled “Practice random kindness and senseless acts of beauty” in a 1985 issue of the countercultural journal “Whole Earth Review.” Herbert went on to co-write a children’s book of the same name in 1993, securing the term’s place in the zeitgeist.
Republished 20 years later with a foreword by Bishop Desmond Tutu, the book is a good start for elementary school teachers looking to implement random acts of kindness in the classroom.
In addition to Herbert, the Random Acts of Kindness Foundation in Colorado has played a crucial role in establishing “Random Acts of Kindness” as a worldwide phenomenon. The non-profit was formed in the early 1990s and has been the driving force behind making February 17 the official Random Acts of Kindness Day, focused on a mission to “Make Kindness the Norm.”
The non-profit offers teachers, students, and other individuals a chance to sign on as RAKtivists , short for Random Act of Kindness activist. Apply for your class, and you’ll get free monthly missions to spread more kindness plus access to the RAKtivist Facebook group!
Random Acts of Kindness Ideas for Kids
Looking for immediate random acts of kindness ideas for kids to do in the classroom? Start with small, manageable tasks that kids can do to show them random acts of kindness are for everyone, no matter their age.
Some ideas perfect for school include:
- Holding the classroom door open for classmates
- Allowing a friend to go first in a recess game
- Asking another student if they need help with their homework
- Throwing out a friend’s trash at lunchtime
- Waving to a classmate on the school bus
- Picking up another student’s pencil when it falls
- Offering to help a classmate with a project
- Leaving a note of appreciation for a janitor or custodian
- Baking cookies for their bus driver
- Carrying a friend’s tray at lunch when they are on crutches
- Sharing crayons, colored pencils, and other classroom resources
- Offering a student a hug when they are sad
Print this fun Kindness Tracker for kids to color each time they do something kind for a friend or family member!
And here are dozens of Random Acts of Kindness ideas for kids to do outside of school!
- Leave a note of encouragement for a friend or family member
- Make a card for a nursing home resident
- Help a neighbor with a task, such as raking leaves or shoveling snow
- Donate toys or clothes to a children’s charity
- Bake cookies or cupcakes for a local fire station or police department
- Leave coins in a vending machine for the next person
- Make flowers for a grandparent and deliver a bunch just because (use this fun printable flower template they can add their photos to!)
- Leave a kind note on a park bench for a stranger to find it
- Help a younger sibling with their homework
- Pick up trash when they spot it in a parking lot or at the park
- Leave a kind note in a library book for the next person who checks out the book to read it
- Help an older person with their groceries
- Leave extra quarters at a laundromat
- Give a compliment to someone in the grocery store
- Leave a note of encouragement in a public bathroom
- Offer to babysit for a single parent (best for older students)
- Help a homeless person by buying them a meal
- Leave a note of appreciation for a store clerk or fast food worker
- Offer to walk a neighbor’s dog
- Leave a fun drawing on a stranger’s car to brighten their day
Explore our teacher resource collection full of printable greeting card templates your students can use to write kind notes to make someone smile!
- Donate food to a local food bank
- Leave a small gift for the mail carrier
- Make a homemade thank you card for essential workers
- Leave a kind note for the housekeeping staff at a hotel
- Offer to help an elderly person with yard work
- Leave a small gift for a librarian
- Make a homemade card for a soldier or veteran
- Leave a kind note for someone who works in a public space such as your local community center
- Volunteer to walk dogs at a local animal shelter
- Leave a note for a museum guide
- Offer to help a friend or family member with a task they have been struggling with
- Offer to run an errand for someone who is sick or unable to leave their house
- Leave a kind note for a coach or team leader
- Donate their gently used toys to a local domestic violence shelter
- Leave a note of appreciation for a park ranger or lifeguard
- Offer to pet sit for a friend or family member
- Leave a small gift for a nurse or doctor
- Offer to help a friend or family member with a personal goal
- Leave a kind note for a hair stylist or barber
- Bake cookies for their delivery driver
- Help a friend or family member move
- Leave a small gift for a hospital worker
- Offer to help a friend or family member clean their house or apartment
- Donate gently used books they’ve already read to a local library
- Teach a friend or family member a new skill
- Read to a neighbor or friend’s dog (this is also a great way for young readers to practice their skills!)
More Ways to Promote Random Acts of Kindness at School
Some random acts of kindness ideas you can kick off as a teacher:
- Use our Random Acts of Kindness calendar with your students for the month. It includes 16 different kindness tasks for your students to do for others.
- Set up a “kindness” board in your classroom with sticky notes where students can write kind things about their classmates and post them.
- Sign your class up for the Great Kindness Challenge for a week of challenges.
- Brainstorm random acts of kindness ideas and make kindness fortune tellers with your class.
- A simple hello could lead to a million smiles. Have your students use our Hello Greeting Cards template to write a nice compliment inside for a class member.
- Create a kindness chain for the classroom. Give students paper slips to write down ideas for random acts of kindness, and link them together to display on your bulletin board or even out in the hallway. Kindness might be catching!
- Post a “ sprinkle kindness” banner in the classroom as a visual reminder to practice random acts of kindness.
Looking for more ways to encourage kindness? Try these kindness teacher resources !
Banner image via shutterstock/Darrin Henry
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Keys to Happier Living: Toolkit for Schools
The keys to happier living toolkit is an engaging, accessible and evidence-based programme to promote the emotional wellbeing and resilience of children aged 5-11.
There are two versions of the Toolkit, one for ages 5-7 and the other for ages 7-11. You can use the form on the right to find out more and access the online ordering system.
You can view a full list of our resources for children and young people here .
Both versions of the Toolkit are based on the Action for Happiness Ten Keys to Happier Living framework and have been piloted in primary schools with appropriate age groups. Qualitative feedback was very positive and quantitative analysis showed significant improvements in wellbeing and other areas. The toolkit for ages 7-11 was also previously awarded the PSHE Association Quality Mark.
The Toolkits are available to order online and cost £80 each for unlimited access to all resources for a full academic year. They consist of a set of downloadable digital resources which can be used/printed by the school as needed:
Toolkit for Teachers: full teaching materials covering an initial assembly and 11 subsequent lessons, with ideas for ongoing reinforcement
Journal for Children: each child receives their own journal to help embed learning
Journal for Adults: to help staff embed the ideas in their own lives too
Information Leaflet: for Parents and Carers about the Keys to Happier Living
Extensive supporting resources available to download
An Information Leaflet with some general activities has also been developed for teachers to introduce younger children (ages 4-5) to the GREAT DREAM framework.
This is included in the downloadable resources for the Toolkit ages 5-7.
Feedback on the Toolkit
The toolkit has received positive feedback from parents, children and teachers:
Parents' views:
"My daughter came home with her happier living journal and I would just like to compliment it. Wellbeing is so key. I love the fact that my children are being taught such things at school"
Children's views:
"It was very helpful and helped me in my life" "I think all schools should teach these lessons"
Teachers' views
"The sessions have given the children the chance to think about the things they can do in their everyday life to improve their own and other's lives" "The children really enjoyed having time to reflect on each of the keys. They linked them to their own lives and it offered a good opportunity for them to be thankful for all they have"
An action-packed, illustrated book that helps children build happiness skills and develop helpful habits for their daily lives..
Provides a wide variety of stimulating and creative ideas for developing skills that support happier living and wellbeing in the lives of pupils, parents and carers
A fantastic toolkit which has been shown to bring considerable benefits. Teachers will especially appreciate the huge array of ideas and creative resources. This program fills a vitally important gap in our schools and I highly recommend it
I strongly believe that the earlier we teach children how to look after themselves and others, the happier and more successful they will become, and this Toolkit provides the resources to do just that. Highly recommended!
Download the FREE Action for Happiness app for iOS or Android
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Developing the idea and expression of kindness in kids is vital for holistic development. Kindness activities for kids help demonstrate the concept of kindness through a hands-on and practical approach. Children can take away valuable lessons on how to practice kindness and in what circumstances kindness matters the most. They can also explore more nuanced ideas such as compassion, empathy, and forgiveness, through the introduction of proactive kindness activities.
Let’s shift our focus to the best kindness activities for kindergarten that you can practice with your kids, and how to maximize their effectiveness through the right guided directions.
Introduce These 20 Amazing Kindness Activities for Elementary Students
1. Writing Thank You Notes to Others
You can encourage your child to write “Thank You” notes to their teachers, friends, and family members whom they appreciate. They can focus on specific areas they appreciate the most and emphasize inherent traits through kindness. The activity can be performed during birthdays, before breaktime, or on any special occasion.
Ideal Age Range : 5+ years
Things Needed: Stationery
What to Remember : You should let them take the lead on making the card/note.
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2. Helping a Sibling with Homework
Your kids can help each other with their homework and learn about the role of kindness in interpersonal relationships. You can set the right habits in momentum by encouraging them to help their siblings when they can’t finish their homework. By establishing this activity each week, you can imbibe the right set of practices as they grow older.
Ideal Age Range : 6+ years
Things Needed : Guidelines
What to Remember : You can start by initiating an open dialogue about asking for and giving help.
3. Painting Kindness Rocks with Messages
This is one of the best preschool kindness activities for toddlers that can be performed any time. You can encourage your children to paint rocks of different colors and set them aside to dry off. You can then write positive affirmations of kindness on them as reminders for the family to be kind and giving.
Ideal Age Range : 4+ years
Things Needed : Rocks, paint
What to Remember: You can have your kids come up with the affirmations that they like.
4. Making a Kindness Calendar
A kindness calendar with unique initiatives can help your child be more motivated to be kind to someone throughout the month. You can add simple acts such as setting the dinner table, cheering someone with a joke, and writing a friendly note.
Things Needed : Calendar template
What to Remember : It’s important to let your child come up with kindness ideas.
5. Reading Books, Poems, and Stories about Acts of Kindness
A range of books about kindness, such as The Kindness Quilt , Finding Kindness , and The Big Umbrella , can be read aloud for kids to learn about the concept. You can make it more exciting for kids by role playing with dolls, toys, and puppets, giving your kids a multisensory experience with these kindness activities for kids.
Ideal Age Range : 3+ years
Things Needed : Reading-level based books
What to Remember: Reading out loud in a playful manner will engage kids more effectively
6. Kindness Cards for Kids
You can prepare and print out a range of flashcards with acts of kindness on them. Your child can pick one and set out to complete the act at school, at the playground, and other places. Examples of these could be helping a friend who’s fallen, thanking a teacher, and sharing a snack with a friend.
Ideal Age Range : 6+ years
Things Needed : Kindness-based flashcards
What to Remember : You can focus on correcting certain behaviors with the right kindness card
7. Appreciation Box for Family
You can make an appreciation box for your family, encouraging everyone to write down words of appreciation for kindness driven actions. Your kids can learn to actively appreciate someone for being kind and share their feelings on paper.
Ideal Age Range : 5+ years
Things Needed : Small box, scissors, paint, cards
What to Remember : Encouraging your child to fill up the box regularly will keep them interested in the activity.
8. Kind Acts Across History
You can talk about kind acts throughout history, such as Princess Diana visiting hospitals, the Pay It Forward Movement, the brave acts of Oskar Schindler and so on. By talking about these acts of kindness, kids can feel a sense of community, history, and legacy around the idea of kindness.
Things Needed : History books, lessons
What to Remember : You can ask your child to think about why a specific act was seen as kind worldwide.
9. Let’s Make a Kindness Song
If you have musically inclined kids, then encouraging them to create a song on kindness will be a great way to empower them creatively. You can ask them to create lyrics, melodies, and a dance step to go along with the song. The song can also focus on simple acts of kindness we can do every day.
Things Needed : Instruments, lyrics
What to Remember: Having a dance routine will make the activity more joyful.
10. Volunteering at an Animal Shelter
This is a great way to teach kids about the wonders of kindness and its reciprocation in the form of affection and love. Animals are highly intuitive and can help kids about being confident in approaching them based on body language. Your child can participate in feeding, cleaning, and hygiene activities at the shelter to teach them the value of responsibility through kindness.
Things Needed : Scheduled visit
What to Remember : You can have them visit different types of animals to see if they form a natural bond.
11. Donating Books, Clothes, and Food
The inherent value of donating and doing something good for others can be the foundation of kindness for many kids. You can start teaching your children about the joy of giving through this kindness activity for kids. Kids can search in their own closet, toy chest, and other personal areas for things they’d like other children to have.
Ideal Age Range : 4+ years
Things Needed : Boxes, books, clothes, etc.
What to Remember : It’s important to focus on why it is good to donate things to other people.
12. Role Playing Exercises for Kindness
Role playing through toys, puppets, and dolls can be great ways to help kids understand kindness instinctively. You can enact different situations, such as a girl sitting by herself at the playground, a kid crying because he fell, and a student with no lunch to eat. Through these scenarios, you can help your child think through difficult situations and act with kindness.
Things Needed : Toys, scenarios
What to Remember : Asking your child to think from the perspective of different people will help.
13. Filling Out Kindness Worksheets
You can create kindness worksheets that focus on various questions, such as “what is kindness to you?”, “How can I be more kind to my friends?”, “My family shows kindness by…,” etc. These types of worksheets can be helpful in letting kids think about kindness from a holistic standpoint. They can come up with their own answers and examples and complete the worksheets.
Things Needed : Worksheet template
What to Remember: Preparing multiple worksheets will help them think about unique aspects of kindness.
14. Kindness for Nature
Nature-based kindness activities for kids can help them establish a closer relationship with the outside world. By empowering them to take care of a young plant, you can help them become more responsible and caring individuals.
Things Needed: Seeds, pots, mud
What to Remember : It is important to talk to them about why we need to be kind to nature.
15. The Kindness Tree
You can prepare a kindness tree by placing twigs in a glass jar and cutting out green paper in the form of leaves. You can ask your child about the various acts of kindness they showcased, write them down on the leaf, and then tie them symbolically on the twig. With each act of kindness, your child sees the tree grow and flourish with leaves all over.
Things Needed : Twigs, stationery, strings
What to Remember: You can make this activity impactful by involving your child throughout the process
16. A Rainbow of Kindness
Crafts-based kindness activities for kids can help them make something unique and memorable around the idea of being kind. They can add the colors of the rainbow on seven ice cream sticks and write phrases that are polite and kind to say. Examples could be “Please,” “Thank you,” “I appreciate you,” etc.
Age Range: 5+ years
Things Needed: Ice cream sticks, colors, stationery
What to Remember : Focusing on why it is good to make someone feel good through kindness should be a key takeaway.
17. The Kindness Scenario: What Would You Do?
You can prepare different scenarios for your child to explore through the lenses of kindness and compassion. Your child can talk about what they would do in a situation, and you can track for inconsistencies or lack of action in different cases. This can also help your child understand when it’s right to be kind.
Age Range: 4 years +
Things Needed : Templates, cards
What to Remember : It’s vital to let your child take the lead on answering the questions posed.
18. I Am Thankful For – My Friends, My Family, My Sister
A key determiner of kindness is thankfulness, which can be practiced with the activity. You can write “I am thankful for” at the center of a sheet of paper and have your child write all the things they’re thankful for on the corners. They can choose to fill out the sheet of paper over time, making this a year-long record of kindness shown by others.
Age Range : 4+ years
Things Needed: Stationery
What to Remember: You can showcase examples of what you are thankful for to initiate the activity.
19. The Giving Jar for the Home
You can make a giving jar and encourage your kids to fill it up with things they’d like other members of the family to have. From sweets to toys, they can give away things they think would bring a smile on someone’s face or make someone’s day better.
Age Range : 6+ years
Things Needed : Glass jar
What to Remember : It is important to let your child organically give away things that they think will be helpful to others.
20. Handmade Gifts for Someone
You can encourage your child to use Origami, arts and crafts, and other interesting ways to make handmade gifts. They can make hearts, hugs, toys, and other cool presents for their parents, friends, siblings, and grandparents.
Age Range : 5+ years
Things Needed : Stationery
Why Should We Include Kindness Activities for Students?
Actively teaching kindness through instructions, guides, and activities helps kids proactively learn the concept from a theoretical and practical standpoint. Kids may be feeling certain emotions and want to help someone in need without vocalizing that expression as “kindness.”
It is also important to teach kids about kindness so that they can understand the concept through a practical lens. They can make the cognitive connection that certain actions are kind, while others are unkind or rude. This helps them navigate the world better, treat their peers with respect, and be more considerate about others’ feelings.
You can also mold your child to be more kind and giving with the right types of activities. More engaging and outdoors activities for kids that involve kindness as a core virtue can teach them the right steps to practice each day. Kids can learn good behaviors through playful activities that allow them to explore different aspects of what it means to be kind.
Kindness is also a fruitful tool for social bonding in classrooms and developing lifelong relationships at an early age. Your child can be better socially adjusted at school and be more open to dynamic environments. They can actively recognize and reward kindness in other kids and become close friends with them by being more kind.
Exploring the Advantages of Teaching Kindness through Activities
You can transform the way your child sees the world by introducing kindness at an early age. Your children can learn through kindness activities that are designed to help them think from different aspects.
By understanding and exploring different types of kindness gestures and actions, they can learn practical strategies for interacting with their surroundings. They can learn how to share toys, forgive their friends, appreciate their teachers, and make someone happy.
You can also empower your children with self-kindness, which is a direct predecessor to self-esteem. You can teach your kids to learn how to talk to themselves when they make a mistake or feel embarrassed about something. Through self-kindness, they can reshape their inner narrative to that of love, compassion, and forgiveness for shortcomings.
Let’s Conclude
Kindness is a universal feeling, and kids can start learning about it at an early age. Through kindness activities for kids, children can understand what it means to be kind and when it’s right to be kind to someone. You can also teach your children about the impact of kindness on our surroundings, our society, and our family, through different activities that spark curiosity and engaged thinking.
What’s next? We can make these activities that much more impactful by making them a part of everyday activities and integrating them in play and during leisure time. Kids can understand the importance of kindness in our lives when they practice these activities every few days.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
How often can i do kindness activities with my kids.
Weekly activities that focus on some form of kindness expression or extended one-off activities that grow over time can be impactful for young kids.
How can I make kindness activities more fun?
You can make kindness activities for kids more fun by involving toys, musical instruments, videos, and other multi-sensory tools. You can also continue to introduce new activities regularly to make it more fun for kids.
How do I explain the differences between kindness, compassion, and empathy?
By focusing on role playing activities, guides, books, and songs, you can teach the differences between kindness, compassion, and empathy.
At what age can kids learn about kindness?
Kids as young as the age of three years can understand the concept of kindness at a rudimentary level.
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The School Kindness Project
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If you had asked me three years ago about kindness in my classroom, I would have responded like many teachers.
“Of course there’s kindness in my room! I expect all of my students to treat each other—and myself—with respect.”
That’s the kind of thing we say on the first day of school, put on our syllabi, or mention in conversations with parents. But I didn’t realize how much impact kindness truly can have on the culture of classrooms, schools, communities, and districts until my students and I truly challenged one another to grow.
A Simple Gesture
There are dozens of different scenarios that play out in my high school classroom. I often see students with their heads down, texting, not turning in their homework, or talking back. This behavior is usually followed by weeks of frustrating conversations with students, begging them to pay attention and get back to work, and then the ever-dreaded phone calls to parents.
One day I found myself having a particularly frustrating day—my hands covering my face as I stared down at my disheveled desk. But suddenly a pack of bright pink sticky notes caught my eye, and I thought back to one of my favorite college classes.
I’d been having a terrible day, and I was completely disengaged. I had no idea what the professor was discussing that day. Suddenly, a classmate slid a piece of paper across the table that said, “Are you OK?”
I’d never talked to this classmate before, and I didn’t know how to respond. But I wrote as much as I could on the note—“No”—and passed it back. Though the note didn’t solve my problem, I immediately felt better knowing that someone had cared enough to ask how I was doing.
It also gave me the answer I needed for the blank sticky notes I was now staring at on my desk.
As I looked around my classroom, one student caught my eye. He had his head down and showed very little interest in what was happening. So I grabbed a sticky note and wrote the same question, “Are you OK?” on it.
I walked over to the student and placed the note lightly on his desk, patting him on the shoulder and walked away without saying a word. I returned to my desk, made eye contact, and watched as the student wrote back. He walked back to my desk, handed the note to me, and I saw the familiar response: “No.”
I looked around to make sure no one else was listening to our private moment and said, “Whatever is going on, you know that I am always here to listen. I know it’s hard to think right now, but try to use your work as an escape from whatever is going on. If it’s too tough, you come back and tell me.” He nodded and returned to his desk, sat down, and finished his work.
Since that moment, I’ve always made sure my desk is well equipped with sticky notes.
It’s easy for teachers to become wrapped up in making sure the lesson is done, rather than making sure every student understands the lesson. In this scenario, I could have called home or sent him somewhere else. But that simple gesture let the student know I cared about how he felt. I found out in a later conversation that that was all he needed—his parents were in the middle of a divorce at home and attention was lacking.
It was a nice reminder that kindness is more than respect or the golden rule. It’s mutual understanding between two people.
Culture Shock
I didn’t realize the true impact kindness could have until there was a threat of violence at my school. The police were involved and the situation was resolved before we returned to school after Thanksgiving break.
Although the exact motivation behind that particular threat wasn’t apparent, investigations following the incidents revealed students who have felt excluded, alone, or bullied. The day we returned to class, I approached my leadership class and expressed my concerns about bullying at our school. I asked my students, “How can we create lasting, ongoing change?” To my surprise, they came up with an entire program—based solely on kindness. They even came up a name that encouraged people to take an active role: To Be Kind (TBK).
The students made it a priority to proactively improve the quality of life for students and staff at our school by creating a culture of kindness. They were creative (and ambitious) in their ideas: They stuffed all 2,000 lockers with messages of positivity and challenges like holding the door for strangers; they placed anonymous notes on teachers’ desks thanking them for working hard to help them be successful; they used social media to compliment their classmates instead of using it to talk badly about them; they brought attention to words like “gay” and “retarded” and their negative connotations; and most impactful of all, they used sidewalk chalk all over campus to leave inspiring quotes (many of which were posted to students’ Instagram accounts).
As a result of students’ efforts, the dynamic and culture of the campus changed. Students were more excited to come to school. (Yes, you read that right—students wanted to come to school!)
This change in our school culture spread quickly via social media and word of mouth. Next thing we knew, the culture of kindness had spread to other schools in the district and the larger community. A local news station and a professional soccer team even came on board to help create public service announcements to impact our community. Most importantly, my students spent time at elementary schools teaching younger children the importance of kindness.
It was amazing to see ideas as simple as passing along a smile to a stranger, saying please and thank you, giving a compliment, or even writing a sticky note, grow to impact so many people.
Bringing Kindness Into the Classroom
Teachers must learn to lead by example. What we expect of our students, we must expect of ourselves. Education is a joint effort between students and educators—and kindness is no different.
It seems that every year the inevitable question pops up: “How do you change the world?” For many of my students, the answer is always the same: “One person can’t change the world.” Of course I could offer examples like Martin Luther King, Mother Theresa, and countless others from history—or I could lead them to the truth.
So I ask: “How many people did you smile at today? How many compliments did you give? How many apologies did you make?” In each of those moments, we have a chance to change the world by making the day just a little better for someone else. For today, we can change their world. Creating a culture of kindness begins with everyday teachable moments that help students change their perceptions of one another.
Teachers change the world every day for students; in the lessons you teach, in the moments you speak, in the actions you take. Too many people say bullying is a rite of passage—that it’s just kids being kids, or that it’s a way to toughen kids up.
As educators, we need to be the voice of change. We need to show (not tell) students the meaning of compassion, empathy, understanding, and respect. We need to rethink about yelling at that student “we wished had stayed home.” Maybe they just needed someone to pass them a sticky note and open the door of trust.
Many educators see kindness as a way to let their students walk all over them. “I have to be tough so they won’t misbehave.” The truth is, kindness is one of the strongest characteristics a person can show because being mean is simply too easy.
Bullying ends where kindness begins; it begins with me. What will you teach today?
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Buckeye elementary students show kindness.
KINDNESS — Fifth-graders at Buckeye South Elementary School in Tiltonsville and teachers Erika Harvey and Katie Beeman delivered handwritten cards to patients at Carriage Inn of Steubenville on Feb. 14 and had a chance to speak to the patients. It was among many activities conducted at all three elementary schools in the Buckeye Local School District as part of Kindness Week 2023. -- Contributed
TILTONSVILLE — Elementary students in the Buckeye Local School District expressed their generosity to others with a series of activities during Kindness Week.
Buckeye South, North and West conducted events designed by school counselor Andrea Halicky on Feb. 13-17 in keeping with the themes of spreading kindness at home, in school and beyond.
Activities included Mindness Monday, which focused on kindness to self and involved wearing neon colors, exercising 10 minutes to get the heart pumping, complimenting themselves, practicing mindfulness and taking slow, deep breaths for three minutes; Thoughtful Tuesday, which centered on kindness at home and included wearing Valentine-related garb, creating handmade cards, doing chores without prompting and helping their parents cook dinner; Worthwhile Wednesday, with wearing a favorite team jersey and showing good manners such as holding the door for someone, recycling plastic and paper and giving compliments to others; Thankful Thursday, which included showing Panther pride by wearing school gear, playing with others, writing positive notes for others, making thank-you cards for school staff and talking to someone who seemed lonely; and Random Acts of Kindness Friday, which concluded with wearing shiny or sparkly items or Disney or Harry Potter clothing and performing a random act of kindness to put what they’ve learned all week into practice.
Halicky said the impact of the pandemic-related shutdown and gradual return to normalcy led her to begin the event.
“It started in 2021. It was the first year back in school after COVID, and kids had been out doing virtual learning and they were being reintegrated,” she said, adding that Kindness Week enabled youth to improve themselves on a social-emotional scale. “This helps them learn to be kind to themselves, kind to other students and kind to the community.”
Now in its third year, the program has provided a positive outlet for youth and nearly 1,000 pupils in grades PreK-6 took part.
“I meet with kids individually and one said he really needed it,” Halicky added, noting its impact.
At South, some fifth-graders went the extra mile by giving handmade cards to patients at Carriage Inn of Steubenville on Valentine’s Day. About 39 students delivered the messages in person and spoke to patients at the facility to let them know they cared.
Teacher Katie Beeman said the project perfectly fit into the context of Kindness Week and the students were inspired and excited.
“I had received a list of names and I assigned a person to each student in the two fifth-grade classes,” Beeman said. “We took a field trip on Valentine’s Day and I invited them to give the cards personally. They read the cards and talked to them.”
Beeman added that the students were eager to go back and she hoped it helped them become better humans because of it. She hopes to do similar projects in the future.
“The residents were thankful and the kids had a good time,” she said. “I think it’s important for them to give back to the community and they need to realize they can do nice things.”
South Elementary Principal Lori Roberts said students also got to create unique squares with drawings or lists of the nice deeds they performed throughout the week.
“Every student got a square and they were to write or draw the ways they showed kindness to someone and we blanketed the school with kindness.”
Similar creations were made at North and West, while the school in Brilliant also sent homemade Valentine cards to the River Landing senior living complex.
“We did Kindness Week for the past couple of years, but never to this extent,” said North Elementary Principal Susan Nolan.
At West, Principal Brian DiCola said his pupils also enjoyed participating with sixth-graders also decorating doors.
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Loves math, wants to work in medicine with children, a black belt in space, a fifth-grader at heart, making mathematicians, love and positivity, multiplied, students present artistic twist on being nice, new initiative aims to connect students with careers & schools with employers, film class ‘teaching us how to be whole’, district buildings promote mental health awareness , an msu grad’s painful reflection: violence has turned my former green-and-white home red, friendships form through positive links.
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High school students spread kindness through service to larger community
First year for out-of-school activities
Walking through the halls of Thornapple Kellogg High School on a recent Friday, things seemed quieter than usual. But open up a classroom door or take a drive through Middleville — a much different story.
More than 900 TK high school students participated in the district’s annual School Service Day. Students worked on philanthropic projects in the school and, for the first time, were physically present out in the community.
“Typically we had agencies come to the school and only had sessions here in the building,” Principal Tony Peterson said prior to the event. “This year, we are sending kids off on a new adventure. We have a variety of projects that half the kids are going out into the community to work on.”
From volunteering at nursing homes to working with students at local elementary schools and making stickers for patients at Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital, students were kept busy during the sixth annual day of service.
“This gives them the opportunity to learn about giving back and a way to say thank you to the community for all that they do for us,” Peterson said. “It helps them to be a part of something bigger than themselves.
“It’s not about them today; it’s about learning to give to others and what that looks like.”
TK received a couple of grants to help cover costs of service day including the speaker and work supplies. The grants were received from the Youth Advisory Council of the Barry Community Foundation and the Thornapple Enrichment Foundation, an affiliate of the Community Foundation.
Usually held before the end of first semester, the day of service was moved to fit in with the school calendar, creating new, outdoor opportunities for students.
Kindness Rocks
One of the most popular sessions focused on the national “Kindness Rocks Project,” which encourages people to leave painted rocks with inspiring messages around their community.
Surrounded by buckets of paint and blank rock canvasses, students set out to create their own messages of kindness.
Senior Zeremi Akkus decided to choose particularly vibrant colors for her rock.
“Days like today are a good thing because they are an opportunity to give back and get the younger generation involved,” Zeremi said.
All of the rocks made by students will be placed around the community and among other schools in the district.
Comfort for Veterans
The Snuggli Quilters, a group of quilters from Middleville United Methodist Church, also made an appearance to oversee students making sleeping bags for the homeless. For the past 10 years, the group has made sleeping bags from donated materials and given them to veterans homes. Their handiwork has made it as far as places like Chicago and Washington.
“When you watch these kids working, they’re focused, “ said Francy Tobin, a member of Snuggli Quilters. “They’re not on their phones or goofing around, they are really working.”
‘Days like today are a good thing because they are an opportunity to give back and get the younger generation involved.’ — senior Zeremi Akkus
Having attended Student Service Day for many years, Tobin said the coolest thing about working with high schoolers is seeing students who have never sewn before help make sleeping bags.
“We normally have 75 kids working in a day,” Tobin said. “That’s a lot of helpers.”
Tooth Fairy
With Dwayne Johnson’s rendition of “The Tooth Fairy” playing in the background, some students chose to decorate bags for elementary students who lose teeth at school. Armed with construction paper, felt and glitter, junior Asia Wickett played on her elementary memories for her bag design.
“I remember when I would lose teeth,” Asia said. “My sister loses teeth at school and she’s always finding something random to keep her teeth in until she gets home.
“I think it will be really cool for kids to pick out a fun bag.”
Next year, the hope is for bigger and better.
“We plan to continue this event next year and look for ways to make it even more fun and rewarding for students and for our community,” Peterson said.
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Kindness Club: Front Row: Isabella Lopez, Marley Garrison, Hailey Floyd, Alexis Cameron, and Eliana Caruso. Back Row: MaryAlice McVey (May Day Queen 2022), Zoey Lee, Channing Pollard, Gracin Peace, Ava Knuckles, Emma Helton, Club Sponsor, Heather McVey, and Assitant Principal, Evan Robinson. | Photos contributed
Winners of KINDNESS BOOKS compliments of Jennifer Gordon, CMS Media Specialist. Front Row: Kelsey Noble. Jerry Byers, Bentley Morgan. Markeith Brown. MaryAlice McVey (May Day Queen 2022), Payton Taylor, Elle McIntosh, and Kaleb Terrell. Back Row: Jayden Myers, Natalie Brown, Austin Warren, Isaiah Angel, Jackson McLaughlin, Faith Jones, Brooklyn Miller, and Draven Garrison.
KINDNESS GIFT CARD WINNERS! Students were “caught” BEing KIND all week by faculty and staff entering their name into a drawing for $25. The LUCKY WINNERS are: Andrew Jackson, Zach Strunk, MaryAlice McVey (May Day Queen 2022), Caroline Mahan. Raylen Lester, Hayley Anders, and Abi Hutchinson. Back Row: Payton Douglas, Jaxon Shelby, Johnathan Miller, Malachi Zachery, and John Lawson.
Corbin Middle School hosts Kindness Week
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- Mar 3, 2023
Developed from her Ossoli Club sponsored platform, Grit and Grace, MaryAlice McVey, May Day Queen 2022, along with The Kindness Club at Corbin Middle School, created week-long KINDNESS awareness activities and lessons for the student body.
MaryAlice, a junior at Corbin High School, helps lead the Kindness Club, which encourages positive self-esteem, generosity, and service.
During this past week, CMS students were given the opportunity to participate in KINDNESS awareness and action, learning how to serve others in deed and with their words through daily awareness activities and challenges.
On Thursday, MaryAlice partnered with Meau Jones (Director of Diversity and Special Programs at Southeast Kentucky Community and Technical College) and the CMS Leadership Team, speaking to the entire student body on how KINDNESS impacts not only the school culture but also the culture of our community.
MaryAlice shared her personal experiences of being bullied during middle school and how she addressed and overcame it through awareness and acts of kindness with Grit and Grace. She explained the importance of KIND words and KIND actions because every student has a “back story”. Many students have mastered the art of wearing the “everything is fine” mask.
You never know what another person student has been through, is going through, or will be going through.
As a result, over 600 students pledged to “Be the ‘I’ in KIND”, spreading kindness above hate to create a more inclusive Corbin Middle School and community. Assistant Principal, Evan Robinson, said, “This week has allowed students to feel heard and to share their experiences with one another. It has truly fostered a sense of belonging for those students who feel invisible in the school. It’s culture changing.”
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10 projects changing the Grand Rapids area in 2022
by: Christa Ferguson
Posted: Jan 17, 2022 / 11:00 AM EST
Updated: Jan 17, 2022 / 12:07 PM EST
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — From headquarters for high-tech medical companies to growing schools and redesigned public spaces, 2022 has plenty in store for the Grand Rapids area.
Here are 10 projects to watch this year:
Bold Advanced Medical Future Health | 400 Monroe Ave. NW
Targeted opening date: June 2022
Billed as the first of its kind in the world, BAMF’s radiopharmacy contains a cyclotron to help produce novel tracers used for treating diseases including cancer, Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.
The radiopharmacy is now open. A company spokesperson says BAMF’s clinic and offices are on track to open in mid-June.
BAMF announced its $30 million move to the new Doug Meijer Innovation Building on Medical Mile in April. The medical technology company broke ground in August . The 35,000-square-foot site will serve as BAMF’s global headquarters and bring more than 200 jobs to the area.
BAMF operates in theranostics and radiopharmacy — radioactive drugs and radiation therapy like those used in the treatment of cancer. Officials say thousands of patients from around the country will be treated at the new location.
Calvin University School of Business | 1810 E. Beltline Ave. SE
Targeted opening date: Summer 2022
For months now, drivers on the East Beltline near Burton Street SE have watched Calvin University’s new School of Business take shape.
Calvin University’s School of Business will feature modern classrooms, collaborative spaces, large gathering areas and offices. The $11.25 million project also includes a two-story video screen and accessibility features for those with disabilities.
The construction project includes renovating shared spaces at DeVos Communication Center, which will be connected to the School of Business.
Calvin University announced plans for the School of Business in May 2020 after receiving a $22.25 million anonymous donation — the largest in the school’s history. The remaining funds will go into an endowment to support the business school’s dean and faculty.
Calvin University’s assistant director of media relations says the School of Business is on track to be complete and ready for move-in this summer. The new building is expected to host its first classes this fall.
D.A. Blodgett-St. John’s | 2184 Dean Lake Ave. NE
Targeted opening date: Late 2022
Construction is underway on the new $10 million home for D.A. Blodgett-St. John’s , which provides family counseling, fostering and adoption programs.
The new facilities on the northeast corner of Dean Lake Avenue NE and Knapp Street will allow the organization to consolidate its three campuses into one. D.A. Blodgett-St. John’s expect to save roughly $2 million over the next 20 years with the move, which will also double its capacity.
An organization spokesperson says the new campus is on track to be complete late this year.
Dégagé Ministries | 144 S. Division Ave.
Targeted opening date: Late summer 2022
The framework is up for Dégagé Ministries’ new main entrance at the corner of Sheldon Avenue and Cherry Street SE.
The work is part of a nearly $7.4 million project that earned nearly $100,000 in support from the Grand Rapids Downtown Development Authority.
Dégagé Ministries plans to transform its current dining area at the northeast corner of Division Avenue and Cherry Street SE into a retail space for Pauls’ Mom’s Cookies , complete with a new public restroom. The renovations also include nearly doubling the sleeping capacity for the women’s overnight shelter and upgrading from sleeping mats to bunk beds.
The renovated shelter will also be more accessible for people with disabilities, feature new signs and an outdoor green space near the new entrance.
Dégagé Ministries originally expected to finish the project by the end of March, but hit delays because of challenges with underground utilizes and the supply chain. The organization now expects to open the updated space in late summer.
Lyon Square | 296 Lyon St. NE
Targeted completion date: November 2022
City officials are hopeful the yearslong effort to redesign the space between Amway Grand Plaza Hotel and DeVos Place could come to fruition in 2022.
Progressive AE’s vision unveiled last year includes winding sidewalks that cut through a lush garden, hanging lights that mimic a wave, an event space with a canopy and fireplace, a bike trail and a boardwalk that juts out above the water.
Designers also plan to incorporate a snowmelt system throughout the paved areas.
Mark Miller with Downtown Grand Rapids Inc. says they’re waiting on state permits to determine what the project can include. If the subsequent bidding process goes smoothly, construction would start this year and potentially wrap up by November, according to Miller.
Mel Trotter Ministries | 225 Commerce Ave. SW
Targeted opening date: End of 2022
The first phase of Mel Trotter Ministries ’ $14.9 million mission to renovate its shelter and expand programs is complete, according to Mel Trotter Chief Advancement Officer Beth Fisher.
The upgraded shelter will have a dorm-like layout, with two people to a room and two rooms sharing a bathroom. It will house youth and men, accommodate those who are transgender, and include expanded medical clinics.
Fisher says the shelter’s third and fourth floors are now open and Phase 2 of the project is underway.
“We could not be happier or more thankful for how the project is going,” she told News 8 last week.
Mel Trotter celebrated the ceremonial start to renovations in August . If all goes well, the organization expects the entire project to be complete by the end of the year, according to Fisher.
Perrigo’s North American headquarters | 430 Monroe Ave. NW
For nine months , drivers on eastbound I-196 in Grand Rapids have watched the city’s skyline change as Perrigo’s new 10-story office building went up just south of the highway.
The multi-million dollar investment is expected to bring 170 jobs to the city. The 125,000-square-foot facility will primarily house corporate, management and administrative employees and will feature adaptive, collaborative work areas.
A spokesperson says the project is now expected to be complete in mid-June.
Rosa Parks Circle | 135 Monroe Center NW
Targeted reopening date: February 2022
Located at the heart of Grand Rapids, this gathering and event space has been closed to visitors since May, when renovations began to the art installation that defines it: Ecliptic by Maya Lin.
The nearly $3 million project includes upgrades to the amphitheater stage, seating and restrooms. There will also be a new bus shelter, benches and signs.
City officials had hoped to wrap up the project in time for the park’s 20th anniversary in September , but contractors ran into delays getting the California granite Lin requested for the amphitheater seating.
Mark Miller, managing director of planning and design for Downtown Grand Rapids Inc. , told News 8 last week that some of the granite was delivered earlier this month and contractors begin working with it. They expect another shipment to arrive soon, making it possible for the city to hit its new goal of reopening Rosa Parks Circle next month.
Secchia Piazza | 151 Fountain St. NE
Expected completion: June 2022
Visitors to Grand Rapids Community College’s downtown campus can already see the colorful glass panels of Secchia Piazza’s domed skylight a full city block away, on Fulton Street.
Crews began renovating the space near the corner of Fountain Street and Ransom Avenue in late September. The nearly $5 million project includes enclosing an underused outdoor patio at GRCC’s Wisner-Bottrall Applied Technology Center to create an updated event and meeting space.
The redesign will include flooring created by GRCC artists that evoke the journey students take from the Secchia Institute for Culinary Education to careers worldwide. A GRCC spokesperson says crews installed the glass for the 15-foot high skylight in late December.
Named for its donors, the late Peter Secchia and his family, Secchia Piazza is on track to open in June 2022.
BEYOND GRAND RAPIDS
Special olympics michigan unified sports & inclusion center | 160 68th street sw, byron township.
Targeted completion date: May 2022 (Phase 1)
Renovations are well underway at the former South Christian High School , which will become the largest Special Olympics facility of its kind in the world, according to Special Olympics Michigan President and CEO Tim Hileman.
“This is really a community place this is really for everyone to come and celebrate people of all abilities,” he said.
Hileman told News 8 the group is halfway through Phase 1 of renovations, which includes making the facility more accessible, adding restrooms and a new front lobby. He said several nonprofit partners have already moved their offices into the center, including the Down Syndrome Association of West Michigan , Be Nice Mental Health Foundation of West Michigan and Autism Support of Kent County .
Disability Advocates of Kent County expects to open its new home inside the Special Olympics Michigan center in April. The 8,500-square-foot space will feature the region’s first occupational therapy home accessibility center, where people can see and test potential ways to alter their homes for more independence. Disability Advocates of Kent County says it’s about 85% to its fundraising goal of $2.5 million to help pay for construction, campaign costs and programming.
Thresholds , Brody’s Be Café an Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services will also move into the former school after renovations this year.
Hileman says athletes are already practicing on the refinished floors of the gymnasium, which now bear the Special Olympics logo at center court. The facility started hosting practices in July and held tournaments months later, according to Hileman.
So far, Special Olympics Michigan has raised just over $8.4 million for the project, which is expected to cost about $15 million to $20 million. Hileman is hopeful the upcoming polar plunge season will help. The fundraising effort kicks off Jan. 21 at the training and inclusion center, which will host the first 24-hour super plunge .
Hileman expects Phase 1 of the project to wrap up in May. He hopes to start Phase 2 work on the outdoor complex this fall. That stage will include adding sports fields, a track and fields award stand and plaza.
If all goes well, the Special Olympics Michigan Unified Sports & Inclusion Center should be complete in 2023.
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Kindness in the Classroom lessons teach kindness skills through a step-by step framework of Share, Inspire, Empower, Act, and Reflect. Each lesson starts with the 'share' step to reinforce learning from previous lessons. The 'act' piece is woven into the lessons but really takes place in the projects. STEP 1: SHARE.
We run Kindness Workshops in primary schools all over the UK. Our Workshops aim to spread kindness and empower children by helping them to realise that the little choices they make every day have the power to change people's lives, and improve their own physical and mental health at the same time.
Give the students a goal to meet, such as performing three kind acts per week or noticing five kind acts per week. To keep them excited about the challenge, give them star stickers to add to a classroom chart or a paper cutout to stick on a bulletin board when they meet their goal.
1. "Take What You Need" Bulletin Board This is a popular one, but when done correctly, it never gets old. Have students brainstorm possible emotional supports their classmates may need (ex. courage, commitment, self-love), then search for a dozen or more quotes that can be meaningful mantras and reminders for that need.
What other school wide kindness initiatives are you using to engage your students in acts of kindness? Let me know in the comments section below! Get weekly counseling ideas in your inbox! (No spam ever & unsubscribe any time): Spread the word: By In School Counseling
Explain that kindness is spread from one to another, like a domino effect. Have students brainstorm (aloud or on paper) ideas on how they can be kind. You can have a brief class discussion on their choices. Explain to students that being kind and showing acts of kindness is a way of living.
Here are some great kindness activities for kids: The Idea Box Kids Caring: Acts of Kindness, Teaching Empathy, Learning Manners Sneaky Cards Card Game: become a secret agent of joy (Note: We have that Sneak Cards Card Game and it is FABULOUS!) These are fun ways to teach that kindness is contagious! Quotes About Kindness and Kindness Bible Verses
Here are 21 kindness activities for kids: 1. Kindness Journal Buy it on Amazon This activity is great for older kids who might need extra motivation in the kindness department. Adolescence is tricky to navigate. It is invaluable to give your teen the tools they need to examine their emotions and actions.
Random Acts of Kindness Ideas for School Leave a book and a kindness bookmark for a friend. Put together a few goodie bags with these random acts of kindness printable cards. Leave Random acts of kindness lunchbox notes on cafeteria tables to brighten someone's day.
Thre are so many fun kindness projects for kids including out of rocks, erasers, kindness printables, and so many more clever ideas! Kindness projects Young kids might need a demonstrative lesson in kindness like this Cottonball words lesson for them to understand what kindness and kind words mean. Older kids may need constant reminders.
Start a schoolwide kindness paper chain and see how far it can reach throughout the school. To start, give paper strips to teachers. When a student or teacher is the recipient of a random act of kindness, have them write it on a strip of paper and add a link to their classroom chain.
Here is a list of activities for students that can be easily built into the student schedule with ease and challenge them to be a better version of themselves every day. 1. Notes of Appreciation Give each of your students sticky notes and give them ample opportunity to write positive messages addressed to one of their teachers and classmates.
2. Random Acts of Kindness. One of the simplest things to encourage students to do is to find opportunities to show each other kindness in random, unexpected ways. "Complimentary" Notes: Provide sticky notes in a noticeable spot in the classroom for students to take at any time (they're "complimentary"!).
Our Lesson Plans and Activities teach children about the importance of kindness, the science of kindness and the impact it has on our physical and mental health. They are designed by teachers, for teachers, and support many of the aims and objectives of the new statutory PSHE curriculum for relationships and health education in primary schools.
Kindness Project Ideas for Kids. Kindness matters, especially with kids. A kind act or kind word can turn a child's day around. Promoting kindness helps reduce bullying and disruptive behavior and increases social awareness and emotional well-being. Encouraging kindness and compassion are well worth it because those little acts of kindness ...
Give a compliment to someone in the grocery store. Leave a note of encouragement in a public bathroom. Offer to babysit for a single parent (best for older students) Help a homeless person by buying them a meal. Leave a note of appreciation for a store clerk or fast food worker. Offer to walk a neighbor's dog.
The Keys to Happier Living Toolkit is an engaging, accessible and evidence-based programme to promote the emotional wellbeing and resilience of children aged 5-11. There are two versions of the Toolkit, one for ages 5-7 and the other for ages 7-11. You can use the form on the right to find out more and access the online ordering system.
Introduce These 20 Amazing Kindness Activities for Elementary Students 1. Writing Thank You Notes to Others You can encourage your child to write "Thank You" notes to their teachers, friends, and family members whom they appreciate. They can focus on specific areas they appreciate the most and emphasize inherent traits through kindness.
Creating a culture of kindness begins with everyday teachable moments that help students change their perceptions of one another. Teachers change the world every day for students; in the lessons...
100th day of school fun resource pack for elementary students.Includes:- Coloring pages- 100 drawing/writing activities- Find and count the hidden 100s- Hundreds chart activities- Skip counting to 100 by 2s, 5s, and 10s- 100 acts of kindness- 100 exercises - Dalmation writing and craftivity- I can read 100 sight words (Fry)- 100th day crowns ...
TILTONSVILLE — Elementary students in the Buckeye Local School District expressed their generosity to others with a series of activities during Kindness Week. Buckeye South, North and West ...
One of the most popular activities was the rock-painting session that was part of the Kindness Rocks Project. Kindness Rocks. One of the most popular sessions focused on the national "Kindness Rocks Project," which encourages people to leave painted rocks with inspiring messages around their community. Surrounded by buckets of paint and ...
Developed from her Ossoli Club sponsored platform, Grit and Grace, MaryAlice McVey, May Day Queen 2022, along with The Kindness Club at Corbin Middle School, created week-long KINDNESS awareness ...
Current Events Annual Conference The 16th Annual Project SEARCH Conference will be at the Hilton Milwaukee City Center and Wisconsin Center, July 10-14, 2023. Registration and Call for Abstracts are open now! Click here for more information. Intern Life This newsletter from the Project SEARCH site
Growing Grand Rapids and beyond: 22 places planning to open in 2022. BAMF announced its $30 million move to the new Doug Meijer Innovation Building on Medical Mile in April. The medical technology ...
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