February 17th is Random Acts of Kindness Day. Did you know that? So in celebration, today I want to share some ideas of things you can do with your kids, to spread some kindness out into the world! Here are some random acts of kindness for kids!
By nature, kids tend to be pretty self-centered. Hey, you gotta look out for number 1 right? But since you’re an awesome parent and want to help your little ones develop some compassion and hopefully turn into decent humans, you’re going to help them along the way!
When you take the time and care to spread happiness through a random act of kindness, your kids will learn how important it is to help others and make them feel good. And they’ll learn that when you make others feel good, you end up feeling good yourself!
So here are some ideas that even the littlest ones can do, to bring some random joy to their family, friends, and community:
1. Pick up litter in your neighborhood or at the local park.
Everybody loves to play outside, and they should be able to do that in a clean environment. Pack a lunch and spend part of the morning picking up trash. Once it’s picked up, take a lunch break, and follow it up with some serious play time!
2. Go to a nursing home and donate your time.
Nursing homes can be quite lonely at times. Go with your child to a nursing home and spend some time reading or playing games with the residents. Just an hour of your time will really uplift the people that live there. In my experience, many elderly people find joy in just being around children and watching them play. The young energy is contagious!
3. Make activity bags to donate to homeless shelters.
Not every child is lucky enough to be in a home with all kinds of toys and games they can play with. Spread some cheer to a local shelter. You and your child can make activity bags with puzzles, coloring sheets, and some crayons. This kindness will leave everyone with a warm heart.
4. Do something fun with their siblings.
If your kids are like mine, some days they get along great, and other days…watch out! Encourage them to do nice things for one another, and who knows? You might just get an afternoon to yourself while they are busy having fun!
They call it “Kid Crate…”
5. Be nice to the new kid in school.
It can be hard being the new kid, when it seems like everyone already has their set of friends chosen. Encourage your child to show the new student just how nice and friendly they are by playing with them at recess, sitting with them at lunch, or helping them if they’re having a hard time in class. Just learning their name and saying “hi” goes a long way!
6. Donate old toys and books.
If your child has outgrown some of their older toys and books, consider talking to them about donating some. When you go to actually give away the donated items, let your child be a part of it. Doing this act of kindness will make your child feel good knowing their stuff will make someone just as happy as when they first got those toys and books.
7. Be a Super Secret Helper
Help your child do something nice for someone, without them knowing. Leave cookies for a neighbor, or write an anonymous note and leave it where someone will find it. They’ll love pretending to be a “kindness ninja!”
By doing random acts of kindness with your child, you’ll show them how just a little kindness can have a lasting affect on everyone around them. By giving their time, actual goods, or just being nice, they have the power to change someone’s entire day. Don’t be surprised if they want to keep doing random acts of kindness all the time!
Hopefully this short list sparked some creative ideas of your own. I found another, longer list that you might want to check out for even more ideas:
1 comment
Wonderful post! It is important for our kids to have the capacity for empathy. Learning the art of giving!