Random Acts of Kindness

In all of the millions of behaviors and skills we could teach our children, kindness is probably at the top of the list. By doing random acts of kindness with your children, you can show them how to be compassionate and empathetic people. It is also proven to boost your happy hormone (oxytocin), and reduce stress and depression. Teaching children to pay it forward is the ultimate way of bettering the future of humankind. Here are 50 ways you and your children can spread kindness.

Acts of Kindness for Adults

1. Pay for the order for the person behind you in line
2. Donate blood
3. In the winter, put hand warmers in your mailbox for the mail carrier
4. Volunteer at an animal shelter, soup kitchen, or nursing home
5. Cook a meal for someone
6. Donate school supplies to your child’s classroom
7. Pick up litter
8. Hide nice notes for people to find in public places
9. Donate socks, gently used clothes, and hygiene supplies to shelters and the homeless
10. Run an errand
11. Give encouragement to someone who is working hard
12. Leave quarters at the laundromat
13. Put a nice surprise in a library book
14. Give a generous tip
15. Write a positive review for a locally-owned business
16. Send someone a care package
17. Cut your neighbor’s grass / shovel their driveway
18. Tell the retail employees you appreciate them and their help
19. Take someone out for a meal
20. Support a Kickstarter project or a GoFundMe page
21. When someone is having a hard day, surprise them with coffee or a treat at work
22. Give baked goods to a nursing home
23. Write letters to soldiers and thank them for their service
24. Babysit or pet-sit for free
25. Let your kids do that one thing you usually say no to

Acts of Kindness for Children

1. Let somebody go ahead of you in line
2. Talk to someone who doesn’t have many friends
3. Write thank you cards for people you appreciate
4. Do someone’s chore without telling them
5. Put change in vending machines
6. Sit with someone who usually sits alone at lunch
7. Draw a picture for someone
8. Help make dinner
9. Clean up a mess you didn’t make
10. Donate some toys
11. Put positive sticky notes in random places around the school
12. Compliment someone
13. Pick up litter in your neighborhood
14. Let someone else pick what to watch on TV
15. Paint rocks with nice sayings and hide them in public places
16. Offer to help someone older with their chores
17. Make a gift for a friend or family member
18. Open doors and pull out chairs for everyone you can today
19. Give your teacher a present
20. Thank the school janitor for all of their hard work
21. Help someone with yard work
22. Plant something
23. Share your favorite toy with someone
24. Make someone breakfast in bed
25. Write a list of things you love about someone and give it to them

Children will learn the importance of kindness by watching you as their example. Make sure to set the right one and help them to start a habit of kindness!