125 simple random acts of kindness ideas for kids to make someone’s day
Practicing random acts of kindness with kids teaches them to grow up as compassionate people.
What’s more rewarding than seeing you have raised warm-hearted, kind people who are of help to others?
We cannot be helpful to everyone all the time, but we all can afford to do some random acts of kindness whenever possible.
WHY IS IT IMPORTANT TO VOLUNTEER AND DO RANDOM ACTS OF KINDNESS?
Doing an act of kindness means doing something to help others with genuine intentions and zero expectations.
You are being kind to others just because you want to. But research shows that there are many health benefits to being kind.
Here are some of the benefits:
- Doing random acts of kindness makes you feel good about yourself and happier
- When you serve others you get to connect with people and strengthen your social skills and relationships. You feel less isolated when you are active.
- It helps to make a positive change in someone’s life and it motivates the receiver to do the same to others and thus creating a ripple effect that benefits the society
- Being kind and helpful improves your self-esteem
- You become more grateful because you are reminded of your own good fortune
Overall, making kids aware of the importance of being kind and doing simple acts of kindness will pave way for the existence of better individuals in the future.
This list of random acts of kindness for kids contains ideas to help you practice with them. Make a list of it, print it, and paste it somewhere that kids can see so that they are reminded of doing their daily acts of kindness whenever and wherever possible.
RANDOM ACTS OF KINDNESS IDEAS FOR PRESCHOOLERS AND KINDERGARTENERS
- Paint kindness rocks
- Give a toy away to your sibling, friend, or cousins
- Say something nice to someone like “You look pretty today” or “Grandma, your sandwiches are the best”
- Smile and say hi to someone
- Draw a thank you picture and give it to someone you love
- Pick up toys after playing without being asked
- Make a handmade gift
- Share something you have like candies, toys, or books.
- Do a chore without being asked
- Let someone else go first
- Invite a new friend to your group
- Share your coloring book with a friend and color together
- Put a dollar on a vending machine
- Hug a friend who is sad
- Cuddle your pet
- Say ‘please’ and ‘thank you’
Related: 25 basic good manners to teach your kids
RANDOM ACTS OF KINDNESS IDEAS FOR OLDER KIDS
- All of the above
- Feed your pets and help them go to the toilet
- Donate your old toys
- Leave a positive note for someone
- Give a compliment
- Pick up litter
- Donate a month’s allowance to charity
- Do your daily chores without being asked
- Let someone in line go before you
- Make some snacks and give them to your friendly neighbor
- Help your parents carry groceries
- Be the first one to smile and say hi to people. It shows how considerate you are to everyone around you
- Donate old books to the library
- Give a cold drink to a handyman who repaired something at your home
- Make bird feeders and hang them around at home or school
- Hold the door open for someone
- Pick up your neighbor’s newspaper when they are away
- Hold the elevator door open for someone.
- Let someone else go first through a door.
- Give up your seat for a pregnant/elderly person on a bus, or any waiting rooms
- Text or call your grandparents who are away to see how they are doing
- Help grandparents with their chores
- Keep your shopping cart trolley away from the parking lot
- Shovel snow or rake leaves for an elderly neighbor
- Read for your grandparents
- Walk your dog
- Offer to walk a neighbor’s dog
- Do not speak anything if you don’t have anything good to say. Remember, one bad word about others’ looks or skills can kill someone’s confidence or affect their mental health forever.
- Be kind to people who are different from you- be it looks, skills and abilities
- Wash your parents’ car
- Leave out water for the birds
- Let someone who has fewer items than you go ahead in the queue at the supermarket
- Let someone know why they are special to you
- Help your mom/dad make dinner
- Help with meal prep
- Help to set table at each meal
- Clear all plates from the table after meals
- Help with making school snacks/lunch
- Wash your lunch box after coming from school
- Offer to petsit a friend’s/neighbor’s dog when they go away
- Teach someone something new
- Visit a sick friend or relative
- Help your parents find items in a grocery
- Offer to take care of a neighbor’s garden when they are away
- Help your mom/dad with gardening
- Clean up after yourself in a restaurant
- Say “I love you” to your parents
- When you make an appointment, be on time
- Leave a positive note in a library book for someone to find
- Declutter your house without being asked
- Share funny stories with your family and spread laughter
- Offer half of your chocolate to someone
- Take turns with games and wait patiently
RANDOM ACTS OF KINDNESS IDEAS WITH SIBLINGS
- Help your sibling with a chore
- Read for your sibling
- Fill up their water bottles
- Offer to get them a drink
- Encourage and listen to them when they face hardships
- Invite them to play a game
- Offer to do coloring/crafts with them when they are bored
- Offer to fetch something for your sibling from the other room if they are afraid of the dark
- Share your music/book recommendations with them
- Give random hugs to them
- Help your siblings with a skill they haven’t mastered yet
- Help them with homework
- Help them clean their room
- Cheer them up when they are sad
- Let them choose the movie/show they wanna watch for a movie night
- Tell them what you love about them
- Give them company when you go to a function
- Say thanks whenever you feel grateful to them
- Say sorry after fights
- Visit your sibling’s classroom and check on them
- Forgive them when they make mistakes
RANDOM ACTS OF KINDNESS IDEAS FOR KIDS AT SCHOOL
- Cheer up your sad friend with a joke
- Pick up litter from the classroom and playground and put it in the trash can
- Help a friend with a math problem or any other subject
- Share your notes with a friend who is sick
- Listen to your friends and teachers when they talk. It’s a sign of being respectful and considerate.
- Smile at the new student and talk first to him
- Help a friend study for a test
- Write a thank you note or give a thank you card to your teacher
- Ask a classmate who is alone to join you
- Make a handmade card for your friend
- Share a book you loved with your friend
- Bake cookies and distribute them in class
- Help someone with homework
- Bring extra snacks to school to share with friends
- Give up your swing to someone waiting
- Help put sports equipment away after play
- Help someone who dropped their books
- Say something nice if you like your friend’s new haircut
- Tell your friend he worked hard when he does well in his studies or sports
- Stand up for your friend when they face bullying or other hardships at school
- Encourage and cheer for your friend when he is struggling
- Say hi to someone who seems alone and talk to them
- Share your school supplies if a classmate forgets it
- Console a friend who lost a match
- Console a friend who lost a family member
- Offer to teach friends something they don’t know
RANDOM ACTS OF KINDNESS IDEAS FOR KIDS TO DO WITH FAMILY AND COMMUNITY CENTERS
- Visit a local animal shelter and volunteer
- Buy and give pet food to a local animal shelter
- Declutter your clothes and donate to a charity
- Volunteer at sick homes
- Volunteer to help in cleaning campaigns
- Buy a blanket for a homeless person
- Give a snack to someone who is hungry
- Collect money and buy school supplies for an orphanage
- Donate to a good cause no matter how small the amount is
MAKING THIS PRACTICAL
You can create a list and paste it somewhere for kids to see and read so that they catch a glimpse of it and get the ideas imbibed in their brains. When they read it from time to time, the ideas get inside their subconscious mind and when an opportunity arises, they can get the inspiration to do good deeds.
Or else, you can create a ritual of Random Acts of Kindness Challenge Month/Week, and choose activities to do on those days. This will help kids to actually remember to practice it and create the habit.
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