Kindness is the act of being generous, helpful, and mindful of others, without the expectation of anything in return.
Being kind boosts feelings of happiness, and can lower anxiety and stress. It provides a sense of purpose, and strengthens connections with others.
Kindness is a skill learned during childhood. Often, we learn by watching caregivers interact with the world, including other people, animals, the planet, and themselves.
Like any skill, it must be practiced consistently to be effective. And the earlier in life we start, the better.
Here are 30 ideas to inspire children to practice spreading kindness.
- Say “I love you” to caregivers and express gratitude for them.
- Help make breakfast for the family. Young children should always be supervised by an adult.
- Make a nice card or drawing and give it to someone special.
- Give siblings, friends, or caregivers a big hug (only if everyone is comfortable with it).
- With the help of a caregiver, donate gently used clothes and toys to people who need them.
- Help a sibling clean their room.
- Help pick up litter at recess. Ask a teacher for supplies like gloves, garbage grabbers, and bags, or bring them to school.
- Write thank you letters for birthday presents and holiday gifts. Ask a caregiver for help mailing them, if needed.
- Help siblings with their homework.
- Save up one-month’s allowance and donate it to charity.
- Give someone a kind, genuine compliment that isn’t about looks (e.g. tell someone that their personality is lovely, tell a teacher that they’re doing a great job, etc.).
- Help read little siblings a bedtime story.
- Volunteer for a meaningful cause, like at a homeless shelter, animal rescue, nursing home, etc.
- Tell someone a funny joke.
- With the supervision of a caregiver, offer to help an elderly neighbor carry their groceries to their door.
- Hide secret, nice notes around the house for people to find.
- Take care of family pets, like filling their food and water, brushing them gently (ask for help), etc.
- Make a gift for a friend, just because.
- Donate old books to the local library.
- Smile at strangers. Not everyone will smile back, but it might make someone’s day.
- Decorate rocks with nice pictures and kind words using markers or paint. Put them in the garden and around the neighborhood to make others smile.
- Bring extra snacks to the park and offer to share.
- Pick wildflowers (don’t pick from other people’s yards) and give a bouquet to a caregiver.
- Hug a friend when they’re feeling sad, and ask them what’s wrong. Be sure to listen to them.
- Make baked goods for a new neighbor.
- Help clear the table after dinner without needing to be asked.
- Give a present to the mail carrier during the holidays.
- Talk to the new kid at school. Sit with them at lunch or in class, and try to make them feel welcome.
- Say thank you to the school custodian.
- Offer to help a teacher by cleaning the chalkboard/whiteboard, handing out papers, etc.
Sources
https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/the-heart-and-science-of-kindness-2019041816447