13/02/2023
Tips for Random Acts of Kindness Week
We’re celebrating Random Acts of Kindness Week from 12th - 18th February.
Set up by Random Acts of Kindness Foundation, this is a great time to promote kindness and tolerance with your child. Of course, we always try to be kind and encourage children to do the same, but this week we’re paying extra attention to acts of kindness and looking at ideas for children to help others.
Children are naturally compassionate and this is a great opportunity to teach them more about ways they can show kindness and the positive impact that has on others.
Let's make kindness the norm!
Benefits of kindness
Being kind doesn't just benefit the person on the receiving end. When we're kind, we also get great rewards. Not only does it help us to feel good about ourselves, knowing we've improved someone else's day, but also shows others how we'd like to be treated too.
Studies have shown that encouraging children to be kind can even help their learning. A 2021 study by the Society for Research in Child Development proved that children who showed high levels of ‘prosocial behaviour’ (demonstrating kindness and empathy towards others), performed better on academic tests, regardless of their socioeconomic background.
20 acts of kindness ideas for kids
- Talk to someone new at school
- Sort through old toys/books and pick some out to donate to the local charity shop or hospital
- Read a book to someone
- Invite someone new to play with your group of friends
- Help with some age appropriate household chores at home without being asked
- Write a poem/letter to a friend explaining why you like them
- Hold the door open for someone
- Tell a joke
- Give a friend a compliment
- Write a random thank you note to someone you appreciate
- Paint a picture for someone special
- Start a piggy bank for a good cause
- Bake someone a cake
- Make a bird-feeder
- Make a bug hotel
- Play with a pet
- Collect food for the local food bank
- Pick up the litter in your local park
- Call your grandparents/elderly relatives you don’t often see
- Smile! It couldn’t be easier - and happiness is contagious...
8 inspiring quotes of kindness
And for some added inspiration, here are some inspiring quotes to share with your kids:
"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
"A single act of kindness throws out roots in all directions, and the roots spring up and make new trees." - Amelia Earhart
“Do your little bit of good where you are; it’s those little bits of good put together that overwhelm the world.” – Desmond Tutu
"Be kind whenever possible. It is always possible." - The 14th Dalai Lama
"Remember, there's no such thing as a small act of kindness. Every act creates a ripple with no logical end." - Scott Adams
"I think probably kindness is my number one attribute in a human being. I'll put it before any of the things like courage or bravery or generosity or anything else." - Roald Dahl
"Do things for people not because of who they are or what they do in return, but because of who you are." - Harold S. Kushner
"I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel." - Maya Angelou
Kindness resources
Random Acts of Kindness have some great resources for families.
See their useful parent guide here.
Random Acts of Kindness Day is on Thursday 17th February.
So hopefully this will help you to inspire your children to perform some random acts of kindness this week and keep helping others throughout the year.
#MakeKindnessTheNorm