60 acts of kindness for kids to do to make the world a better place

A child’s smile is one of the most precious things in the world. Teach children to do it in a safe, comfortable way, and that smile could make a person’s whole day.

Make a lolly poster

A piece of poster board, some markers, and a collection of chocolate bars or lollies can be turned into a thoughtful get-well, welcome-home, congratulations, or just-because message.

Take dinner to an elderly neighbour

If you end up with a little extra after dinner, have your kid box up a serving or two and take it to a neighbour who could use a hot meal but may not cook just for themselves.

Use polite manners

Kids can be more polite than we often expect them to be. Saying “please” and “thank you” to both loved ones and neighbours is a simple way to show respect and kindness to others. Other kind phrases for kids may include “I’m so sorry!” and “How can I help?”

Find out the daily habits of naturally polite people.

Eat lunch with someone who normally eats alone

Nearly everyone has a painful memory of eating alone in the school playground. Teach your child to look for those who may be left out and kindly invite them to eat with them or join them at their table.

Help the teacher put up chairs

Teachers do so much work outside of their normal classroom hours. One way kids can say thanks is to offer to help with some of those little things. Even very young kids can help pick up rubbish, stack chairs, put away supplies, or whatever their teacher needs.

Ask another child to play at recess

Playing tag or make-believe is so much more fun with friends. Encourage your kiddo to pay attention to those around him or her and invite them to play too.

Have a used-sports-equipment drive

Many kids are kept out of playing sports because they can’t afford the necessary equipment, while other children have garages full of old equipment they no longer use. Help your child collect and donate these items to kids in need.

Here are 40 things your child’s teacher wants you to know.

Being the new kid in school is nerve-racking, but having a friend to show you the ropes can make things easier. Encourage kids to welcome new classmates by playing with them at recess and sitting with them during lunch (as long as the new student is OK with it, of course).

Volunteer to hand out assignments

This is a random act of kindness a teacher will surely appreciate. Kids can volunteer to help hand out classroom assignments and save their teacher a little time.

Tell someone they did a great job

Learning to recognise someone else’s hard work, effort, and accomplishment is a true kindness. Teach kids to see and commend others for doing good things, big or small.

Speaking of which, here are 10 compliments your kids really need to hear.

Donate old books

Have your child go through their gently loved books and choose some that they’ve outgrown to donate to a local library, community centre, shelter, church, or school.

Decorate lunch bags for the food pantry

Many community kitchens and food pantries serve meals in paper bags or boxes to go. Kids can write kind messages, draw pictures (with non-toxic markers), and decorate them with stickers.

Put supermarket trolleys back in the trolley bay

Put some of that boundless energy to good use by having children retrieve rogue grocery trolleys left on footpaths, in disabled parking spots, or at the edges of the parking lot, and return them to the store or the trolley bay.

Make a snack basket for delivery people

Online orders are way up, and delivery people are busier than ever. Help your child choose appropriate items – think bottled water or juice, muesli bars, or prepackaged goodies – and make a basket with a sign letting delivery drivers know they’re welcome to take a snack for the road.

Give your child a stack of sticky notes and some markers and let them fill the pad with happy pictures, kind messages, and compliments. Take the sticky pad with you during the day and let them put the notes where it can brighten someone’s day, like on a public bathroom mirror, a shelf at the store, a car window, or a sibling’s pillow.

Leave a basket of tennis balls or toys at the dog park

Make a dog’s day (and their owner’s too!) by having your child collect old tennis balls or unwanted dog toys and placing them in a dog toy bin for everyone to enjoy.

Make cards or drawings for a retirement home

Many people in retirement homes feel isolated, and the pandemic only made that worse. Have kids draw pictures, make paintings, or write notes and deliver them to the elderly.

Write letters to soldiers

Kids can write letters, draw pictures, and/or make care packages for the men and women who sacrifice so much to protect us every day.

Pick a local teacher, cashier, bus driver, or other worker who helps you and your child on a regular basis and write them a sweet thank-you note. Go as simple or elaborate (glitter!) as your child likes. Hand-deliver the note for extra smiles.

Make homeless kits

Sample-sized toothpaste, shampoo, and deodorant can be put in a small Ziploc bag along with a toothbrush, comb, Band-Aids, and other sundry items. Children can help assemble these bags and hand them out to the house-less. One of the things no one tells you about being homeless is that hygiene items are worth their weight in gold.

Hang up fallen clothes at the store

Store hangers can be particularly slippery, and it’s not uncommon to see a few items piled on the floor. Show kindness to tired retail workers by hanging up a few.

Donate toys to a children’s hospital

Have your child pick out a few of the season’s best toys and donate them to a local children’s hospital. Or organise a toy drive to make a larger community contribution.

Donate old blankets to a pet shelter

Bedding that you no longer use, even if it’s not in tip-top shape, can make the perfect bed for a dog or cat. Many shelters love getting donations of old blankets and towels, but always call first to make sure.

Pick up rubbish at a local park

Make it a game by creating a scavenger-hunt list – a drink can, a lolly wrapper, a fast-food bag – and see how fast your child can find them all.

Ride a bike instead of driving

Have a short errand to run? Turn it into a bike ride and show kindness to the planet by keeping the car at home. You can use it as an opportunity to discuss the importance of taking care of our environment in small but impactful ways.

Plant wildflowers

Many community gardens and nature centres offer packets of local seeds or at least suggestions of what to plant. Teach children about showing kindness to the environment through planting and nurturing wildlife.

Collect recycling and take it to a drop-off centre

Kids can easily collect tin cans and plastic bottles at home or at school, then bring them to a nearby recycling centre (with your help, of course).

Make a pine-cone bird feeder

This random act of kindness for kids is intended to help Mother Nature. Take a pine cone, cover it in peanut butter, roll it in birdseed, and hang it from a nearby tree. Birds will enjoy the treat, and you can use it to teach your kiddo about the different types of wildlife in your area.

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Source: RD.com