Acts of Kindness

 

World Kindness Day
2010: November 13

World Kindness Week
2010: November 8-14

Random Acts of Kindness Week
2011: February 14-20

Check out the Month of October! It hosts Kids Care Week, World Food Day, Diversity Awareness Month, Make a Difference Day, Bullying Prevention Month, and Peace, Friendship and Goodwill Week! Whew! Lots of days to celebrate kindness and service.

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THE ABOVE POSTER  WOULD BE EASY TO REPLICATE! "KINDNESS STARTS WITH ME! ♥ PAY IT FORWARD" A nice reminder for the room! Other Bulletin Board/Display ideas are at page bottom... 

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Something to think about!
How long would it take to do ONE MILLION ACTS OF KINDNESS?

What would it take?
50 acts of kindness per day...
For 55 years...
Equals One Million Acts of Kindness

An act of kindness can be as easy as a friendly smile for a stranger, a kind thought for someone, holding the door for others, helping someone elderly with a routine task, letting a driver through in traffic, thanking a veteran, forgiving someone whom you felt has hurt you.....

Ask the kids if they think they'll do One Million Acts of Kindness in their lifetime? And then start!

Extension: Have some math fun...If each child in your group or class did at least one act of kindness each day-how many would that be by the end of the year?
Idea adapted from SowSeedsofLove

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 THE COIN JAR

1. Label a plastic 32 ounce or larger, pretzel, milk jug, or goodie jar. With the children, decide on a donation project.
Some ideas are:
Coins for the Rainforest, a Homeless or Women's Shelter or Habitat for Humanity.

2. When the jar fills, start another.
This project demonstrates that one small act- such as contributing one coin- will grow into many acts of kindness, sharing and caring. It is astonishing how quickly coins will grow into a considerable amount of money.
 
3. Be sure to inform and talk to the children about the activity and its importance. Tell them what it is and how this will help the cause.

4. Along the way have children guess how many coins will be collected, how many are actually in the jar or jars, how much the jar weighs, etc.  Recognize the closest guesses in some way.
     •When your "Coins for______" is complete, be sure to submit an article to your building newsletter as well as your program newsletter!

Tip: On a daily basis, place the jar in the parents/information center and also rotate it within your building's staff lounge, office and work rooms! Inform the building community of your project and watch the coins multiply!
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RAK WEEKLY AWARDS

 Have staff and program children be on the lookout for RAKs throughout the week. Supply forms to nominate kids  they see doing RAKs around the program or school day.
 
• Staff members and parents can also be awarded RAKs. 
• The nominee's names/acts can be posted in the information center on Friday mornings.
• Take the children's picture; put it on a construction paper brick with their name and RAK. (see below)

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KINDNESS BRICK WALL -When a child receives RAK recognition, take their photograph and put it on a construction paper brick shape. If unable to take a photo, write their name and deed on the brick and put it on the wall of kindness.
 
Each week the kids will see the brick wall grow. A large area will be covered by the end of the school year!
 

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CONNECT US ALL!

   • Design a pre-cut person, hand, or heart shape. When children are caught being kind, take the design with their name and deed on the shape. 

  • The shapes are taped together in a chain or patchwork style connecting the kids of the program or classroom.

This is a good project for the entire school---connecting one end of the school to the other! Check it out with the school to see if they'd like to join you!

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100 ACTS OF KINDNESS
Adapted from L. Davis & C. Adams, Iowa

Celebrate the 100th day of school! (In the States, this is usually in February)

Make a large poster in the shape of the number 100 to hang in your program area. SEVERAL WEEKS before the 100th day of school, discuss acts of kindness toward others. Based on the number of youth in your program, two to three weeks before the big day, announce open season on acts of kindness. Encourage the children to recognize acts of kindness by others.
 
Each time kids see a classmate or friend engage in an act of kindness, they will tell staff and then put a sticker and their friend's name on the poster. The students can NOT name themselves, only others.
 
It should be easy to reach the goal of 100 acts of kindness. A profound difference in behavior, relationships, and outlook will be noticed.

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 KINDNESS LESSON...
Trace each child's hand on a piece of paper. Ask children to think of different ways people can be kind to others. Write their ideas on each finger of the hand drawing. It can be completed as described or cut out, mounted and decorated. Can also be put on wall or bulletin board.

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A GIANT PAPER DOLL CHAIN
What You Need: Paper and paint or markers...
Cut out life-size cutouts of  children. Have them paint them. Put them together in a large paper doll chain with the heading "We are all Friends"...

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THE COMPLIMENT GAME
This game is good to play when you have a group of children, especially if they tend to have a lot of personality conflicts.

Break children into groups; give each child a piece of paper.
Ask them to tear it into pieces--one for each child in the group.
On each piece of paper they should write the child's name, and then list all of the positive characteristics they can think of about that child. Try to have them focus on personality traits and behaviors, not physical attributes.
 
When each child has completed their lists, they should put all of them into a box. An adult in the group can read aloud all of the positive comments about each child. The children are usually very surprised at how many great things are said about them.
If they would like, the children can keep their lists in a folder or notebook. Then, when they're feeling a little down about themselves, they can read about how wonderful other people think they are.

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THANKS FOR THE COMPLIMENT!
Need: Paper, markers, tape
Everyone gets a piece of paper taped to their back. (Make sure their name is at the top of the paper.) Each person is given a marker. Each person in the group must walk around the room and write a compliment or positive remark about that person on their back..... NO PEEKING!

When everyone has written something positive on each others back, everyone returns to their seat. With a smaller group, everyone exchanges papers without looking at their own. Each participant can take a turn at reading off the person's list to that person aloud. (Adjust for a larger group)

What a great self-esteem booster. It doesn't matter if the group knows each other well--- because you can say things like..."He seems friendly" etc. But this is a great activity to do with kids who have been in a group for a while.

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WEAR THE MESSAGE!

As Linda Drinkard from 'Kind Words' has written,"When we wear clothing that displays this message it serves as a reminder to us and others that we need to treat each other with care." It's about "...building strong relationships, encouraging people to build one another up and not tear one another down, to choose words that are thoughtful and gentle and kind..."
To purchase shirts --$22.50  for adults and $12.00 for children--visit the Speak Kind Words website. Price includes shipping. Baseball type hats and totes are also available...

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 PURCHASE, DOWNLOAD OR MAKE BOOKMARKS
 
When you "catch a child" in an act of kindness, give them one of the bookmarks! Children receiving the bookmark feel good and the other children will want to know how to get one. It presents an opportunity to discuss altruism and acts of kindness with your group. Special bookmarks may be downloaded on the Random Acts of Kindness web-site

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RANDOM ACTS OF KINDNESS CLUB This is a club for third through eighth graders. The club is based on service learning and community service. Through this process, responsible youth will make the club successful.

  • The kids in the club brainstorm some service learning projects, and then implement their ideas.
 
   •  A contract must be signed as a promise of commitment.

  • The children deliver the items that the program produces to the people in need Example: pictures to senior homes, etc.
 
  • Participating children can receive special things for being in the club.  An idea is a badge similar to 'security badges' that staff wear, or a special certificate.
 
  • Also arrange special surprises. In October, one program had a local farm donate small pumpkins for all the students in the RAK Club. This demonstrates the receiving end of a random act of kindness!

  • Recognize the members of this club at a school assembly or SAC event at the end of the school year.

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 KINDNESS BULLETIN BOARD
Created by Toni in Missouri

1.  Youth brainstorm ideas for unexpected, kind things to do for people--people who would not expect children to do a favor/kindness for them.
2.  Each idea is put on a shape and put on the board.
3.  When a student completes a RAK, they sign their name on the act that is posted on the board.
4.  By the end of the year, hopefully all of the brainstormed acts will have at least one signature on them to signify that someone acted in that manner for someone.

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RANDOM ACT OF KINDNESS from After-School program to Host building Staff

To increase RAK and morale between your program and host staff, consider an RAK for them.
    • One morning provide a surprise pastry, donut, cookies or fruit table in the lounge.
    • Have the children make cards to put on the teachers room doors announcing the random surprise!
 
One school contacted a local shop to come to the school and make all the teachers lattes/coffee drinks one morning. (This is also a great idea to surprise SAC staff!)
 
Have SAC children volunteer to carry teacher's books, boxes, etc. when needed without being asked by the teacher.
 
On a recognized Kindness day, put together some staff goodies for the staff lounge with a note saying, "Goodies to brighten your day. From  the students of  ______ " 
     • Chocolate Kisses to remind you that you are loved!  
     • Starbursts to give you a burst of energy on the days you're low! 
     • A Lifesaver for you in return for all the times you’ve rescued us!  
     • A "thank you" for all the laughs and Snickers you share!  
     • And most importantly, smiles to pass on!
     • Adapted from an idea on the RAK website

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Tip: As Marcia Cousin of Ballard Elementary has said in her paper, 'Random Acts of Kindness for Kids'...
Most kids easily understand "act" and "kindness" but might be unfamiliar with "random". Helping them define and learn to use this word is crucial to understanding the phrase.

Explain Random Acts of Kindness. You can do this by reading or telling children Random Acts of Kindness stories to get them to fully understand the concept.

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  From Laura~  At the After Care Program I run, we have a RANDOM ACT OF KINDNESS CHAIN. A link is addded every time a random act of kindness is witnessed (The loops are made out of construction paper).  We then send a coupon home that says  "Be proud of your child, they have performed a random act of kindness today!" The kids love it! Each year we try to beat the previous year. We hang the chain around the room.

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THE GOOD ELF! (A  WINTER RANDOM ACT OF KINDNESS ACTIVITY)

  1. Challenge children to do random acts of kindness for others for one day.
 2. Advertise, post info, and make a big deal about the day!.
 3. Tell youth that they are not to reveal that they have done these nice things and if someone should ask them, "Did you put away the dishes...or games..or whatever..."? They reply, "Must have been a good elf".

This activity helps children realize we don't always have to be recognized when we do something for someone else. If playing with preschoolers or kindergarteners, you may want to send a note home explaining how parents can help.
I can't remember where I first saw this, but we do it every year! Cassie/Mi.

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 Celebrate an annual SAY SOMETHING NICE DAY ! (Good for All Ages)

On your “Say Something Nice Day’ notice something you like about a person and tell them. This can be during a Kindness Day or Week--or ANY time of the year!

Declare a day in your program that this is Say Something Nice Day. Each participant promises to approach one person that day and finish the sentence:
“One of the things I like about you is ________________.”
When you are back together at the end of the day, share your experiences.

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On a wall, have children/staff make a HUGE GUMBALL MACHINE. Children's names combined with their act of 'kindness' are recorded on large gumballs and then placed on the gumball globe. When the machine is filled- celebrate with the group for achieving your goal!

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 FIVE DISPLAY WALL IDEAS!

 Great idea! Your own version of a GRAFFITI WALL! 

The 180 Ways to Be Kind  photograph is courtesy of Classroom Display Blog  Put up a large sheet of paper and title. Challenge children to come up with '180 ways' to be kind to each other, teachers, parents, friends, siblings and community in general! (180 is just an idea-it could be 175, 200, etc.) If you have an after-school program, consider opening it to the entire school! 

Additionally, the '100th Day of School' falls about the same time in February as 'Random Acts of Kindness Week'! Consider combining the Graffiti Wall with 100 ways to be kind and celebrate both!

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THINK ABOUT...

When 'Random Acts of Kindness and Community Service' are incorporated into programs and classrooms, consider not basing the activity on children receiving individual PRIZES AS AN INCENTIVE. However, do set goals and celebrate as a group when goals are acheived!

We want children to do nice things--because it is helpful to others and feels good! Don't offer bribes, or bargain for good works. For example: "If you do this---I'll give you____". These practices do not build character, or a sense of program/family community.  

The best example to children in the meaning of kindness and altruism -- is for adults in their lives to demonstrate generousity of spirit, good deeds and acts of service...

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"WALL OF LOVE" DISPLAY WALL

The staff at Colchester Institute Library (UK) put together this "Wall of Lurve" (You can call it Wall of 'Kindness'  'Friendship', or  '______'.)  The  library staff provided a display for students and staff to write messages. Around 150 pink hearts were displayed on the Wall at the entrance to the library.

This is something that could easily be adapted to a class or after-school program!  The hearts could  be filled with Acts of Kindness for February's Kindness Week! A really nice idea to cover Valentine's Day, Friendship Month and Kindness Week all in one!

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You may also be interested in the Community Service Ideas and Bully Category

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