Acts of kindness activity
20 Best Kindness Activities for Kids
Developing the idea and expression of kindness in kids is vital for holistic development. Kindness activities for kids help demonstrate the concept of kindness through a hands-on and practical approach. Children can take away valuable lessons on how to practice kindness and in what circumstances kindness matters the most. They can also explore more nuanced ideas such as compassion, empathy, and forgiveness, through the introduction of proactive kindness activities.
Let’s shift our focus to the best kindness activities for kindergarten that you can practice with your kids, and how to maximize their effectiveness through the right guided directions.
Introduce These 20 Amazing Kindness Activities for Elementary Students1. Writing Thank You Notes to OthersYou can encourage your child to write “Thank You” notes to their teachers, friends, and family members whom they appreciate. They can focus on specific areas they appreciate the most and emphasize inherent traits through kindness. The activity can be performed during birthdays, before breaktime, or on any special occasion.
Ideal Age Range: 5+ years
Things Needed: Stationery
What to Remember: You should let them take the lead on making the card/note.
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2. Helping a Sibling with HomeworkYour kids can help each other with their homework and learn about the role of kindness in interpersonal relationships. You can set the right habits in momentum by encouraging them to help their siblings when they can’t finish their homework. By establishing this activity each week, you can imbibe the right set of practices as they grow older.
Ideal Age Range: 6+ years
Things Needed: Guidelines
What to Remember: You can start by initiating an open dialogue about asking for and giving help.
Related Reading: Ways to Make Homework Fun for Kids3. Painting Kindness Rocks with Messages
This is one of the best preschool kindness activities for toddlers that can be performed any time. You can encourage your children to paint rocks of different colors and set them aside to dry off. You can then write positive affirmations of kindness on them as reminders for the family to be kind and giving.
Ideal Age Range: 4+ years
Things Needed: Rocks, paint
What to Remember: You can have your kids come up with the affirmations that they like.
4. Making a Kindness CalendarA kindness calendar with unique initiatives can help your child be more motivated to be kind to someone throughout the month. You can add simple acts such as setting the dinner table, cheering someone with a joke, and writing a friendly note.
Ideal Age Range: 5+ years
Things Needed: Calendar template
What to Remember: It’s important to let your child come up with kindness ideas.
A range of books about kindness, such as The Kindness Quilt, Finding Kindness, and The Big Umbrella, can be read aloud for kids to learn about the concept. You can make it more exciting for kids by role playing with dolls, toys, and puppets, giving your kids a multisensory experience with these kindness activities for kids.
Ideal Age Range: 3+ years
Things Needed: Reading-level based books
What to Remember: Reading out loud in a playful manner will engage kids more effectively
Related Reading: How to Read a Book: 15 Best Book Reading Tips for Children6. Kindness Cards for Kids
You can prepare and print out a range of flashcards with acts of kindness on them. Your child can pick one and set out to complete the act at school, at the playground, and other places. Examples of these could be helping a friend who’s fallen, thanking a teacher, and sharing a snack with a friend.
Ideal Age Range: 6+ years
Things Needed: Kindness-based flashcards
What to Remember: You can focus on correcting certain behaviors with the right kindness card
7. Appreciation Box for FamilyYou can make an appreciation box for your family, encouraging everyone to write down words of appreciation for kindness driven actions. Your kids can learn to actively appreciate someone for being kind and share their feelings on paper.
Ideal Age Range: 5+ years
Things Needed: Small box, scissors, paint, cards
What to Remember: Encouraging your child to fill up the box regularly will keep them interested in the activity.
8. Kind Acts Across HistoryYou can talk about kind acts throughout history, such as Princess Diana visiting hospitals, the Pay It Forward Movement, the brave acts of Oskar Schindler and so on. By talking about these acts of kindness, kids can feel a sense of community, history, and legacy around the idea of kindness.
Ideal Age Range: 5+ years
Things Needed: History books, lessons
What to Remember: You can ask your child to think about why a specific act was seen as kind worldwide.
9. Let’s Make a Kindness SongIf you have musically inclined kids, then encouraging them to create a song on kindness will be a great way to empower them creatively. You can ask them to create lyrics, melodies, and a dance step to go along with the song. The song can also focus on simple acts of kindness we can do every day.
Ideal Age Range: 6+ years
Things Needed: Instruments, lyrics
What to Remember: Having a dance routine will make the activity more joyful.
Related Reading: Children’s Songs When You Want to Dance With Your Kids10.
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This is a great way to teach kids about the wonders of kindness and its reciprocation in the form of affection and love. Animals are highly intuitive and can help kids about being confident in approaching them based on body language. Your child can participate in feeding, cleaning, and hygiene activities at the shelter to teach them the value of responsibility through kindness.
Ideal Age Range: 5+ years
Things Needed: Scheduled visit
What to Remember: You can have them visit different types of animals to see if they form a natural bond.
11. Donating Books, Clothes, and FoodThe inherent value of donating and doing something good for others can be the foundation of kindness for many kids. You can start teaching your children about the joy of giving through this kindness activity for kids. Kids can search in their own closet, toy chest, and other personal areas for things they’d like other children to have.
Ideal Age Range: 4+ years
Things Needed: Boxes, books, clothes, etc.
What to Remember: It’s important to focus on why it is good to donate things to other people.
12. Role Playing Exercises for KindnessRole playing through toys, puppets, and dolls can be great ways to help kids understand kindness instinctively. You can enact different situations, such as a girl sitting by herself at the playground, a kid crying because he fell, and a student with no lunch to eat. Through these scenarios, you can help your child think through difficult situations and act with kindness.
Ideal Age Range: 4+ years
Things Needed: Toys, scenarios
What to Remember: Asking your child to think from the perspective of different people will help.
13. Filling Out Kindness WorksheetsYou can create kindness worksheets that focus on various questions, such as “what is kindness to you?”, “How can I be more kind to my friends?”, “My family shows kindness by…,” etc. These types of worksheets can be helpful in letting kids think about kindness from a holistic standpoint. They can come up with their own answers and examples and complete the worksheets.
Ideal Age Range: 6+ years
Things Needed: Worksheet template
What to Remember: Preparing multiple worksheets will help them think about unique aspects of kindness.
14. Kindness for NatureNature-based kindness activities for kids can help them establish a closer relationship with the outside world. By empowering them to take care of a young plant, you can help them become more responsible and caring individuals.
Ideal Age Range: 4+ years
Things Needed: Seeds, pots, mud
What to Remember: It is important to talk to them about why we need to be kind to nature.
Related Reading: How to Make Gardening With Children Fun and Educational15.
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You can prepare a kindness tree by placing twigs in a glass jar and cutting out green paper in the form of leaves. You can ask your child about the various acts of kindness they showcased, write them down on the leaf, and then tie them symbolically on the twig. With each act of kindness, your child sees the tree grow and flourish with leaves all over.
Ideal Age Range: 4+ years
Things Needed: Twigs, stationery, strings
What to Remember: You can make this activity impactful by involving your child throughout the process
16. A Rainbow of KindnessCrafts-based kindness activities for kids can help them make something unique and memorable around the idea of being kind. They can add the colors of the rainbow on seven ice cream sticks and write phrases that are polite and kind to say. Examples could be “Please,” “Thank you,” “I appreciate you,” etc.
Age Range: 5+ years
Things Needed: Ice cream sticks, colors, stationery
What to Remember: Focusing on why it is good to make someone feel good through kindness should be a key takeaway.
You can prepare different scenarios for your child to explore through the lenses of kindness and compassion. Your child can talk about what they would do in a situation, and you can track for inconsistencies or lack of action in different cases. This can also help your child understand when it’s right to be kind.
Age Range: 4 years +
Things Needed: Templates, cards
What to Remember: It’s vital to let your child take the lead on answering the questions posed.
18. I Am Thankful For – My Friends, My Family, My SisterA key determiner of kindness is thankfulness, which can be practiced with the activity. You can write “I am thankful for” at the center of a sheet of paper and have your child write all the things they’re thankful for on the corners. They can choose to fill out the sheet of paper over time, making this a year-long record of kindness shown by others.
Age Range: 4+ years
Things Needed: Stationery
What to Remember: You can showcase examples of what you are thankful for to initiate the activity.
19. The Giving Jar for the HomeYou can make a giving jar and encourage your kids to fill it up with things they’d like other members of the family to have. From sweets to toys, they can give away things they think would bring a smile on someone’s face or make someone’s day better.
Age Range: 6+ years
Things Needed: Glass jar
What to Remember: It is important to let your child organically give away things that they think will be helpful to others.
20. Handmade Gifts for SomeoneYou can encourage your child to use Origami, arts and crafts, and other interesting ways to make handmade gifts. They can make hearts, hugs, toys, and other cool presents for their parents, friends, siblings, and grandparents.
Age Range: 5+ years
Things Needed: Stationery
What to Remember: Focusing on why it is good to make someone feel good through kindness should be a key takeaway.
Related Reading: Minute Best Crafts for Kids to Make at HomeWhy Should We Include Kindness Activities for Students?
Actively teaching kindness through instructions, guides, and activities helps kids proactively learn the concept from a theoretical and practical standpoint. Kids may be feeling certain emotions and want to help someone in need without vocalizing that expression as “kindness.”
It is also important to teach kids about kindness so that they can understand the concept through a practical lens. They can make the cognitive connection that certain actions are kind, while others are unkind or rude. This helps them navigate the world better, treat their peers with respect, and be more considerate about others’ feelings.
You can also mold your child to be more kind and giving with the right types of activities. More engaging and outdoors activities for kids that involve kindness as a core virtue can teach them the right steps to practice each day. Kids can learn good behaviors through playful activities that allow them to explore different aspects of what it means to be kind.
Kindness is also a fruitful tool for social bonding in classrooms and developing lifelong relationships at an early age. Your child can be better socially adjusted at school and be more open to dynamic environments. They can actively recognize and reward kindness in other kids and become close friends with them by being more kind.
Exploring the Advantages of Teaching Kindness through ActivitiesYou can transform the way your child sees the world by introducing kindness at an early age. Your children can learn through kindness activities that are designed to help them think from different aspects.
By understanding and exploring different types of kindness gestures and actions, they can learn practical strategies for interacting with their surroundings. They can learn how to share toys, forgive their friends, appreciate their teachers, and make someone happy.
You can also empower your children with self-kindness, which is a direct predecessor to self-esteem. You can teach your kids to learn how to talk to themselves when they make a mistake or feel embarrassed about something. Through self-kindness, they can reshape their inner narrative to that of love, compassion, and forgiveness for shortcomings.
Related Reading: Best & Important Character Traits for Kids That All Parents Must Instill
Let’s Conclude
Kindness is a universal feeling, and kids can start learning about it at an early age. Through kindness activities for kids, children can understand what it means to be kind and when it’s right to be kind to someone. You can also teach your children about the impact of kindness on our surroundings, our society, and our family, through different activities that spark curiosity and engaged thinking.
What’s next? We can make these activities that much more impactful by making them a part of everyday activities and integrating them in play and during leisure time. Kids can understand the importance of kindness in our lives when they practice these activities every few days.
Frequently Asked Questions(FAQs)How often can I do kindness activities with my kids?
Weekly activities that focus on some form of kindness expression or extended one-off activities that grow over time can be impactful for young kids.
How can I make kindness activities more fun?
You can make kindness activities for kids more fun by involving toys, musical instruments, videos, and other multi-sensory tools. You can also continue to introduce new activities regularly to make it more fun for kids.
How do I explain the differences between kindness, compassion, and empathy?
By focusing on role playing activities, guides, books, and songs, you can teach the differences between kindness, compassion, and empathy.
At what age can kids learn about kindness?
Kids as young as the age of three years can understand the concept of kindness at a rudimentary level.
31 Kindness Activities for Kids
Math. Writing. Kindness. What do these three things have in common?
They're all skills to be taught, practiced, and reinforced. Of course, we also mess up and learn from our mistakes with all three. And they're all things we can get better at, no matter our age.
Today, we're rounding up one month's worth of kindness activities for kids.
Make sure you stay on track by downloading and printing our complete calendar of kindness activities listed below.
Before you continue, we thought you might like to download our FREE 21-Day Family Gratitude Challenge. Make this challenge a part of your night routine or family dinner time for the next 21 days (that's how long it takes to build a habit).
Kindness must be intrinsically motivated.
According to Psychology Today, several studies have shown that "providing children with a reward for behavior is almost like telling them that the behavior itself is not much fun. So if you want to promote intrinsic motivation—if you want to teach your kids that learning in school or helping others are enjoyable in and of themselves—using rewards might be the wrong strategy."
Furthermore, those studies found that when the rewards stop, the positive behaviors often stop; however, when rewards weren't offered in the first place, the behaviors often continue.
Even praise should be used sparingly, as too much can create external motivation—though it shouldn't go unused. Instead, reserve your feedback and encouragement for when it's most beneficial.
(These studies were primarily done with neurotypical children; speak to an expert about your child's individual needs.)
Keep this in mind when going through each activity. Now, let's get started!
Day 1: Teach the Difference Between Kind and NiceOn day one of your month of kindness activities for kids, teach them the difference between "nice" and "kind."
- Nice: doing what is expected to please those around you
- Kind: showing empathy and being willing to stand up for what is right
Create a poster with a column for "kind" and a column for "nice." Have the kids write suggestions on sticky notes (or offer pre-written options) and put them in the column where they think the options belong.
Discuss each note to agree if they are in the correct columns. It's okay to put a few in the middle—context can matter.
Once you've agreed upon which notes go in which column, hang the poster on the wall.
Day 2: Teach T.![](/800/600/http/i.pinimg.com/736x/8d/d3/d0/8dd3d0c15f08934047aff069949efba0.jpg)
"T.H.I.N.K." means before you say anything, you should ask yourself if what you're about to say is:
- True
- Helpful
- Inspiring
- Necessary
- Kind
Consider showing your kids an actual social media post (or a made-up one for younger children). Look at the post and comments and have the kids determine how much the person used T.H.I.N.K before they posted—how many letters did they get?
Day 3: Write a Letter to SomeoneMany grown-ups don't realize how impactful they are in a child's life. This next kid-friendly kindness activity teaches children gratitude while making someone’s day.
Ask your kids, "Name an adult (other than me) who is important to you.? Why?" When they decide—and this does need to be their decision so their gratitude is genuine—have them write a note or draw a picture that tells the adult specifically why they appreciate them.
Letters can be mailed or hand-delivered depending on the parameters you set. If you are a teacher, consider asking your kids to write a letter to another staff member at school.
You can teach your child empathy from day one by modeling it for them. As your kids get older, you can help them identify emotions, embrace diversity, and understand current events through the lens of kindness.
Spend this day focusing on teaching empathy skills—and keep this up as time goes on.
Day 5: VolunteerRather than saying your kids must volunteer at a specific location, talk to them about what matters to them. Animals? Older adults? The environment?
Once they've decided who to help, research locations where you can volunteer together.
After you've finished your day of volunteerism, discuss the experience with your children. If the volunteer spot was a good fit, consider going back regularly. If it wasn't, try somewhere new!
Day 6: Show Kindness to WorkersTurn an average day of errands into a kindness activity for your kids by making them aware of their surroundings and behavior.
If you go to a store and see items on the floor or tables that customers should have picked up or left tidy, your kids could pick them up. If they don’t know where items go, they can place them in a neat pile.
Have your child take the lead at checkout. (Be sure you've already practiced things you say to a store worker.) Positive interactions can make a worker's day!
If your child is older, fill them in on what a day in customer service can involve. Ask how they'd want to be treated if this was their job and remind them to think about that when they're out.
Day 7: Help Other KidsOn this day, teach your children how to help other kids.
You can create a “partner project” where each child reads a story or learns a skill, which they then need to teach their partner. You can also encourage older kids to help younger kids with schoolwork.
When kids help other kids meet their goals and learn new skills, they learn patience, kindness, and responsibility.
Keep an eye out for performances in your area. Read their synopses and determine if kindness could be a theme. If the play has a relevant online study guide available, even better!
A few live theatre options to help teach kindness (and frequently performed) are:
- A Christmas Carol (Note: there are versions for younger audiences, which are far shorter than the original.)
- High School Musical
- Puffs! (Note: there's a version for younger audiences and a version for older ones. Make sure you know which one you're seeing.)
People who grow plants are involved in their entire life cycles. For kids, this kindness activity may be the first time they've ever done something like it and they learn how everything needs love and attention.
Try to choose a hardy plant (e.g. succulents), particularly for younger or more forgetful kids. Make the plant their full responsibility, supervising only as necessary.
If the plant dies? This is a time for a growth mindset, not shame. Even the best gardeners' plants die from time to time. Talk about what may have gone wrong (and whether or not it was in the child's control) and try again with a new plant.
Day 10: Create a Compliment BoardTruly effective kindness activities for kids will challenge children to dig deep and really think about what they appreciate about others. A compliment board can be a great avenue for generating kind thinking patterns.
Create a spot in your house or classroom where children can put notes saying something positive about, or giving thanks to, someone else. If you're in a classroom, you could use envelopes for individual students.
Leave this up for the rest of the month or longer if you like.
These notes should be sincere and never forced; they should be written when someone wants to say something kind.
Try to keep it from becoming a competition. Perhaps make the notes anonymous or decide ahead of time who will receive compliments from the rest of the group that day or week.
Note to teachers: Is there someone who'll never get these notes? Get to the root of the issue and make sure it's fixed before starting this activity.
Don't forget to download our FREE 21-Day Family Gratitude Challenge and make this challenge a part of your family's routine!
Day 11: Create Growth Mindset RocksGrowth mindset rocks are stones kids paint and write messages on. The message could be something as simple as "You rock!" or something more profound.
Place the painted rocks in a public location (with permission) or your yard with a sign telling people they can take one.
Day 12: Play a Cooperative GameWhat better activity for teaching kids kindness than a good old-fashioned game?
A cooperative game is a game or puzzle where you must work as a team. Winning only happens through active listening and group decision-making. Some of these games are:
- For younger kids: Outfoxed!, Friends and Neighbors: The Helping Game, Gnomes at Night
- For older kids: Mysterium, Forbidden Island
There are books about kindness for every age group and they don't have to be totally on the nose to be effective. Find books kids can relate to and be prepared to discuss kindness using the book.
Some books may take longer to read. Treat these like you're in a book club and space the reading out over the month.
You can find the theme of kindness in a variety of books, including:
- For young kids: The Rabbit Listened, Last Stop on Market Street, The World Needs More Purple People
- For tweens or teens: To Kill a Mockingbird, Wonder, A Wrinkle in Time
One of the most effective kindness activities for kids is discussing diversity and more importantly inclusivity in an open and honest manner. While you should focus on similarities, it's essential to acknowledge differences exist.
Explain what you can. If a question stumps you, research it in real-time. Admitting you don't know everything models a growth mindset.
Discuss what we should do or say if we notice someone different than us and give kids the opportunity to ask you questions in a safe space or do their own research.
Sometimes an act of kindness may not be as kind as we think.
For instance, someone may assume a person with a visible disability needs help. Author Rebekah Taussig discusses this topic in an article for Time. You could summarize the article for younger kids and have older ones read it themselves.
Other acts of "misguided kindness" can be based on assumptions about race. For example, complimenting someone's English or touching someone's hair to say how much you like it can be unkind.
Even giving someone a hug they don't want can be an act of misguided kindness as it invades their personal space.
Day 16: It's Science Time!While kindness is about being selfless, there is a selfish aspect to it: When you do something kind, you feel good. This is because your brain releases the "happy chemicals" of serotonin, oxytocin, and dopamine.
On this day, focus on teaching your children or students about how the brain works. We have a lesson plan on neuroplasticity to get you started.
For something to be classified as bullying, it must be repeated, intentional, and have a power imbalance of some kind.
Kids should learn the signs of bullying, when and how to intervene, and the causes of bullying behavior.
Learning about the root causes of bullying behavior can help kids choose the kindest routes. Knowing and understanding people, who exhibit these behaviors, are most likely in pain may help stop negative reactions and, instead, find productive ways to use that energy.
Day 18: Watch a Movie About Overcoming ObstaclesInspiring kids movies like Inside Out, Finding Nemo, and even The Karate Kid show characters overcoming obstacles and often those obstacles include unkind people or the desire to be unkind.
After watching your chosen film together, talk about the kindness (and lack thereof) shown in the film. Let the kids guide the conversation.
There are few better times for kids to practice kindness than when they have to make decisions about activities and solve problems as a team.
If you're a teacher, this could be letting the kids run around outside for a while or giving free play time—teenagers even secretly love being allowed to play! If you're a parent, arrange a playdate or sleepover for your child and a friend or two.
Day 20: Understand What You Can and Cannot Control
Have an open discussion about times you were unkind because of what was happening around you and talk about what you could have done differently. Discuss the importance of acting on what’s in your control and accepting what is not.
Day 21: Play a Competitive GameFind a competitive board game, card game, or video game your whole family enjoys and play it together. Before starting, discuss how to be a good winner—as well as a good "loser".
Don't let your kid win, at least not every time. Instead, allow them to navigate the waters of both winning and losing at a game.
Day 22: Attend a Cultural EventAttend a public event organized by people of a different background than your child or family.
This doesn't necessarily have to be an education-focused event—you can attend a parade, a festival, etc. But, if there is an educational booth available, visiting it can improve this kindness activity for your kids.
Striving to understand people who are different from oneself is an important step toward kindness as it goes deeper than "tolerance" and "acceptance."
Day 23: Find a Pen PalThere are a ton of ways to find pen pals for your kids.
Meeting a new person, without the immediacy of conversation or texting, gives kids time to think about what they want to say before saying it, which can help them internalize this skill.
Day 24: Love YourselfTalk to your kids about why loving yourself is important.
After all, it is much easier to be kind to others when you are kind to yourself. You can discuss the science of this with older children and teens or keep it to the basics with younger ones.
Day 25: Practice MindfulnessMindfulness helps you reconnect with yourself in a meaningful way. In addition, this activity helps kids with kindness because feeling overwhelmed or disconnected can make you lose focus on what matters.
This activity looks different for every person, so you should investigate different mindfulness resources to decide what works best for your children.
This next exercise aims to help kids understand when kindness must be overruled for safety.
There are times when being kind is unsafe and standing up for yourself is more important.
Helping a stranger "look for their dog" in a park? Kind, but unsafe. Letting someone hug you when you're not comfortable with them doing so? Kind to them, unkind to yourself.
This is the day when kids learn to say "no" and leave a situation where something doesn't feel right. Empowering kids to set boundaries allows them to be kind to themselves.
Day 27: Learn First AidYou never know when you may need to help someone—or yourself—when injured. Therefore, learning first aid is a great kindness activity for kids.
If possible, arrange for a professional (such as someone from the American Red Cross) to run this lesson.
Day 28: Find GratitudeWhen you feel grateful for the world around you, you're more likely to take care of yourself and others. There are a ton of ways to show gratitude for things big and small.
Even something as simple as a gratitude journal can go far. Have your kids write one to three things they are grateful for at the end of each day.
Alternatively, you can create a gratitude jar, where kids write what they’re grateful for on slips of paper to place in the jar. Watch as the jar—and their kindness—fills up!
Day 29: Teach Grit and ResilienceIf we're honest, choosing kindness every day is difficult. We don't always want to take the high road—in fact, that low road looks great sometimes.
Grit and resilience are how we push through those times and steer ourselves back to the higher and kinder road.
Day 30: Practice Conflict ResolutionNo matter how many kindness activities kids practice, no one is kind all the time. Even when they are, someone else may not reciprocate. These conflicts can be difficult to navigate.
Spend some time going over "I feel" statements, model conflict resolution skills, and then have the children roleplay these new abilities.
Day 31: ReflectToday, summarize the kids' kindness activities over the past month. Then, work out what your children or students have learned and which types of activities they have preferred.
After wards, keep it going with more acts of kindness, both modeled and practiced, as time goes on.
As a reminder, Big Life Journal encourages you to read, watch, or play anything you plan to engage children in before involving them so you can ensure appropriateness and be prepared to discuss.
Additionally, we recommend vetting individuals or locations for anything involving other people, e.g., pen-pals, store workers, and volunteer positions. We cannot be responsible for any challenges arising from interactions with people involved in these suggestions.
Looking for additional resources to support your child's growth mindset journey? Check out our popular Sibling Kit PDF (ages 5-12)! This printable kit is designed to help your children build a strong bond, mutual trust, and deep connection they will be able to count on for the rest of their lives.
Your children learn how to work through the conflicts, manage their BIG feelings, choose respectful behavior, and build long-lasting mutual trust. And YOU will have a happier and more peaceful home.
RAK - Random Acts of Kindness
"Neither one act of kindness, no matter how small, is never wasted for nothing" - Aesop.
When in last time you made a surprise for one of your colleagues? Did you send them an unexpected thank you note or congratulated them on their anniversary at an enterprise messaging platform?
Work in friendly atmosphere where colleagues greet each other with warm smiles and show an interest in each other's well-being can significantly affect our level of job satisfaction. Now that it's getting stronger uncertainty, and we feel more and more isolated, it is vital for us to give and receive kindness.
Perhaps you are unfamiliar with the above and you work in a hardworking but impersonal and "cold" team. Sometimes all it takes to create a positive atmosphere is a few simple "Random Acts of Kindness" (RAK).
In this article we will consider what is meant by random acts of kindness and how they can benefit you and your team. We also offer 10 simple, random acts of kindness, start doing good now!
What is RAK?
Considered that writer Anna Herbert coined the phrase in 1982 when she wrote "Practice casual kindness and mindless displays of beauty" on a poster in a restaurant in California. Her book "Random kindness and meaningless manifestations of beauty” was published in 1993.
Random an act of kindness covers almost everything you do solely for the sake of someone's benefit - from helping an elderly person cross the road to offering take on part of the work of a colleague who has a blockage.
This idea proved to be extremely popular. Random Acts of Kindness Foundation established the annual RAK International Week and proclaimed February 17th as "The Day of random acts of kindness."
Benefits kindness
In his book "Born to be good", written in 2009, Dacher Keltner, professor of psychology at the University of California at Berkeley, claims that in it is in our nature to have compassion for others and to act in according to this, even if there is no obvious personal reward. Maybe, The roots of this behavior lie in the fact that altruism leads to the strengthening social ties and therefore helps to create a prosperous society.
When you perform random acts of kindness at work, you will qualitatively improve communication with members of your team. Don't underestimate the additional effects of kindness - for example, if your kindness makes someone feel happy, he, likely to be more active and successful. Moreover, people who feel supported and are part of a friendly, inclusive team, less prone to anger or stress.
And although random acts of kindness for the benefit of the people who receive them, numerous studies have shown that people who do good deeds also experience pleasure and happiness.
Exists saying: "One good deed deserves another." It means, that if you do someone a favor, there is a chance that you will be repaid kindly. That the same can be said for random acts of kindness. They can create an effect waves" when the person you helped might be inspired to do the same the most for the other, and so on, launching new "circles of kindness." According to psychologist Jonathan Haidt, simply observing an act of kindness can motivate someone to follow suit.
10 random acts of kindness that you can commit at work
there are many things you can do and all of them will be considered RAK. Think what can bring benefit the people around you, or try to find something specific that can a person needs. Here are 10 ideas to get you started:
1. Send someone a thank you note. note, in person or through a messaging platform.
2. Take the next step, send thank you card in the mail!
3. Write a recommendation on LinkedIn for a colleague or confirm some of his skills.
4. Give your team members impromptu day off for excellent work.
5. Give a sincere compliment to your boss or the whole team.
6. Offer a business trip instead of yourself a colleague who you know is desperate to go.
7. Offer to help a colleague with a difficult project, even if you are busy.
8. Become a first-time volunteer first aid.
9. Ask about a colleague's family and carefully listen to the answer.
10. Pass the baton of kindness - if someone was kind to you, do a good deed for someone else.
Alternate these items are in a different order - RAK loses its effectiveness if you do the same thing the same again and again. Likewise, performing acts of kindness just for one person or group of people may lead to some feel left out. To prevent your acts of kindness from becoming routine or perceived as favoritism, get creative, diversify and spread the warmth around you.
Note:
Some It is difficult for people to give and receive kindness.
They can feel insecure or afraid of how others might perceive them actions. They may feel they have nothing to give, or they may think they have nothing to give. deserve kindness, or question its motives.
If you seems familiar, then our articles on emotional intelligence, increasing self-esteem, strengthening self-confidence, developing self-awareness, etc., can help you solve some of these problems.
Key moments
Manifestation kindness at work has a significant impact. It creates stronger communication between team members, increases engagement and motivation.
Random acts of kindness can be both big and small. Whether it's cooking cups of coffee, listening to an anxious colleague, or a virtual message with gratitude - an unexpected act of kindness has a positive effect on all participants in the process.
Apply it's in your life
Try imagine how you can show your kindness? For example, you you can grab food along the way, at the request of a neighbor, visit an elderly a relative, volunteer at a local shelter, or offer to babysit busy friend. Random Acts of Kindness contains many other ideas.
Small acts of kindness that will make your day / well-being
When was the last time you did something that required little effort from you, but it was a great deed for someone else? I'm sure you've heard of small acts of kindness. these these are actions that do not cost you anything, but for another person mean a great event in your life .
One of the keys is that they must be done selflessly. Any person and any time is perfect when they motivate you. Another key to small acts of kindness is that they are easy to do.
A few minutes will be enough to complete the task, and the result will be smiling at you and the one who received this small act all day long. Then I offer a few small acts of kindness that are sure to inspire you every day..
1. Create a special date to celebrate the person who is special to you
You don't have to just wait for Christmas or Mother's Day to celebrate with your loved ones. One small act of kindness that will brighten up your day is to create a special date with another person. How about Family Ice Cream Day? Being its own holiday, it will create greater unity among those who celebrate it. will leave you wonderful memories over the years.
Traditional celebration dates should not be excluded from your special occasions. But let's be honest, Do you really have to wait for the day marked by others to celebrate your loved ones?? Why don't you create your own special moments?
2. Share a day with a loved one you don't see much
When did you last see your grandfather? Over time, we see our agenda full of commitments that alienate us from the people we love the most. Another small act of kindness that will make you the happiest day is visiting your loved ones. Perhaps it doesn't matter much to you to deviate tonight to visit your mother or that friend you haven't seen in years. But for them, it can be a special moment.
The simple act of handing over and greeting that you haven't seen in a while shows that you're interested. I'm sure you like it when someone shows up with surprise and shows that you're interested.
3. Find an opportunity to praise someone
I'm not talking about praising your son or telling your boss how good he is. We do these two things very often. Among the small acts of kindness that can change your day is praising someone you don't pay too much attention to. When was the last time you turned to the person who cleaned your office and thanked him for his work?
We take many things for granted as the work and effort of others. This makes us not notice others. You can just move around them and not even realize that they are there, they become ghosts to you. Take the time today to see these people and choose them for the work they are doing. Thank you or a smile can make you happy all day long .
4. Listen to someone who needs to talk
How many times do you need someone to listen to you, but no one is there? You will already know that it hurts a lot. Thus, you should know that another of the small acts of kindness that will make your day happy is to listen to someone who needs it. Knowing that you were able to help this person and that you may have given them a reason to continue will no doubt make you feel good.
But this act goes beyond what you may feel, thinking that just as you were there for those who needed you, later on someone will be there for you. It's not always easy to stop for a minute to listen to someone else. People prefer to talk before they listen, but doing the latter can be far more rewarding than you might think.
Small acts scream out loud
These small acts make your day happy because they allow you to see beyond and from you.