Yesterday, February 17 was Random Acts of Kindness Day, kicking off Kindess Week!! Did you know that there is an actual Foundation encouraging the world to be a kinder place? The Random Acts of Kindness Foundation believe that all people can connect through kindness and that kindness can be taught. They provide a huge number of resources for teaching and practicing kindness with children, and also a few things for encouraging kindness in the workplace. Their “The Kind Blog” is such an uplifting source of information and stories, definitely worth a read.
If you’re looking for a way to show your kids how to give back and show kindness this RAOK week, I’ve put together 10 great ideas for families to do together. Why not take the time to connect a little more as a family, and spread kindness at the same time!?
- A letter in the mail puts a smile on everyone’s face, so why not send an unexpected handwritten letter to someone you know? Let them know you’re thinking of them and get the kids to write about what they’ve been doing these holidays.
- On your next trip to the beach or a theme park, make it a game with the kids to spot a family or couple trying to get a selfie and offer to take their picture!
- Contact your local animal shelter or wildlife carers and find out what supplies they might need. Put together some donations and have a family outing to visit the shelter and drop everything off.
- With the hot weather and drought, gather up any buckets or trays and fill them with water. Place them around your backyard and see what animals come for a drink.
- Get creative with some nature play for the kids and join in on the Qld Rocks movement (here’s the link to the Gold Coast branch). Paint rocks and hide them for others to find and help to spread some joy in your community.
- Do you have walkers in your street? Why not spread some cheer with some chalk drawings and messages of encouragement on the footpath!
- Taking the kids to the supermarket? Give them a challenge to ‘high-five’ and say hi to every kid they pass in the shop!
- Make bookmarks with funny or friendly messages on them and tuck them into library books before you return them. The next person to borrow the book will find your surprise!
- Visited somewhere new over the holidays that you loved? Why not write a positive Google or Facebook review about them? Small businesses particularly rely on successful reviews and word of mouth – it only takes a few minutes and can make a big difference! Why not write one review each?
- Got a new neighbour? Or is there a neighbour you’ve never introduced yourself to before? Why not bake them some biscuits or a fresh loaf of bread and go and say hi?
