November 6 2015
Teach your students
About making kindness
A priority
To our Valued Teachers and Supporters;
On behalf of the Community Foundation of Northwestern Alberta I would like to take this
opportunity to thank you for your participation in the 2015 Random Act of Kindness Day.
Kindness truly is contagious, by encouraging kindness in your classrooms and schools
you are helping the future generations understand the importance of compassion, and
understanding and creating a healthier environment not just in your schools but in our
community as a whole.
In this package you will find a comprehensive list of ideas for participation in Random
Acts of Kindness Day. I have divided them into grade levels, and have also included
whether the act is free or contains some kind of monetary commitment. I have done my
best to include a wide variety of acts that range from simple, to complex. It is up to you
to decide what best suits your classroom and students. Remember no act of kindness,
no matter how small is ever wasted!
There is also a list of Random Acts that are for all ages, including some that staff may
wish to participate in!
If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me. I will do my
best to assist you any way I can.
Again, thank you again for your participation, together we are building a smarter, more
caring community.
Sincerely,
Lindsey McNeil – Executive Assistant
Kindness Ideas for Pre-Schoolers
Kindness Idea
Description
Monetary
Commitment
Spider web
Have the children sit in a circle and explain that
they are going to make a spider web. Give the
first child the end of the string and the ball, he or
she holds the end with one hand and with the
other rolls the ball to another child. As they roll
the ball to the next person, they say something
kind about that person. It continues in the same
manner from child to child. At the end discuss
that we are all connected, and the importance of
being kind to everyone.
Minimal: Cost
of String/Yard
Friendship Tree
Prepare paper hearts with each child’s name, and
a cut out of a tree with no leaves, have each child
close their eyes and choose a heart with a child’s
name, they have to then say something kind
about that child, and place their heart on the tree
Minimal: cost
of supplies to
make
hearts/tree
cutout
Storytelling
Create a very short story Ex: Johnny is riding his
bike, falls off and starts to cry. What could you do
to be kind and help him. Allow each child to
explain what would be a kind thing to do to help.
None
Thank you cards
Have each student design and decorate a thank
you card for local people. It could be police
officers, hospital staff, medics, firefighters or
postal workers, once they are done, deliver them
to the office.
Minimal:
Paper for
cards.
Kindness Ideas Kindergarten – Grade 2
Kindness Idea
Description
Caring for the school
Have the class think of ways they
can help care for their school. Vote
as a class which activity to complete
and do that activating (Clean
Playground, Clean Desks Etc)
Have kids brainstorm ways they can
help at home or school without being
asked, have they commit helping in
some way that week, at the end of
the day have them draw a picture or
write about their act.
Create a large banner for your wall,
whenever someone shows an act of
kindness have them draw the action
on the banner. The banner will soon
be filled with Kind activities
Have each student write a letter and
draw a picture, once each letter is
done, deliver them to a local nursing
home, hospital wing, or hospice
Helping others
Friendship Banner
Write a letter/draw a
picture
Monetary
Commitment
Minimal: Garbage
Bags and gloves if
cleaning outside.
none
Minimal: cost of
paper for banner
Minimal: cost of
paper,
Kindness Ideas Grades 3-5
Kindness Idea
Read and Record
Smile File
Let me help you game
Mentoring Younger Kids
Description
Have children read their
favorite children’s book and
record it, the recordings can
be given to the children’s
wing at the hospital to
entertain sick children
Have children bring in a
funny newspaper cartoon,
create a smile file in your
class room, when someone
is sad a student can pick a
cartoon from the smile file
to cheer them up.
Monetary Commitment
Minimal: cost of recording
to a disk or tape.
During gym or outdoor time
create a small obstacle
course, break the students
into pairs, blindfold one
student and have them try
to complete the obstacle
course alone, when it
proves to difficult have the
other student step in and
help. Switch students so
they each get a chance to
try, and then discuss what
is it like to receive help.
Have students join younger
classes for the day, read
with them, play with them,
be kind and teach them
about kindness
None
Minimal/None
none
Kindness Ideas for Older Students
Kindness Idea
Description
Kindness throughout
history
Have students research a kind
person from history, have them
write a brief paper about the
person, their contributions, and
what they learned from their
kindness, if you have time have
them present to the class
Visit
http://www.freethechildren.com/getinvolved/campaigns/we-createchange/ encourage your students
to learn about international
development. Collect change as a
class to buy a goat (50$) for a
woman in the developing world.
Middle school/high school can be a
challenging time for young people.
Encourage your students to step
out of their comfort zone and have
lunch with someone they don’t
know.
Have your students go out and
volunteer, visit a seniors home and
play cards, serve at the soup
kitchen, have them present the
experience and the impact it had
on them and their community
International
Compassion
Connect with a
stranger
Acts of Volunteerism
Monetary
Commitment
none
Change brought into
class to raise 50$ to
buy a goat.
none
None, unless they
choose to raise money
as their charitable act.
General Kindness Ideas (For Anyone)
Kindness Idea
Treat a homeless
person to coffee or
lunch
Leave Change in a
vending machine
Help out a neighbour
Share Kindness with
your family
Opt out of Gifts
Gift your favorite book
Smiles for Siblings
Give Freely
Compliments!
Description
Buy a homeless person a coffee
or a meal, listen to them, their
story may surprise you
Tape the cost of a treat to a
vending machine with a RAK card
Shovel snow, help them carry in
their groceries, or just stop by to
say hello
Take time today to tell your loved
ones how much they mean to you.
Have a holiday or birthday coming
up? Tell your families not to buy
gifts but instead do something
kind in your name, have them tell
you the story
To a friend, loved one, or leave it
somewhere for a stranger to find.
Be sure to leave a kind note
inside the cover!
Visit
facebook.com/smilesforsiblings
and send a letter to a child who
has a sibling going through cancer
treatment. Sometimes the other
children in families require some
special love, attention and kind
words too.
Donated used clothes, books, or
household items to an
organization in need
Compliment the first three people
you see during the day
Monetary Commitment
The cost of a coffee or
inexpensive lunch
The cost of a vending
machine treat
None
None
None, unless they
choose to make a
donation in your name.
None
The cost of postage
None
None
More love letters
Free Rice
Surprise Someone in
their time of need
Janitor Appreciation
Day
Give Thanks
Visit the SPCA
Free Coffee/Hot
Chocolate
Be Kind all year.
Visit
moreloveletters.squarespace.com.
Send a letter to someone who is
going through a difficult time. Let
them know that people care.
Visit freerice.org and spend a few
minutes testing your knowledge
and collecting rice.
Take a gift, card, or flowers to a
nursing home or hospital. Ask that
they be given to someone who
has not had any visitors.
Set up a janitor appreciation
throughout your school. Clean
your classrooms and make a
banner or card to tell your janitors
how much they are appreciated
RAK Day falls close to
remembrance day. Write a thank
you note and deliver it to the
legion, have your students do the
same. Or attend the remembrance
day ceremony to thank them in
person.
Sit with the pets for a while,
animals deserve kindness and
compassion as well.
Stand on the side walk with free
coffee or hot chocolate offer it to
whoever walks by.
Remember, RAK Day is
celebrated once a year, but we
should all strive to be kind on a
daily basis. The world is a much
happier place when people are
kind!
The cost of postage
and/or a card
None
The cost of flowers, a
small teddy bear, or a
thinking of you card.
none
None
None.
The cost of a few
coffees/hot chocolates
Kindness is priceless!
“Wherever there is a human in need there is an opportunity for kindness and to make a
difference.” – Kevin Heath