RANDOM ACTS
OF KINDNESS
Who doesn't like a nice surprise?!
Recently it made our day to see that someone had drawn hearts on the sidewalk in front of each neighbor's home. Each heart had a different design and you could tell the person who drew the hearts put some thought into each design. Not only were people leaving their houses surprised by this gift, but people walking down the street stopped to admire the designs, introduced one another, and made friends.
​
An act of kindness can be as simple as pulling the weeds from your neighbor's sidewalk.
​
What ways can you think to surprise people with your kindness and generosity? Let us know your ideas: with your parent's permission, email your idea for a random act of kindness and we'll add them to our list.
KIND & Fun ACTIVITIES
-
Give a compliment to as many people as you can.
-
Donate some of your lightly unused book and toys.
-
Carry around loose change and put it in tip jars.
-
Clean up a messy area.
-
Give someone you love a hug.
-
Do a drawing for a loved one.
-
Reach out to a family member you haven't seen in awhile.
-
Donate to a charity.
-
Volunteer at a food bank.
-
Walk a neighbor's dog.
-
Bring groceries to a neighbor in need.
-
Tell someone they're awesome (just like you!)
​
Send us a suggestion!
Books Read Aloud
After reading these books, you'll want to make your very own Kindness Quilt!
​
How to Make a Kindness Quilt
-
Make a list of acts of kindness. Ask others for their ideas too.
-
On a square pieces of paper, write and draw each idea. Use scraps of paper and different materials. Collaging is great fun too!
-
Combine the squares into a quilt.
-
Let your quilt evolve and grow over time as you add new kindness ideas.
The Circus
​
Once when I was a teenager, my father and I were standing in line to buy tickets for the circus. Finally, there was only one family between us and the ticket counter. This family made a big impression on me. There were eight children, all probably under the age of 12. You could tell they didn’t have a lot of money. Their clothes were not expensive, but they were clean. The children were well-behaved, all of them standing in line. One could sense they had never been to the circus before. It promised to be a highlight of their young lives.
The ticket lady asked the father how many tickets he wanted. He proudly responded, “Please let me buy eight children’s tickets and two adult tickets so I can take my family to the circus.” The ticket lady quoted the price. The father leaned a little closer and asked, “How much did you say?” The ticket lady again quoted the price. The man didn’t have enough money. How was he supposed to turn and tell his eight kids that he didn’t have enough money to take them to the circus?
Seeing what was going on, my dad put his hand into his pocket, pulled out a $20 bill and dropped it on the ground. My father reached down, picked up the bill, tapped the man on the shoulder and said, “Excuse me, sir, this fell out of your pocket.” The man knew what was going on. He wasn’t begging for a handout but certainly appreciated the help in a desperate, heartbreaking, embarrassing situation. He looked straight into my dad’s eyes, took my dad’s hand in both of his, squeezed tightly onto the $20 bill, and with his lip quivering, he replied, “Thank you, thank you, sir. This really means a lot to me and my family.” My father and I went back to our car and drove home. We didn’t go to the circus that night, but we didn’t go without.
​
- Dan Clark
Dedicated to Janice Shapiro who asked every day, "How can I help someone?"