Random Acts Of Kindness
Dear teachers,
Our second topic for this month is Random Acts of Kindness. #RAK or Random Acts of Kindness is acting in a kind way towards others with in a spontaneous way. Saying kind words, being kind towards others and helping our neighbor/peer/friend are some examples of #RAK.
We hope that you all have a great start of the spring semester. Please continue to reach out to us for support.
Sincerely,
GUSD Counseling Dept.
Random Acts of Kindness
Gallery: Random Acts Of Kindness
Random Acts Of Kindness Key Points for your students!
The simple act of saying please and thank you.
Point out when someone’s shoe is untied, or their backpack zipper is open.
Greet your neighbors when you see them.
Say hello to a classmate you don’t normally talk to
Donate to your classroom library, books that you no longer read but are in good condition.
Support brands that are supportive. We love Kind Snacks for this reason for their social impact and economic sustainability. #kindawesome.
Print off a fun puzzle for a friend to do when they are home sick from school.
Invite a schoolmate to sit on their own to join in your game.
Say something nice about someone, just because.
Write a small note of thanks for someone who has done you a favor.
Wash the dishes or take out the garbage at home without being asked.
Let your brother or sister choose the TV show to watch with the family on Friday night.
Draw a picture with sidewalk chalk on the sidewalk that will brighten other people’s day.
Speak up for someone that others aren’t being kind to at school.
Read a story to someone who has read a story to you.
Write a note to a distant relative and send it in the mail.
Keep a journal and write a happy thought in it every night before bed.
Bake cookies for your teacher.
Wave at kids driving by on a school bus.
Donate toys you no longer use to a local shelter.
Thank your teacher for being patient teaching the class today.
Smile at everyone.
Pick up some additional food items when grocery shopping and donate to the food bank.
Sit next to someone you don’t normally eat lunch with.
Tell your sister/brother that you love her/him.
Count to 10 in your head to avoid yelling at someone when you get angry.
Ask mom/dad how her/his day went.
Pick-up litter you find outside, around your house.
Forgive someone who did something you didn’t like.
Hold the door for someone.
Share a riddle with a fellow kid (or adult!) to cheer them up.
Leave the mail carrier a thank you note.
Carry an extra granola bar or Kind Snack with you to give to a homeless person you pass.
Clean your room without being asked.
Use kind words when speaking to others.
Leave coloring books and crayons in your doctor’s waiting area for other kids to use.
Volunteer at your local Humane Society to spend time socializing with the animals waiting for their new forever home.
Send postcards or letters to veterans thanking them for their service.
Give positive feedback in class when someone is making a presentation.
Donate to the local hospital, family-friendly DVD movies or TV shows you don’t watch anymore.
Rake leaves or shovel snow for an elderly neighbor.
Leave kindness rocks in the park or playground.
Start a compliment jar or positive memory jar for your family.
Make a meditation chain for your daily positive thoughts.
Start a Little Free Library outside of your house.
Bring school supplies with you on your next family vacation as part of the Pack for Purpose initiative.
Encourage your school to acknowledge those who are kind through simple award certificates or school announcements.
Get out of bed on a school day when your parents wake you, without complaining.
Give those people you care about a hug, right now.
List of Books about Kindness for Students
It can be hard to find ways to include someone new –especially when that someone is invisible– but it’s worth the effort. Simple and sweet, it’s easy for kids to “see” the possible connections between this story and their own lives.
Concrete but engaging, this title answers an essential question.
Who better to teach kids the nitty-gritty details of being nice than…otters? Trust us, it works.
Being kind means making space for everyone, as this “big, friendly umbrella” shows. Read it, and then leave an umbrella propped by your classroom door as a reminder to be inclusive.
A girl tries to follow her mother’s advice to “be kind” when others tease a classmate, but her attempt doesn’t help…at first. Talk with students about how kindness can gain momentum over time.
This title is a lovely tool for reassuring children that the world is full of kind people with good intentions. Diverse illustrations highlight the kindness of “most people.”
Teach children that no one is too small to be kind with this timeless fable, re-imagined by a masterful illustrator.
A simple assignment leads to a school-wide kindness-fest. We guarantee students will be asking to make their own Kindness Quilt by the end of the story.
Mrs. Ruler is to kindness what Ms. Frizzle is to science. Instead of punishing kids who act up in class, she challenges them to find opportunities to be kind.
This wordless story of how one child wrestles with the decision to become an ally, and her eventual impact, is a powerful one. Back matter provides some helpful talking points for class discussion.
How could we leave out this Dr. Seuss classic, which taught us the adage “a person’s a person, no matter how small?”
And speaking of Dr. Seuss, this holiday favorite is a great reminder of the importance of friendship and giving back.
Twins Dexter and Leah enjoy the back-and-forth nature of kindness when they decide to reach out to their elderly neighbor.
No one notices a hurt pigeon except young Will, who takes it home and tenderly nurses it back to health. This story celebrates the capacity of children to provide kind, gentle care.
CJ’s wise and patient grandmother shows him that kindness resides in both one’s mindset and actions in this quietly evocative award-winner.
How do you acknowledge the efforts of someone who is perennially kind? Return the kindness, of course. Little Sophia sets out to show Mrs. Goldman how much the neighborhood appreciates her hand-made gifts.
When a man steals the lemons Rosalinda and her family intended to sell at the market, a wise advisor encourages her to be empathetic. Invite students to consider responding to others’ transgressions with kindness.
This beautifully illustrated saga of a greedy king’s transformation into a traveling ambassador of kindness will keep students captivated until the last page.
Jeremy’s quest for a pair of “those shoes” that his family can afford doesn’t end as he originally hopes, but it does create an opportunity to be kind. This classic read aloud is a mirror for some students and important window for others.
For Farah, everything feels new. Her classmates’ small acts of kindness go a long way towards making her feel like she belongs.
This classroom must-have shows how another’s kind acts can mean the difference between feeling unseen and living in full color.
If you love sharing Have You Filled a Bucket Today? with your kiddos, consider adding Carol McCloud’s most recent title to your library; because being kind to yourself is as important as being kind to others.
This diverse collection of poems offers plenty of concrete examples of kindness, from keeping an elderly neighbor company, to encouraging a struggling classmate, to paying it forward.