Kindness: 26 Ways Kids Can Show It
The Great Kindness Challenge begins today and lasts through Friday, January 27. This annual event is celebrated by many schools across the nation and is a perfect time to “Empower your students to create a culture of kindness!”
This event started twelve years ago. Some of you may already officially be a part of this movement, but if you aren’t and want to know more about it, check out the brief video below for more details.
This year’s hashtags are #GrowKindness along with #GreatKindnessChallenge. If you are participating, be sure to use these hashtags on your social media posts. You can also sign up to receive access to The Great Kindness Challenge Classroom Curriculum to incorporate at your school.
To celebrate kindness this week, I put together 26 ways to show kindness using the alphabet. I also created a FREE printable you can use with your students. You can even enlarge it to display in the hallway or in your office. You’ll find it at the end of this post. Although this special week targets kindness, I know we’d all like to see students and staff showing it 365 days a year!
The ABCs of Kindness
A – Apologize
Apologize to others when you make a mistake or do/say something to hurt that person’s feelings. Take responsibility for the part you played in a disagreement.
B – Bring a surprise for someone.
When you surprise someone with a special treat or gift, your kindness will make that person’s day!
C – Compliment others
Giving someone a genuine compliment is a great way to show kindness.
D – Donate things you no longer use.
As you get older, you’ll discover some things you no longer use or need like clothing and toys. It’s super kind to donate those things to people or organizations that collect them for others.
E – Encourage others
Just like you need encouragement, sometimes your friends and family need it too. Give encouragement to others who are nervous or worried about something. If you know someone who feels frustrated because something is difficult or taking too long to happen, encourage them to never give up.
F – Fix something that’s broken.
If you see something that is easy to fix, do it. You may be walking down the hallway at school and see a picture that has fallen from a display clip. Take a moment, pick it up, and replace it or give it to the class or teacher it belongs to.
G – Give high fives
You can give high fives when you are encouraging someone or when you are saying “good job” for something they’ve accomplished. It will make that person feel good, and that’s kind!
H – Hug someone (Make sure to ask!)
If you see someone who’s down and needs some cheering up, or if you see someone and want them to know you’re so glad to see him or her, ask if it’s okay to give a hug!
I – Invite someone to play or join in.
It’s always kind to include others. If you see someone who doesn’t seem to have anyone to hang out with at lunch or recess, invite them to join you or your group of friends. That kind deed will mean a lot!
J – Just smile
Sometimes just a nice and sincere smile can make all the difference for someone else. Take the time to just smile at someone. Hopefully, you will brighten that person’s day!
K – Keep a positive attitude.
Staying positive is a way of being kind. No one wants to hear negativity all the time!
L – Listen
A listening ear can mean the world to someone who just needs to talk about a problem. Put all of your attention and focus on someone else and see how much your kindness will be appreciated!
M – Mail a card to a friend.
Imagine getting a nice card in the mail from a good friend. It is so nice to be thought about.
N – Notice others
This act of kindness is really great when you have a new student in your class or if you see someone playing alone at recess.
O – Offer to help someone.
You can show kindness by helping someone. It’s kind to help anyone who asks for your help, and it’s extra special when you offer to help someone who doesn’t ask.
P – Pay it Foward.
When someone does something kind for you and you repeat that same kind deed for someone else, that is paying it forward.
Q – Quickly be an upstander when needed.
When someone is being picked on and you quickly put on your upstander cape, you are showing kindness. Stand up for someone who is being bullied and stop bullies in their tracks!
R – Release grudges
When you forgive and let go of anger, that is an act of kindness not only for the person you forgave but also for yourself.
S -Share with others
It’s always kind to share what you have with others. It could be cookies or your favorite game!
T – Thank others
It’s always important to say thank you if someone does something for you or if someone says something really nice to you.
U – Use good manners
You will always hit the kindness nail on the head when you are using your good manners.
V – Volunteer your time
It is always nice to help others, and volunteering your time is 100% an act of kindness.
W – Write a nice note to someone.
Tell a teacher how awesome he is or cheer up a friend when she’s down.
X – Be eXcited for others.
We had to stretch it for the X! 😁 When someone has good news and you are genuinely excited for them, that’s kindness.
Y – Yearn to make others smile.
When you bring happiness to others in whatever way, shape, or form, you are being kind.
Z – Zap negative comments by others and replace them with positive ones.
Help others stay positive with your own words and actions. Helping others find a silver lining is a way of showing kindness.
If you’d like a copy of The ABCs of Kindness, click on the picture below to download yours! The talking points from this blog post are included. Also, be sure to check out The Kindness Files in my store!
Is your school participating in The Great Kindness Challenge? Let me know in the comments.
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