Activities
Friday the 13th doesn’t always have to be unlucky, especially when it falls on World Kindness Day! This Friday, November 13th, will be all about celebrating kind deeds and promoting the spirit of giving. According to National Today, World Kindness Day was formed in 1998 with the hope of spreading kindness around the world. That’s right: this international holiday is celebrated in Japan, Australia, Canada, and the United States. Thrill students with the idea of celebrating kindness with other classes across the globe!
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Here are 20 easy and engaging activities to use in the classroom on World Kindness Day and beyond!
1. Flood the hallways with positive notes.
Have students write down positive messages on sticky notes. Then take a walk around the school to stick the notes on classroom doors, on lockers, in bathrooms, and so on!
Via: @thinkingzing
2. Assign a kindness challenge.
Hand out a Kindness Challenge with many acts of kindness listed and have students see how many items they can cross off. For added fun, make it into a BINGO game!
Via: Sunshine Whispers
3. Write a thank you note to an unexpected and deserving person.
This activity could be as simple as a note written on lined paper thanking someone for being wonderful. It could also become a full-on craft with construction paper and sparkles!
4. Surprise school custodians by cleaning the classroom.
Custodians are the true heroes of our schools, especially this school year. Every day they are disinfecting our classrooms to ensure that we can learn in-person safely. Go the extra mile on World Kindness Day and have students pick cleaning jobs around the room to help out the custodians. This kindness act will be sure to make their day! (Make sure jobs are COVID-safe for students to take on, of course.)
5. Read aloud a book all about kindness to set the tone.
A few great options are The Kindness Quilt, Have You Filled a Bucket Today?, and Those Shoes.
6. Assign a self-kindness project.
Promote kindness to self by assigning a project that has students create a poster or powerpoint outlining ways to take care of themselves. Students could add in pictures, text boxes, diagrams, and labels! For students who feel comfortable doing so, the projects could be shared out to the whole group or in small groups.
7. Make a Kindness Jar.
Via: mindful_kin
Have students note down any time they hear someone say something kind throughout the day. Stick the note in the jar and look back on it another day to remind students to be kind.
8. Put up “Take a Compliment” posters.
Via: Stacie Swift
Those in need of a smile can rip off a compliment that suits them from the poster.
9. Create a Kindness Mailbox.
If you don’t already have one, World Kindness Day may be the perfect day for students to build a Kindness Mailbox. Students would vote on a theme for the box and then each decorate part of it. Once it’s built, students can drop thank you mail, encouragement mail, or gratitude mail in the box at any time. A few times a week, the teacher can check the mail and share out with the class.
10. Create kindness posters to hold up outside during dismissal.
Use poster boards or construction paper to create posters with kind and positive sayings. Bring students out for dismissal a bit early and line them up for all to see as they are dismissed.
11. Paint Kindness Rocks.
Write a positive message on rocks, then place them on a school walking trail or around the building for other students and teachers to find.
12. Lead students in a “Seeds of Kindness” craft!
- Brainstorm acts of kindness towards classmates, family, and strangers.
- Students choose one act of kindness in each category that they can commit to doing.
- Write down each act inside of paper seeds (see picture below)
- Reflect! How did completing acts of kindness feel? Did anyone do something kind for you?
Via: What I Have Learned
13. Make a paper chain of kindness.
All you need is construction paper for this one! Cut strips of paper and have students write down kind acts they’ve completed on the strips of paper. Loop the strips together into a paper chain. Tell students that this is an ongoing project. As students continue to do kind acts, the chain will grow & grow!
14. Craft kindness cootie catchers.
Students already love cootie catchers, so this is sure to be a hit. Under each flap, students should write different acts of kindness, like “give a friend a compliment” or “share a toy.” If you can’t remember how to make a cootie catcher, there are a billion tutorials on YouTube, or it’s a safe bet to assume someone in your class could lead the rest through making one. Kids will play with this for days while completing kind acts!
15. Show some kindness to the Earth!
Let’s not forget acts of kindness towards our Earth! Spend five minutes outside collecting garbage or cleaning up the playground.
Students will gain so much appreciation for the land around them if they spend time taking care of it. Whether they’re picking up trash or simply ensuring the playground is clean and safe for others outside, students will spend this time thinking about how important it is to be kind to their Earth. This could also be a great time to throw in a lesson about recycling!
16. Make surprise bookmarks for a classmate.
Students will design bookmarks for an assigned peer, keeping in mind their interests and hobbies. Materials needed are just strips of cardstock and ribbon if you’re feeling fancy!
17. Give long-distance hugs.
- Students will trace their hands and cut them out. Or students can use painted handprints to cut around.
- Attach the two cut out hands with a string or yarn. You can glue the string to each hand.
- Write a positive message on each hand and include the note that this craft is meant to be a long-distance hug.
- Mail the long-distance hug if needed or give it to the rightful recipient!
Via: Frugal Nesting
18. Make Friendship Flowers.
Who said we can’t still do flower crafts in the fall? Students can choose a friend or family member to make a flower for. They’ll write the person’s name in the middle then record kind things about them on the petals. This gift will make anyone smile
Via: Coffee and Carpool
19. Write a card for cafeteria staff.
Cafeteria workers provide us with a basic need: food! They will love and appreciate a thoughtful card signed by everyone in the class. Be sure to explain clearly all that you’re thankful for from these staff members!
20. Use sidewalk chalk to send positive messages on the school sidewalk.
Chalk is always so colorful and catches the attention of all! Write messages like “be kind” and “all are welcome” towards the pathway to entering the school building. Students and teachers will start their days with a smile seeing all of these kind messages on their way into school!
You can’t go wrong on World Kindness Day. It will likely become one of your favorite November holidays! As long as you’re discussing kindness, students will get excited to display kindness as well! Keep it simple and soak it all in.
