What is kindness?

Random acts of kindness are those that seek no praise in return, but what is kindness really? When used as a noun, Merriam-Webster describes kindness as the quality or state of being gentle and considerate. We have our own definition of kindness—the creation of a soul that receives grace and pleasure from the happiness of others.

Why do we need kindness?

It seems to be getting harder and harder to turn on the television or open social media without the bombarding of negativity—the comment sections on Facebook can really be something else!

Random acts of kindness are one of the best foods we can feed our souls and the souls of others, yet the world seems to be constantly criticizing and belittling everything and everyone.

Since when is practicing love, forgiveness, and kindness part of a counterculture?

We all have our struggles in our physical lives. The simplest things can have the most significant impact. Just think how different this whole world could be if everyone completed just a couple of random acts of kindness each day.

Being kind is learned.

Trying to teach our children the importance of random acts of kindness is at the forefront of our hearts right now. The most positive effect we can have on the world is to raise good children while working to become the best version of ourselves. With the world seemingly exploding in chaos at times, we’ve decided that the one thing we can do is better ourselves and our children by focusing inward and making it a point to complete random acts of kindness each day.

“The second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ No other commandment is greater than these.”

Mark 12:31

Part of that is teaching our children what random acts of kindness are and how to use them. If we can nurture kindness in our children, we will build their self-esteem and teach them to be less self-centered. Children that are taught to be kind will be socially aware of how others are impacted by their behavior, which will help them have healthy relationships with others.

Below is a quick list of random acts of kindness for your children and the whole family. Sign up to receive our latest happenings on the yellow form here and receive our FREE 31-Day Random Acts of Kindness Challenge printable.

1. Remove snow from walks and drives in your neighborhood.
2. Offer to help with a parent’s chore.
3. Bake goodies for the residents at the nearest nursing home.
4. Pay for the groceries belonging to the person next in line behind you.
5. Share a favorite toy with a younger sibling.
6. Do your chores without being asked.
7. Sponsor a family in need through The Box Project.
8. Donate warm clothing items to homeless shelters.
9. Volunteer to work in the nearest food kitchen.
10. Leave kind words for your server on the receipt.
11. Leave a $5 bill along with a kind note in the pages of a book at your local library.
12. Donate school supplies to your local school.
13. Split your cookie or treat with a sibling or parent.
14. Invite a widow(er) over for dinner.
15. Help a sibling with their homework.
16. Most foster care facilities have wishlists, so place a call and see what you can donate.
17. Let someone ahead of you while waiting in line.
18. Send care packages and letters to service members deployed overseas.

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19. Offer your professional services to someone for free.
20. Collect the litter that you see on the ground and dispose of it properly.
21. Rake the leaves for the elderly in your community.
22. Donate old blankets to your local animal shelter.
23. Pick up your dirty clothes and your sibling’s dirty clothes and bring them to the hamper.
24. Pay for someone’s meal at a restaurant.
25. Leave something special in your mailbox for your mail carrier during times of not so great weather.
26. Put away toys that your younger siblings left out.
27. Write words of inspiration on walking paths with chalk.
28. Participate in your local communities painted rocks treasure hunt.
29. Hold the door open for someone.
30. Pull weeds for someone who needs it.
31. Compliment a stranger.
32. Buy groceries and offer them to someone for free.
33. Babysit for free.
34. Deliver cookies to your local police station.
35. Get your sibling a glass of water after playing outside.
36. Do a favor without asking for anything in return.
37. Give a $10 bill to your cashier at a fast food place with a note that says, “This meal is on me.” Ask the cashier to use it for who they feel could use a free meal, and ask them to give the person your note during checkout.
38. Do a chore your spouse usually does.
39. Pay for a stranger’s library late fees.
40. Bring in treats for co-workers to help them have a good Monday.
41. Compliment your sibling.
42. Leave a gift card with an uplifting note in a random mailbox.
43. Make your spouse breakfast.
44. Make your parent’s bed for them.
45. Read a book to your sibling.
46. Let your sibling win in a game.
47. Do one of your sibling’s chores.
48. Leave a stack of quarters at the laundromat with a note saying, “This one’s on me.”
49. Color a picture for an aunt, uncle, or grandparent you haven’t seen in a while.
50. Compliment your sibling.
51. Mow the grass for someone who needs it.
52. Leave your server a bigger tip than usual.
53. Give a backpack filled with age-appropriate school supplies to your local school to give to a child in need, or participate in Operation Backpack.
54. Volunteer for ministries at your local church.
55. Plant a tree.
56. Write a letter to your sibling telling them why you are glad to be their big or little brother or sister.
57. Bring baked goods to your local emergency squad (EMS).
58. Leave change on a parking meter.
59. Donate books, crayons, and other toys to the closest children’s hospital.
60. Donate your hair to Locks of Love and Wigs for Kids to help children suffering from hair loss.
61. Buy a new pair of teenage sized shoes and donate them to the closest foster care facility.
62. Tell someone that you like the shirt they are wearing.
63. Randomly send someone an uplifting text message.
64. Pay a little extra attention to your pet.
65. Pray for someone.
66. Assemble care kits for the homeless and hand them out.
67. Scatter wildflower seeds along a walking trail.
68. Return shopping carts that were left in the parking lot.
69. Become an organ donor.
70. Donate canned food goods to your local church or food pantry.
71. Bring treats to the local fire department.
72. Help a military veteran in need through Family-to-Family.
73. Leave a coloring book and a box of crayons in the waiting room at the doctor’s office.
74. Make dinner for a family fighting disease.
75. Be the reason someone smiles.
76. Hug someone for 10 seconds.
77. Share a snack with your sibling.
78. Offer to pick up someone’s grocery order.
79. Donate dog toys to your local humane society.
80. Make bookmarks and donate them to your local library.
81. Help create a monthly budget for a family member who is struggling financially.
82. Write a fantastic online review for a favorite restaurant.
83. Participate in a charity run or walk.
84. Donate blood or plasma.
85. Get your sibling a glass of water after playing outside.
86. Email a former teacher who had a positive impact on your life.
87. Write your spouse a list of things you love about them.
88. Forgive and pray for someone who has wronged you.
89. Draft a thank you letter to someone who helped you at some point in your life.
90. Smile at 10 people.
91. Tell someone a funny joke to make them laugh.
92. Learn something new about someone.
93. Help your sibling when they are struggling with something.
94. Say “Good Morning” to your co-workers or classmates.
95. Let your sibling have their turn before your own.
96. Help someone complete a task.
97. Sing a song for your mom or dad.
98. Teach someone something new.
99. Call someone just to say hi.
100. Tutor a classmate.
101. Participate in Box Tops for Education for your local public school, even if you don’t have school-aged children.
102. Leave a gas card at the pump with a note that says, “Fill up on me!”
103. Put uplifting notes in pant pockets hanging the racks at a department store.
104. Post or hold up positive signs for passersby.
105. Schedule yourself a massage, or set aside some “me” time. We all need to hit the reset button from time to time, and being kind to yourself will give you the energy to pass random acts of kindness along to others!

Do you have stories about random acts of kindness? We’d love to read them in the comments below! If you found this article helpful, please share it, pin it, tweet it, and email it to help others!