Five random acts of kindness you can do this World Kindness Day
World Kindness Day is just around the corner, and here at Premier Education we think it’s the perfect time to encourage your little ones to be kind and caring towards each other. World Kindness Day is taking place on 13th November 2024 and schools and families across the UK will be participating in small but meaningful acts of kindness in the hopes of brightening someone’s day.
But, with so many awareness days each year, why do we celebrate World Kindness Day and what can you children or students do to make a difference?
What is World Kindness Day in the UK?
World Kindness Day was introduced in 1998 by the World Kindness Movement and is now celebrated in over 28 countries. In primary schools, World Kindness Day gives teachers an opportunity to teach children the value of kindness through fun and hands-on activities such as arts and crafts, parties, games and more.
What is the Theme of World Kindness Day 2024?
The theme for World Kindness Day 2024 is “Be Kind, Be Mindful,” which encourages everyone to be more aware of the people around them and how they can help make someone else’s day a little bit easier. Whether it’s offering a helping hand to a friend or simply saying something nice, World Kindness Day encourages children to be thoughtful and nicer to each other.
5 Random Acts of Kindness to Celebrate World Kindness Day
To help spread more kindness this World Kindness Day, we have put together five simple and meaningful acts of kindness for you and the kids to take part in; whether it’s at home or in the classroom.
1. Create Kindness Cards
Who doesn’t love a card full of sentimental and kind words? For World Kindness Day, encourage children to make their own kindness cards and give them to someone special.
These cards can be as simple as a folded piece of coloured paper with a nice message inside. It’s also a good time to encourage the children to get creative! Give them some pens, pencils, glue, glitter or even stickers. Children can then think of someone in their school, home or community to who they would like to give their card to this World Kindness Day.
2. Organise a ‘Help a Friend’ Day
Another great idea to for celebrating World Kindness Day is organising a ‘help a friend’ day. This year, teachers and parents can put a day aside where kids can help out with small chores and tasks inside the classroom, at home or just out and about.
For teachers and primary school children in the classroom, we’d suggest ‘help a friend hour’. This is where children are paired up to assist each other with something they find hard such as tidying up their desks or working together on a difficult subject or project. At home, you can even encourage children to help with household tasks, like setting the table or tidying up their toys.
3. Kindness Rocks
A particular favourite for smaller children and primary school teachers alike, you can make kindness rocks by painting pictures on small rocks and placing them around gardens and communities in unexpected places for people to find. By painting kindness rocks, children can bring a smile to someone’s face when they stumble upon them in the playground or park.
You can set up a painting station with brushes, paints, and stickers and ask children to think of positive messages or pictures that make them happy. Once their rocks are dry, children can hide them in safe places around their local community, school playgrounds, or even their own garden.
4. Create a Kindness Jar
To create a kindness jar, the idea is simple; every time your little ones take part in an act of kindness, witness good deeds, or think of something that they could do to make someone else smile, get them to write it down on a coloured piece of paper and pop it into their jar.
To make a kindness jar, you’ll need a large jar or container, some colourful strips of paper, and pens. Throughout the day (or week), encourage them to write down their acts of kindness. For example, helping someone with their homework, helping mum and dad with the cooking or cleaning, or sharing a toy with a sibling. At the end of the week, they can read the notes to each other to see how kind they’ve been.
5. Host a ‘Thank You’ Party
Hosting a small ‘Thank You’ party is a great way to show kindness towards the people who help us every day – whether it’s school staff, community members, or family.
Kids can help to arrange a thank you party for teachers and school assistants. Some ideas that we have come up with to help your little ones host their thank-you party are thank-you notes, poems, or even a musical performance! At home, kids can even host a mini party to make cards together thanking their parents, siblings, or grandparents for everything they do.
This year, we encourage you to teach your little ones about the true meaning of kindness and the importance of spreading it as much as they can to create a happier and kinder world. Let us know if you choose to host any thank you parties or take part in any of the activities above. We love to see what your kids are getting up to!
