My first grader recently came home from school really excited with a tiny treasure box smaller than a quarter in hand. “I had the BEST day!” he exclaimed. Immediately I realized that the tiny box was holding a tooth.
“Oh, how exciting!” I replied. “My tooth fell out and one of my friends came over to me and said, ‘congratulations’, it was the best feeling”. This small act of kindness made his entire day.
Kindness Counts
Math, English, Social Studies…these are all guarantees in education. But, one of the most powerful tools that we can teach and model for our children, is kindness. Emphasizing kindness in schools can be incredibly beneficial to kids as they hone their social skills, learn how to work together, and impact the lives of those around them.
There are many ways to promote kindness in schools, and starting with some simple random acts of kindness that our kids can do in the classroom or around their campus, is a great place to start!
Here are 20 suggestions for acts of kindness that we can encourage our kids to carry out while at school, and printable lunchbox notes to go along with them in case your kiddo needs an extra nudge!
20 Acts of Kindness Kids Can Do at School
- Draw a picture for a friend.
- Tell a friend about a family tradition.
- Help a friend with their job.
- Pick up trash on the playground.
- Write a ‘thank you’ for a teacher.
- Compliment a friend.
- Hold the door open.
- Let a friend in front of you in line.
- Give someone a high five in the hallway.
- Invite someone playing alone to join you.
- Paint a rock and hide it outside.
- Say hello to someone you don’t know.
- Leave a kind note on the teacher’s desk.
- Share a part of your lunch with a friend.
- Introduce yourself to someone new.
- Help clean up in the classroom.
- Ask a friend, “How are you?”
- Give someone a smile.
- Thank an adult in the school for their hard work.
- Help someone with something heavy.
These are so simple yet can really help brighten the day of a friend, teacher, or someone that you child doesn’t even know yet! This can also help our children include others who might need someone to show them some kindness as well, and the ripple effect will ensue.
A Printable to Inspire Kids to Carry Out Acts of Kindness
We can tell kids to treat others with kindness until we are blue in the face, but the best way to inspire kindness in kids, is to model it ourselves. As parents or teachers, we have a great responsibility to remember our own manners, to reach out to those who are alone or in need, and to be a good friend.
School can be overwhelming. While kids know how to treat others with kindness, they might need some simple ideas with actionable ways to incorporate kindness into their daily routine. These printable lunchbox notes are the perfect way to give our kids the nudge they need.
Sending a lunchbox note to school with your kids is a great way to connect. Kids love the surprise of opening their lunch and receiving a special note, an act of kindness in and of itself! It also makes a great conversation starter after school as well – kids will be more than happy, and quite proud, to discuss how they demonstrated kindness at school for the day.
From holding the door open, to picking up garbage to inviting a new friend to play, these acts of kindness for school are great ways to instill these values in our children.
Click this link to download the free printable –>> RAK Schools Lunchbox Notes