How Unexpected Acts of Kindness Can Make a Difference
Unexpected Acts of Kindness can make ALL of the difference to everyone around. Included in kindness is not only compassion but acknowledgment.
At the root of every issue and every emotion is the need for acknowledgment, and it is what makes being human and living so beautiful.
We each are able to acknowledge one another in the simplest of ways that we are human, we are in need, and we are in awe of all that there is to appreciate amongst us.
The Random Acts of Kindness Foundation
The Random Acts of Kindness foundation offers ideas, inspiration, posters, videos, quotes, calendars, printables all centered on random acts of kindness. It is headed by its president, Gary Dixon; Vice President – Brooke Jones; Rachel Stubby is the Director of Digital Strategy; and Karina Delaney is the Director of Strategic Partnerships.
RAK foundation’s goal is to make kindness a standard in all aspects of life.
When is Random Acts of Kindness Day?
Random Acts of Kindness day is February 17.
Do 20 Random Acts of Kindness to celebrate.
Check out our lists below for inspiration.
Putting Theory into Practice
As you’re reading the science behind kindness and living a positive life, make sure to think of your own daily routine. In your day to day, whom do you see or interact with? Spouse? Family? Friends? Co-workers? Or fellow bus or train riders?
Make the effort to reach out and show kindness to them as you have read throughout the article and/or will finish reading you can see there are emotional, physical and neurological benefits to kindness for anyone who puts this into practice.
5 Examples of Random Acts of Kindness
Here are six great examples of Random Acts of Kindness. It’s so interesting to see how each of them are so different.
- Ikea in Catania, Italy is letting stray dogs sleep on its rugs this winter.
- 250 people form a human chain to help their local bookshop, October Books in Southampton, move its stock 150 meters to the new shop.
- Eli Goldstone, took to Twitter after seeing a book that greatly appealed to her. She asked her followers sincerely but not seriously if they could help track the book for her. A fellow Twitter user saw her post and offered to send the book to her.
- A group of girls was taking classic bathroom “selfies” on their night out at a casino in Canada when a woman noticed and offered to take their pictures for them. The lady said that she remembered when she and her friends used to go out, and how much fun it was. The girls offered for her to come with them.
- A woman and her family were dining out at a Chinese restaurant in late 2016. The woman had recently lost her hair due to chemotherapy treatment. A fellow diner paid for her and her family’s dinner and wrote a note to explain: The note says, “I lost my wife to cancer 5 years ago. I know how tough it can be going through this. Your meal is on me. Merry Christmas.”
6 Random Acts of Kindness Ideas
Check out this quick list of 6 Random Acts of Kindness Ideas I pulled together after searching the Internet for some of the most meaningful ones that you can do easily throughout your week.
- When in line to get your morning coffee, pay for the person behind you.
- Whoever you interact with today, if it’s 3-50, compliment the first two people.
- Pick up your phone and open your text-messaging app – send a positive text to 4 people.
- Donate items in your home that you haven’t used in the past year.
- Leave some spare quarters at the laundromat for someone to find.
- When at the store, leave any extra not-used coupons next to the products for someone to find that could really use them.
6 Ideas Specifically for Strangers
Check out this list of 5 ideas for random acts of kindness
- When parking your car, take out a piece of paper and pen. Leave a note to a fellow car (driver ☺) to let them know that they did an amazing job at parking.
- Smile genuinely at 5 strangers throughout your day.
- Take some flowers or sweet treats to a nurse’s station at a nearby hospital.
- Give up your seat so someone else can sit on the train or bus.
- Hold the door open for someone.
- Make a goodie bag of treats, canned food, and warm gloves, socks or a hat and give it to a homeless person.
RAK at Work: 5 Ideas for Employees and Co-Workers
- Send an out-of-the-blue gratitude email to a co-worker and let them know how grateful you are for them.
- When on a team call, do a heartfelt shout-out to one of your co-workers that did an awesome job on a project
- Get your workplace in on the action, and organize a fundraiser or charity drive.
- Help others connect by using your personal network and share with a co-worker.
- Let your boss know that you appreciate them and the way they _______ (you fill in the blank).
Random Acts of Kindness to Practice with Kids
There are many ways to teach kids how to be kind and how to do it randomly. A great way of learning about kindness and the benefits for both the recipient and the giver is to practice it.
Here are ten ways that kids can practice random acts of kindness as stated from “100 Acts of Kindness for Kids” from the Cups and Crayons website.
- Leave change in the vending machine, for someone to use when they are hungry.
- Sit with a new kid at school.
- Introduce the new kid at school to your friends.
- At the end of the school day, tell your teacher thank you for a great day of learning.
- When you get home from school, tell your parents or guardian how much you missed them.
6 Ideas for High School Students to ‘Pay it Forward’
- Write a thank-you note to the cafeteria staff.
- Sit with a classmate that is not sitting with anyone at lunchtime.
- Offer to tutor a fellow classmate on a subject that you excel at.
- Tell a teacher how much you appreciate them and their style of teaching.
- Tell your parents thank you.
- Genuinely compliment 1 person every day.
Lesson Plans for Teachers
Check out these awesome lesson plans for teachers. Included are great ways to integrate random acts of kindness into their student’s learning.
First, check out the Random Acts of Kindness official website to see all the great lesson plans they have for kindergarten to 8th grade. Each of the lessons teaches kids Social Emotional (SEL) skills.
Next check out Edutopia’s website, by Rebecca Alber. This is a great place to find classroom activities and resources for developing a vital character trait.
To get you started, scroll down a little bit to see the Kick-Start Kindness Activities. It provides students with prompts to share kindness to friends and family, and writing prompts, as well as how to do shout-outs, appreciation boxes, temperature checks, the buddy-system, and community circle.
RAK Activities and Worksheets
I’ve collated some RAK activities and worksheets that you can share with your children or students.
This Worksheet Place has some fun Acts of Kindness worksheets, ideally used for First to Third Graders. There’s even a fun worksheet where the student can create a Kindness Poem.
Teachers Pay Teachers is a really fun site to find resources made by fellow teachers for other teachers. There is an option to digitally download free content. You can download worksheets, games, RAK calendars, and RAK challenges.
Other Resources and Printables (PDF)
Here are some other resources to have fun with while learning and being kind:
The Doing Good Together site has some awesome resources. Some of the resources are Feelings flashcards and games, ways to include kindness into your family routine, and how to advocate for animals.
The Random Acts of Kindness website has some cool posters for your classroom, calendars, coloring pages, bookmarks, and even an award certificate for the student that shows kindness.
Random Acts of Kindness Advent Calendar
So many children have fun with this Kindness Advent Calendar, print it out and use when it’s Advent.
9 Apps to Help Practice Kindness
Check out these 12 apps recommended helping you practice kindness (Theifels, 2016; Goodnet.org, 2014).
For Kids
1. Toca Pet Doctor
Students take care of pets that are ailing from different diagnoses. They could be suffering from physical or emotional pain, and each needs help with tasks. Some of the tasks include feeding, or overcoming sadness. Ages 2-6.
You can get the app here.
2. The Great Kindness Challenge: School Edition
Provides the kids with ideas for random acts of kindness like smile at 25 people, or pick up 10 pieces of trash. The students can do them together or individually, and set goals as they go. Ages 4-18.
Available at iTunes.
3. Avokiddo Emotions
This app has a variety of animals with a wide range of personalities. Kids can play dress up, feed the animals and share toys. The animals “react appropriately” to the choices that the child makes in the game, teaching kids how to recognize facial expressions. Ages 5 and under.
You can get the app here.
4. Four Little Corners
Four Little Corners is an interactive storybook app that teaches lessons on tolerance, equality, and compassion by integrating geometry. Ages 5 and under.
Available at iTunes.
5. Peek-a-Zoo
Peek-a-Zoo is a multilingual app that is based on the peek-a-boo game. It teaches the child about faces and facial expressions. Ages 5 and under.
Available at iTunes.
6. Wee You-Things
Wee You-Things shares interesting stories on diversity, empathy, and confidence. It shows how it’s great to be unique, and “you”. Ages 5 and under.
Available here at iTunes.
7. DPS from the Social Express
DPS from the Social Express is for elementary-aged kids and helps kids identify and label emotions. DPS stands for My Digital Problem Solver. Ages 6+.
Available at iTunes.
8. Middle School Confidential 1 and 2
This app teaches healthy ways to handle issues unique to middle school. As you open the app you can see that 6 characters are with you to navigate throughout different social situations. There are quizzes, resources, and tips from other kids. Ages 8-14.
You can get the app here.
Apps for Adults
1. Pay it Forward
Is from the official app of the Global Pay it Forward movement that was designed to make the world a better place to live (5 Apps that will increase our kindness quotient).
Available at iTunes.
4 Books on the Topic
1. The Little Book of Kindness: Everyday actions to change your life and the world around you – Bernadette Russell
The Little Book of Kindness will teach you how to be kind to yourself, to strangers, to those you love, to the world – every day, at every opportunity.
Prompted by the seeming hopelessness of the world around her, Bernadette Russell undertook a pledge to be kind to a stranger every day for a year. The experience left her wanting to inspire others.
The Little Book of Kindness is packed with fun ideas, practical tips and interactive exercises that encourage you to ‘be kind’ in every area of life – online, to strangers, to the environment, in your community, to yourself – and change the world, one act of kindness at a time.
Available from Amazon.
2. The Opposite of Hate: A Field Guide to Repairing Our Humanity – Sally Kohn
As a progressive commentator on Fox News and now CNN, Sally Kohn has made a career out of bridging intractable political differences and learning how to talk respectfully with people whose views she disagrees with passionately.
Her viral TED Talk on the need to practice emotional—rather than political—correctness sparked a new way of considering how often we amplify our differences and diminish our connections.
Available from Amazon.
3. Each Kindness (Jane Addams Award Book (Awards)) – Jacqueline Woodson
This unforgettable book is written and illustrated by the award-winning team that created The Other Side and the Caldecott Honor Winner Coming On Home Soon. With its powerful anti-bullying message and striking art, it will resonate with readers long after they’ve put it down.
Chloe and her friends won’t play with the new girl, Maya. Every time Maya tries to join Chloe and her friends, they reject her. Eventually, Maya stops coming to school.
When Chloe’s teacher gives a lesson about how even small acts of kindness can change the world, Chloe is stung by the lost opportunity for friendship and thinks about how much better it could have been if she’d shown a little kindness toward Maya.
Available from Amazon.
4. Chicken Soup for the Soul: Random Acts of Kindness: 101 Stories of Compassion and Paying it Forward – Amy Newark
Small gestures can make a big difference in someone’s day, even someone’s life. This collection of 101 uplifting, true stories will help you see the beauty in small, meaningful gestures and how such acts can make a difference in someone else’s life.
From random acts of kindness to doing what’s right, this book shows how positive attitudes and good deeds can change the world.
This book shines a bright light on the widespread goodwill in our world as everyday heroes demonstrate acts of kindness, compassion, and commitment to others.
The stories in Chicken Soup for the Soul: Random Acts of Kindness will uplift you, inspire you, and brighten your day.
Available from Amazon.
What our readers think
This article helped me a lot! It changed my mind about a few people!
I love this, its sweet, and more people should be this kind because a lot of people are very bad and rude, we need to be more kind to others
Guys just less your depression. its simple <3
This is great
This is great
Dear friends,
Thanks a lot to make me reading this article in full.
1. What’s the based of kindness ?
2. What’s the power to take action of kindness?
Thanks.
Hi Suryadarma,
Thank you for your questions. I’m not sure I understand your second question — could you please phrase this differently? But regarding the first, which I assume is about drivers of kindness 🙂 there are a few theories about why we are motivated to be kind. The Wikipedia page on ‘Helping Behaviors’ actually offers a pretty good summary of these. Among the theories there are perspectives based in evolutionary perspectives, boosting our own egos, and social exchange. It’s an interesting read!
– Nicole | Community Manager
It is a great article for studying.
Hello,
I finally had a chance to read this article in full, and especially liked the the suggested acts of kindness for your readers.
At the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, I became part of a team that realised that kindness was going to be part of the recovery process and decided to build a web application. We are building Seekindness.org as a social engagement to encourage and recognise random acts of kindness on regular (daily) basis.
Not being medical people, we don’t understand the “stages of kindness” that an individual goes through to regularly recognise kindness. My thoughts that some RAK’s are very small, and yet provide the same benefits as larger, more publically recognisable ones. If you have the inclination, I would appreciate your views on that question.
Thanks.