Advent is the perfect for focusing on the joy of the season, but it can also seem really commerical.  last year we started our Advent acts of kindness, an alternative advent for kids to try and refocus this time away from receiving to giving.  We do our acts of kindness in addition to our other advent activities.

Our kindness mission statement:

• Spread the word – encourage other people to join in and become happiness heroes
• Have fun and enjoy making other people happy
• To be kinder than you need to be

We love Anna from The Imagination Trees Kindness Elves and this would be a great list to use for that.  Alternately you could pick which works for you and add it to an advent calendar,  pop them all in a jar (like we do with our Bored Jar) and pick one out each day or you can make a display with our acts of kindness by kids for advent printables.

This year we are also doing a reserve advent calendar.

You don’t have to give it to a food bank, you could donate to a family or person in need or a church.  If you feel Christmas Eve is too late then give earlier or leave it until January when the food banks will be in need.

This is a great visual way of showing children that Christmas and Advent is about giving.

50 Acts of Kindness by Kids for Advent

1. Donate a coat or jumper to charity (leaving a happy note in the pocket)
2. Donate to the local food bank
3. Make christmas cards for your neighbours
4. Leave change in the vending machine
5. Sort through your toys and donate any that you no longer play with to charity or your local church
6. Leave chalk messages around where you live
7. Sharpen all the pencils in the classroom at break time
8. Write a letter to your sibling telling them why you love them
9. Leave a beautiful homemade bookmark in your library book and give one to the Librarian
10. Leave the pound in the shopping trolley next time you go to the supermarket
11. Deliver cookies to your neighbours
12. Tidy your bedroom
13. Write a note and mail them to the houses with great christmas lights saying thank you for lighting up their house for you to see
14. Sit next to someone you normally don’t at the lunch table and be nice to them
15. Be a holiday helper – volunteer to deliver local christmas cards
16. Make a bird feeder
17. Send a care package to someone in the military
18. Find three of your toys to give to the local children’s hospital
19. Pass on some of your books to friends
20. Give a lottery ticket to a stranger
21. Donate books to your school library
22. Leave out water for the birds
23. Write thank you cards for your teacher, coach, Cubs leader or people that have influenced you in a positive way
24. Clean up the area where you live by picking up litter.  Make sure you wear gloves and do it with an adult.
25. Help round the house without being asked to
26. Donate pet food to a local shelter
27. Put together a shoebox for your local church
28. Write a thank you note for the bin collectors and post person
29. Wash your parents car
30. Give a homeless person a blanket
31. Deice your neighbours windshields in the morning
32. Take everyone in your class a candy cane or cookie
33. Take poinsettias to your nearest nursing home
34. Make a christmas card for the school receptionist
35. Offer to help an elderly friend or neighbour with their christmas decorations
36. Make christmas flowers for the reception at school
37. Make a thank you card for the school crossing staff
38. Cook dinner for your family
39. Offer to pack the shopping bags of the person in front of you and behind you at the supermarket
40. Invite a new friend for a play date or out to play
41. Walk someone else’s dog
42. Give out a complement
43. Give out free hugs today
44. Hold the door open for people all day
45. Smile all day
46. Let someone go in front of you in a queue
47. Introduce yourself to someone new at school and chat with them
48. Ring an elderly relative and have a nice chat to them
49. Make a tree decoration for your babysitter
50. Donate this week’s pocket money to charity

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We would love to see your #actsofkindess. Please do share them with us on twitter, facebook or instagram using #AdventKindness hashtag. Keep your eyes peeled for this years new acts of kindness for advent printables.