Often we focus on having fun over the summer and making it a great time for us and the kids. I want to make this summer great for everyone and encourage the kids to do random acts of kindness through the summer, like we did at Christmas.
We are big fans of bored jars and summer activity lists, they are great for keeping kids occupied during the summer and also help them make choices other than going on electronics with their time. Plus they help me, but reminding me of things that we can do as a family. So I thought I would take it a step further this year and create a kindness jar.
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
This summer we are going to encompass random acts of kindness into our routine. I have gathered up a list of acts of kindness for kids and families and the fab Purple Pumpkin Blog has helped me pull together a fab free printable of them all in Lollipop (popsicle) shapes! We love Anna from The Imagination Trees Kindness Elves and this would be a great list to use for
110 Summer acts of kindness for kids:
- Donate clothes to charity (leaving a happy note in the pocket)
- Donate to the local food bank
- Leave change in the vending machine
- Sort through your toys and donate any that you no longer play with to charity or your local church
- Leave chalk messages around where you live
- Sharpen all the pencils in the classroom at breaktime
- Write a letter to your sibling telling them why you love them
- Leave a beautiful homemade bookmark in your library book and give one to the Librarian
- Leave the pound in the shopping trolley next time you go to the supermarket
- Deliver cookies to your neighbours
- Tidy your bedroom without being asked
- Sit next to someone you normally don’t at the lunch table
- Make a bird feeder
- Send a care package to someone in the military
- Find three of your toys to give to the local children’s hospital
- Pass on some of your books to friends
- Give a lottery ticket to a stranger
- Donate books to your school library
- Leave out water for the birds
- Write thank you cards for your teacher, coach, Cubs leader or people that have influenced you in a positive way
- Clean up the area where you live by picking up litter. Make sure you wear gloves and do it with an adult.
- Help round the house without being asked to
- Donate pet food to a local shelter
- Put together a shoebox for your local church
- Write a thank you note for the bin collectors and post person
- Wash your parents car
- Give a homeless person a blanket
- Take everyone in your class a cookie
- Offer to help an elderly friend or neighbour
- Make a thank you card for the school crossing staff
- Offer to pack the shopping bags of the person in front of you and behind you at the supermarket
- Invite a new friend for a play date or out to play
- Walk someone else’s dog
- Give out a complement
- Give out free hugs today
- Hold the door open for people all day
- Smile all day
- Let someone go in front of you in a queue
- Introduce yourself to someone new at school and chat with them
- Ring an elderly relative and have a nice chat to them
- Dontae this weeks pocket money to charity
- Do a chore for someone without them knowing
- Tell a joke
- Leave happy notes around town
- Put a small bin in your car to collect recycling
- Call your grandparents and ask them about their childhood
- Bake dessert for a neighbor
- Check in on an elderly neighbor
- Set the table for dinner
- Leave bubbles on someone’s doorstep
- Tell someone why they are special to you
- Buy a coffee for a stranger
- Pass out stickers to kids waiting in line
- Garden for a neighbor
- Bring flowers to your teacher
- Tape change to a parking meter
- Call a friend you haven’t seen in a while to say hello
- Tape money for the ice cream van to a friend’s front door
- Read a book to someone
- Leave heads up pennies on the sidewalk
- Donate a book to a doctor’s office waiting room
- Tell someone how much you love them
- Say hello to everyone you see
- Make someone else’s bed
- Wave at kids on buses
- Invite someone to play on the playground
- Tell the principal how great your teacher is
- Turn off the water while brushing your teeth
- Make a busy bag for a family with young children
- Help make dinner
- Donate new pajamas for poorly children in hospital
- Make a get well card for someone
- Bring your neighbors’ wheelie bins or garbage cans up for them
- Take care of someone’s pet while they’re away
- Share a special toy with a friend
- Tape a video message for faraway friends
- Leave kindness stones at the park
- Buy extra school supplies for a teacher
- Teach someone something new
- Reuse paper when you are drawing
- Give someone a hug coupon
- Volunteer at a soup kitchen
- Collect money or items for your favorite charity
- Donate coloring books and crayons to the children’s hospital
- Write a poem for a friend
- Ask for donations instead of birthday gifts
- Adopt an animal online
- Make a homemade gift for someone
- Clean up your toys without being asked
- Dry the slides at the park with a towel after it rains
- Make play dough for a friend
- Send a postcard to a friend
- Volunteer to help coach younger kids at sports
- Empty all the bins at home
- Empty the dishwasher without being asked
- Handout ice pops/popsicles to friends
- Water a neighbours garden if they are away
- Write a letter to your mum and dad saying why you think they are special
- Try saying yes for the day
- Offer your seat
- Help your coach with any sports equipment
- Visit a sick friend or relative
- Buy a cool drink for someone
- Don’t interrupt when someone else is speaking
- Help someone cross the road
- Bring your parents breakfast in bed
- Make some kindness hearts
- Sort the recycling
- Every night before you go to bed, think of three things you’re grateful for
- Don’t shout today
We want you to get involved and if you do an act of kindness over the summer then share the image with us either on facebook, twitter, or instagram and use the hashtag #KidsKindness, so we can share it with our followers.
Print your free summer acts of kindness for kids
Other great summer posts
I have teamed up with a super group of kid and parent bloggers to provide you with the ultimate list of summer ideas and activities.
Wet and Wonderful Summer Ideas for Kids | Powerful Mothering
Summer Flower Sensory Bin for Kids | Adventure in a Box
Summer nature art & craft ideas | Messy Little Monster
Summer acts of kindness for kids | Mum in the Mad House
Color Your Summer: Sidewalk Chalk for Kids | Child Led Life
Low Stress Summer Fun for Kids | Mama Smiles
Awesome Backyard Ideas for Summer | In The Playroom
Summer STEM Activities for Kids | Kitchen Counter Chronicles
Top tips for creating a Summer fairy garden | The Gingerbread House
100 Budget Friendly Summer Activities | Something 2 Offer
5 Amazingly Cool Summer Activities for Little Kids | Peakle Pie
How to Make Awesome Summer Juices for Kids | Witty Hoots
Ultimate Guide to Summer Sidewalk Chalk | Cutting Tiny Bites
Ideas for Summer drawings | Hodge Podge Craft
Summer Alphabet Relay Obstacle Course – Mom Inspired Life
Summer Lego Ice Rescue – Multicraftingmummy
27 Simple Summer Science Experiments for Kids | Edventures with Kids
Summer Evenings – Family Fun Ideas with young kids | Rainy Day Mum
Summer Survival Guide For Busy Moms and Toddlers | Words n Needles
Celebrate Summer with Sun Crafts! | Artsy Momma
Summer Fun Activities For Toddlers | Adventures of Adam
35 Beach & Ocean Themed Sensory Play Ideas | Golden Reflections Blog
20 Ideas for Summer Fun with Preschool Kids | Bare Feet on the Dashboard
Planning a Summer Garden for Kids – Mama’s Happy Hive
10 Summer Snacks for Kids to Make – Fun-A-Day!
Quick and Easy Frozen Summer Watermelon Pop | Little Bins for Little Hands
Frozen Watermelon Cubes for Fruit Flavored Water | Little Bins for Little Hands
Summer Alphabet Activities– Growing Book by Book
Fun with Zoo Animals for Kids – My Bright Firefly
Summer Bubble Fun For Kids – Just Another Mom
Epic Light Table Ice Legos & More for Summer! – The Natural Homeschool
Summer Preschool Activities – Living Life and Learning
Free Summer Printables – Montessori Nature
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Oh I love some of these ideas they’re fab! Thanks for sharing 🙂
Helen X
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Adore this! x
leave bubbles on someones doorstep, sound great
Might have to share this list with a little someone in our house.
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What beautifull lists, I ma sure they would all make someone really smile to receive such acts of kindness.
What a lovely post, a great list for children (and adults) to bring a smile to a face of a loved one or even stranger
Some of these are lovely ideas, small acts of kindness can have a profound effect on the recipient
Aw some lovely, lovely ideas x x
What an excellent way to help kids develop charity and love for others this summer as well as keep them busy. I love this. Thank you! 😉
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I do the whole food bank thing everytime I shop by taking advantage of all those BOGOF offers or three for two, the spare ones going into those donation boxes at the local church or even in store x
How super , what a great list , the food bank is a superb cause
What some great ideas, it is amazing the little things that came make someone elses day. x
awww Jen what a really fantastic idea, i might try joining in on some of these!
I love this list! i’m going to print these out and stick them on the fridge for F t choose each day. thanks for sharing. x
This is brilliant Jen, what a wonderful idea. It seems like a really subtle way of showing kids how to be kind and do good as it were. Fabulous, thank you so much for sharing 🙂
Such a lovely idea!
Will give it to my kids and hope they will do atleast one 🙂
Love this idea. As a Christian mum and preacher, this is a great idea I can used with church children too
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What a fantastic list and I absolutely love the lollies…so colourful and fun and makes for a brilliant printable – thank you.
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Great article I hope will manage to do at least 50 for this summer 🙂
Great article I hope will manage to do at least 50 for this summer 🙂
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Smile all day sounds wonderful – I must try it one day
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I love this list, thank you so much for sharing 🙂 Kaz x
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