What better way to celebrate the holidays and show your children the real reason for the season than to encourage them to show random acts of kindness? Here is a fun list of ideas for kids of varying ages to do, some with a little help from Mom and Dad. We have even made it easy for you — print and cut these out and keep them in a jar. Have your child draw out a random act of kindness each day as you prepare for Christmas.
- Go through your toys and donate ones you don’t play with to a shelter or church nursery.
- Donate food to a local shelter.
- Donate pet supplies to the Humane Society and go pet some of the animals.
- Help a sibling do a chore or other job.
- Donate books you no longer read or need.
- Bring breakfast to your school teacher.
- Leave a little treat in the mailbox for the mailman.
- Take a treat to the local fire station.
- Fulfill an angel tree request.
- Go to a nursing home and visit – take around candy canes and wish them a Merry Christmas.
- Write grandparents a letter / draw a picture and mail it to them.
- Pay for the person behind you in a fast food drive-through.
- Make a treat and a Christmas card for the school bus driver or crossing guard.
- Donate coloring books to the hospital waiting room.
- Offer to take the neighbor’s dog for a walk.
- Hold the door open for people behind you.
- Smile at every single person you see for one whole day.
- Write a thank you note for a teacher or coach or someone who has influenced you and mail it to them.
- Take a treat or note to a neighbor or friend who could use a pick-me-up.
- Write thank you notes or put together care packages for those who are serving our country in the military.
- Have a bake sale or fundraiser and donate all the earnings to a local charity.
- Go buy inexpensive socks, beanies, and mittens (the Dollar Store has lots of great ones!) and deliver them to a homeless shelter.
- Leave some extra money in the vending machine or even tape it to the outside with a note that says “This treat’s on me!”
- Buy a little treat or give a thank you note for the cashier at the grocery store.
- Tape some money to the gas pump for the next person who gets gas.
- Babysit for a single parent so they can have some alone time or even get some Christmas shopping done.
- Volunteer at church or a local shelter.
- Invite someone who lives alone over for dinner.
- For one day, try to pick up at least three pieces of trash wherever you are.
- Take a treat and/or thank you note to the janitors, librarian or cafeteria workers at your school.
- Put together a full Christmas dinner (turkey, potatoes, gravy, rolls, etc) and drop it off at someone’s house who could use it. Ring the doorbell and run away so it’s anonymous.
- Sit with someone at lunch that looks lonely or that doesn’t have very many friends.
- Compliment at least 5 people in one day (this is also a great challenge for kids!).
- Do an extra household chore without being asked.
- Make a homemade bird feeder and hang it outside (like a pinecone rolled in peanut butter and birdseed).
- Tape bags of microwave popcorn to the Redbox rental machine.