Teaching kids about kindness is one of the best gifts we can give them. When children learn to be kind, they develop better social skills, build strong relationships, and create a more positive and inclusive world.
Teaching kindness to kids sounds simple, and many might choose not to actively teach kindness, but to let it come naturally with time. There’s no right or wrong approach here and every child is different, but to help those looking for fun kindness activities for kids, we’ve shared some creative and engaging ways to help your children or class practice kindness:
1. Model Kind Behavior
Kids learn by watching us, so make kindness a part of your daily routine. Explain why you’re doing kind things, like helping a neighbour or being polite to a cashier. This helps your child see and understand the impact of kindness.
2. Create a Kindness Jar
Fill a jar with colourful slips of paper, each with a different act of kindness written on it. Each day, have your child pick one and complete the action. Examples could include smiling at three people, helping a sibling with chores, or writing a thank-you note. Celebrate these kind acts together and talk about how they made others feel.
3. Organise a Kindness Scavenger Hunt or Bingo Card
Turn kindness into an adventure! Create a list of kind deeds for your child to complete throughout the day or week. Tasks could include things like giving a compliment, picking up litter, or sharing a toy. This makes kindness interactive and fun, and helps children understand the impact of their actions.
4. Read Stories with Themes of Kindness
Choose books with themes of kindness and discuss the characters’ actions. After reading, ask your child questions like, “What kind of thing did the character do?” and “How did it make others feel?” This helps reinforce the importance of being kind and allows kids to see examples of kindness in different situations.
Here are some wonderful examples:
1. “Have You Filled a Bucket Today?” by Carol McCloud: This book uses the concept of bucket-filling to show children how their kind actions can make others feel happy and valued.
2. “The Kindness Quilt” by Nancy Elizabeth Wallace: Follow Minna as she learns about kindness and creates a quilt to show different acts of kindness.
3. “Those Shoes” by Maribeth Boelts: A heartwarming story about a boy who learns the importance of kindness and generosity over material possessions.
4. “Be Kind” by Pat Zietlow Miller: This book explores the many ways children can show kindness and the impact their actions can have on the world around them.
5. “Last Stop on Market Street” by Matt de la Peña: A beautifully illustrated story about a boy and his grandmother, showing kindness and compassion in their community.
5. Craft Kindness Rocks
Collect some smooth rocks and paint them with kind messages or images. Leave these rocks in public places for others to find, spreading kindness throughout your community. This is a fun craft project that also teaches kids about the joy of giving and the impact of spreading kindness.
6. Watch a Cosmic Kids Yoga Adventure about Kindness
At Cosmic Kids, we use stories and movement to teach important values like kindness. On our app, you can filter all of our adventures by ‘benefit’ or lesson, including by Kindness. Here are some of our favourites:
Frozen: Join Elsa and Anna on a yoga adventure that highlights the power of love and kindness. Through yoga poses and storytelling, kids learn how kindness can warm up even the coldest hearts.
Norris the Baby Seahorse: This sweet story teaches kids about dealing with bullies and being kind, even when it’s challenging. The yoga movements help children connect with Norris and his journey, fostering a sense of compassion.
Betsy the Banana: Follow Betsy as she learns about the importance of kindness and helping friends. Through yoga poses and storytelling, kids see how small acts of kindness can make a big difference.
The Wizard of Oz: Join Dorothy and her friends on their adventure, where kindness, courage, and friendship are key themes. Yoga poses help kids engage physically and emotionally with the characters’ experiences.
Babs the Beaver: Babs shows the power of teamwork and kindness in achieving goals. Yoga and storytelling together help kids understand how being kind and working together as a community can create wonderful results.
7. Explore Cosmic Kids Zen Den
Our Zen Den episodes help kids build mindfulness and empathy, which are essential for kindness. Check out these episodes:
Your Hero Team: We build a team of heroes in our minds that guide us in challenging situations. This episode encourages kids to think about how their heroes would act kindly.
Be the Pond: Kids learn to understand and control their emotions. This helps them choose kindness, even when it might be easier to be mean. Calming exercises and discussions promote a kind mindset.
Dealing with Difference: This episode teaches kids to appreciate and understand differences in others. It helps them navigate social interactions with empathy and kindness, fostering inclusivity.
8. Create Kindness Cards
Have your child make handmade cards with kind messages or drawings. They can give these to family members, friends, or even strangers. This creative activity helps kids understand the joy of giving and the impact of a kind gesture.
9. Start a Kindness Club
Organise a group of kids who meet regularly to plan and execute acts of kindness in your community. They can brainstorm ideas, like organising a charity bake sale or a park clean-up day. This teaches kids the value of working together for a common good.
10. Celebrate Kindness
Have a weekly family meeting where everyone shares one kind thing they did or experienced. Create a “Kindness Award” that rotates among family members based on their kind actions. This makes kindness a family tradition and keeps it top of mind.
Teaching kindness to kids is essential for their social and emotional growth. By incorporating these unique and fun activities, along with utilising resources like Cosmic Kids Yoga Adventures and Zen Den episodes, you can help your child develop a deep sense of kindness and empathy. With a bit of guidance and encouragement, our kids can make the world a brighter, more compassionate place.
