Want to know how you can change the world? Famous actor Morgan Freeman says you do it
with “one random act of kindness at a time.”
We hear a lot of people talk about “random” acts of
kindness. What does that mean? The Oxford Dictionary says anything random is
“done without method or conscious decision.”
Perhaps a better word to describe these acts of kindness is
“unexpected.” To recipients these acts seem random. But for those practicing kindness, their acts
are planned and intentional.
If you want something to happen, you must be conscious about
it and make plans. That’s why
celebrating World Kindness Day is a great way to build the kindness habit.
How Did World Kindness Day Get Started?
On November 13, 1997, a group of humanitarians came together
and decided it was time for a change.
They marked their decision with a “Declaration of Kindness.” Their purpose became “spreading
joy, happiness, and peace by being considerate, compassionate and empathetic
towards people and living beings.”
If you wrote your own Declaration of
Kindness, what would you put in it? How
would you spread joy, happiness, and peace to the people around you?
Your students have lots of ideas on how
to be kind to each other. Make a list
and write your own class declaration.
Print it out and hang it on the wall.
Take one act each week and focus on practicing it. Praise students when you catch them being
kind. Have them share their stories of what happened when they were kind to
someone else. Talk about how every act
of kindness is an investment in a better future for everyone.
We’d love to see your declaration and hear your stories!
Play the Compliment Game
A compliment is defined by Oxford as “a polite expression of
praise or admiration.” Abraham Lincoln
said everyone likes compliments. Comedy
writer Robert Orben said compliments are “verbal sunshine.” Mark Twain said he
could “live for two months on a good compliment.”
A single compliment can affect the rest of someone’s life.
Since compliments are so powerful, children should learn to master
them.
You can play the compliment game in a variety of ways. Here are a few ground rules:
· Everyone must compliment someone else.
· No one should be left out.
· The compliment should be sincere.
One way to play is to pass a ball. When someone catches the ball, they must
compliment someone. When they’re done,
they pass the ball to someone else. Play
continues until all students are complimented.
You can also hand out blank cards and assign each student
another person to compliment. Write some
sample sentences on the board that they can copy if they wish. Once the cards are filled out, have the
writers deliver them.
Here are some balls
for your Compliment Game from Champion Sports.
These framed
index cards provide the perfect place to write a short, sincere compliment.
Play Empathy Charades
It’s easier to give sincere compliments when you know people
well.
In this game, have each student come to the front of the
class and pick a card. Written on these
cards will be feeling words. The
student then acts out the feeling nonverbally until someone guesses the emotion.
The point of this is to help students understand what others
are feeling by reading their faces and behavior. When you can relate, you can connect.
Donate Toys to Kids Who Need Them
Many kids have more toys than they can play with. If your students have some they’ve outgrown
or don’t play with anymore, another child can give that toy a new life.
Set up a box in your classroom to collect gently used
toys. If possible, take a field trip so your
students can see the kids’ faces as they receive the toys.
Want to donate some new toys to kids who need
them? Check out our selection from Melissa
and Doug.
How Kindness Makes You Better
Science tells us that kindness creates:
· Stronger relationships
· More satisfaction with life
· Healthy self-esteem
Each act of kindness is an investment in a better life for
you, your community, and the world. What will you do today to make a better
tomorrow for the people around you?
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