Every year, Random Acts of Kindness Week, held from February 10th to 16th, offers an opportunity to promote kindness, compassion, and empathy. This globally recognised event is designed to encourage individuals to spread goodwill through simple, selfless acts. The goal is to create a ripple effect of positivity, reminding us that even small gestures—a smile, a kind word, or helping someone in need—can brighten someone’s day and foster a more connected, compassionate world. For us, as educators, it is a chance to highlight these values in the classroom and inspire students to embrace kindness as a core part of their everyday lives.
How is Random Acts of Kindness Week Celebrated?
This week is celebrated in many ways, both individually and collectively. Schools, workplaces, and community groups often organise activities such as:
Gratitude Walls: Encourage students to write down acts of kindness they’ve experienced or witnessed and display them in the classroom.
Kindness Challenges: Set daily goals, such as complimenting someone, helping a peer, or picking up litter.
Community Projects: Involve students in activities like making thank-you cards for local workers or collecting items for charity.
Storytime Discussions: Use books to spark conversations about kindness, empathy, and the impact of small actions.
Inspiring Kindness Through Books
Books are a powerful tool for teaching children about kindness and empathy. Stories offer relatable characters and scenarios that help students understand the value of compassion and the joy of helping others. Here are some excellent titles that align with Random Acts of Kindness Week, along with resources to bring them to life in your classroom:
This heart-warming story follows Omu, whose delicious stew draws a crowd of neighbours to her home. Omu shares her meal with everyone, only to find she has none left for herself. In a touching twist, her community comes together to repay her generosity. You can use the sheets we have created, or have your students create their own “Kindness Soup,” where students write or draw ways they can share kindness with others on paper cut outs of soup ingredients.
This tale of a young girl and her small, kind gesture of feeding birds while her father shares his food with a homeless man reminds us that even the smallest acts can have a big impact. The story highlights themes of thoughtfulness and interconnectedness. You can use the sheets we have created or set up a “Kindness Jar” where students add notes each day about small acts of kindness they’ve performed or received during the week.
This rhyming book is perfect for younger readers, showing simple ways to spread kindness in daily life. With its engaging illustrations, it’s a great starting point for discussions about empathy. You can use the sheets we have created or have your students create a whole class kindness poster, demonstrating ways in which they can show kindness to friends, family, and their community.
Through the story of Egg providing shade for a loan seed, students learn about the importance of standing up for others and building inclusive communities. This gentle book is a beautiful way to discuss kindness and courage. You can use the sheets we have created or have students role-play scenarios where they respond with kindness to different situations, such as welcoming a new classmate or helping someone who’s upset.
Why Teach Kindness?
Teaching kindness has far-reaching benefits for children. It improves emotional well-being, builds social connections, and fosters a positive classroom culture. By incorporating books and activities that highlight acts of kindness, we can help students develop empathy and the confidence to make a difference in their world.
This Random Acts of Kindness Week, let’s inspire our students to see the power of compassion, one small act at a time. After all, kindness is contagious—and it’s one thing we all want to spread!
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