5 Engaging Activities to Celebrate World Kindness Day!
Happy World Kindness Day! I am so glad you are here. In the spirit of World Kindness Day, I want to thank you for being a part of Learning With Rei. We love and appreciate that you continue to support our small business! I can’t wait to jump into the 5 Engaging Activities you can do to celebrate World Kindness Day with your class this year!
But first, here’s some World Kindness Day history:
World Kindness Day was created by the World Kindness Movement organization in 1998. It was created to encourage people to simply prioritize being kind as a core value. It is now celebrated throughout the world every year on November 13th.
Now, let’s get to the good stuff!
Here are 5 engaging ideas to get the conversations flowing in your classroom about kindness.
1. Writing Prompts
Okay, okay, I know what you are thinking. Not another writing prompt. But common! What is better than some free writing prompts to get your students juices flowing and get them thinking about World Kindness Day? Plus it gives them an opportunity to show you how their craft has improved so far this school year and gives you insight on some improvements they may still need….. Sounds like a win-win if you ask me!
Here are some writing prompts you may want to consider!
- Tell about a time when you did something kind for someone.
- Tell about a time when someone did something kind for you.
- Tell about the acts of kindness you plan to do today to celebrate World Kindness Day.
- What does kindness mean to you?
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Make a list of all of the acts of kindness you plan to do this month to celebrate World Kindness Day.
All of these writing prompts are simple and to the point. They are engaging for students to write about because they are personal to them. Bonus points if students also draw a picture to go along with their World Kindness Day writing– because who doesn’t love to draw a picture? (Even the older elementary students will enjoy this)
2. Make a List of Acts of Kindness Together
In my experience, sometimes children don’t realize how many acts of kindness they can do on their own with very little assistance. Acts like picking up a friend’s book that they dropped, opening a door for someone, or bringing a friend a snack for school are all small acts of kindness they can achieve relatively independently. The more you discuss and model acts of kindness, the more likely students are able to recognize, complete and celebrate each other's acts of kindness. So why not brainstorm a list of acts of kindness you have already completed or plan to complete together?
3. A World Kindness Day Bulletin Board
Of course, you want to start by introducing World Kindness Day in advance. Then, you can discuss acts of kindness you want to complete to celebrate World Kindness Day. As students complete the acts of kindness, they can write them on a heart and add it to your bulletin board. You can set a goal with your students to reach 100 Acts of Kindness by a certain date and create a reward around achieving your goal (think extra recess time, a movie in the afternoon, etc!)
4. Read Books About Acts of Kindness Together
There are soooooo many books about Acts of Kindness to choose from! If your students are older and have been in school for a few years (second, third grade or beyond) you may want to poll students in advance to get a feel for which books they have already read. You can also find many books read aloud on the internet, in the event that you do not have access to an up-to-date library. Some popular suggestions are: Be Kind by Pat Zietlow Miller and Kindness Makes Me Stronger by Elizabeth Cole.
5. World Kindness Day Cards
Allow your students to get creative and pass along messages of kindness to others in their school community, friends, parents, or loved ones. You can start by brainstorming kind and positive quotes, allow students to choose ones that resonate with them and create cards for their bus drivers, the school secretaries, teacher assistants, principals and so much more!
These are just some activities and ideas to celebrate World Kindness Day in your classroom. Although they are suggested for November 13th, you can really use these activities anytime throughout the school year. These activities are especially helpful after a class conflict or a rough patch with student behavior. These activities encourage a positive classroom environment and are truly timeless.
If you're interested in the products Learning With Rei has created to celebrate World Kindness Day, follow the links below.
Google Slides Complete Lesson to Teach about World Kindness Day
World Kindness Day Writing Prompts and Bulletin Board
Happy teaching!
