Random acts of kindness do not take a lot of time, energy or money — all it takes is your heart. A random act of kindness can make someone’s day. If a person is having a sad or bad day, it could make their day better. If a person is already having a good day, it could turn it into an awesome day!

My mom showed me an article about a new initiative in her Chatelaine magazine called Kindcycle , which got us really excited. The idea behind KindCycle is that giving an act of kindness not only makes the person who receives the kind act feel good, but it also inspires them to do something kind for another person. It’s like playing tag, when you get tagged with an act of kindness it’s like saying “you’re it!” Now you have to go out and tag another person with an act of kindness. This could be the biggest game of tag you’ve ever played! For example, if I do something kind for someone, that person might do something kind for another person and then maybe that other person might tag somebody else with a kind act maybe on the other side of the world and it will keep going and become a worldwide game of kindness tag. Cool, right?

Chatelaine‘s goal is to reach 20 million random acts of kindness, but I bet a whole lot more than 20 million acts can be reached if all of us kids become Kind Agents too. I made a list of more than 50 ideas of random acts of kindness for kids — most of them don’t cost money and are about being thoughtful, creative and kind (of course).  Adults can do these too! I saw this quote about kindness that I really liked:

“Wherever there is a human being there is an opportunity for kindness.”~ Seneca

I think that that is so true. I think that we can do our random acts of kindness for each other and for animals and the environment too.  Imagine how much good we can do as Kind Agents. By being an Agent of Kindness, you are also being an Agent of Change

50+ Ideas for Kid Kind Agents

1. Give someone a compliment.
2. Help someone carry their groceries.
3. Clear the table for your mom so she can relax after dinner.
4. Call a family member for no reason other than just to say “hello”.
5. Give a thank you card to someone who is not expecting it.
6. Offer to help someone with their work at school.
7. Ask someone to play with you if they’re alone.
8. Congratulate someone on the presentation they did.
9. If someone is having a bad day, talk to them or just listen to them.
10. At school if someone lost something, try to help them find it.
11. Talk to the cashier or just smile at them, ask them how their day is.
12. Write a note to your friend, teacher or principal — just because.
13. Hold the door open.
14. Shovel snow for your neighbour.
15. Donate your toys.
16. Write a letter to your parents to tell them how special they are.
17. Help a new student settle in at school
18. Tell your parents you want to help them do the laundry or clean the house.
19. Pick up litter at school.
20. Pick up litter wherever and whenever you see it.
21. Let your neighbours know when you are going to go drop things off at the recycling centre and offer to take what they have to save them a trip.
22. Collect coupons for things that you don’t use and give them to someone who needs it. Families with babies always need diapers.
23. Go through your movies, books and toys and donate it to someone who will enjoy it.
24. Collect your toys, movies, clothes and books and donate them to a organization.
25. Take toys, clothes, books and movies that are still in really good condition to Once Upon A Child. They will buy them from you and then you can donate the money to an organization or buy something like Tim Hortons gift cards and randomly give them to people.
26. Make a pencil holder and fill them with with pencils for your classroom so that if one of your classmates lost or forgot theirs they have one.
27. If there’s someone who inspires you, or did something you like (like an author of a book), write them a note to show them your appreciation.
28. When your mom or dad is busy making your breakfast, surprise them by making your bed AND make their bed too!
29. Clean up your room without being asked.
30. Make eco-friendly cleaning supplies with your mom.
31. You can be a mother’s helper and play with a toddler so the mom can relax.
32. Get packs of bubbles and hand them out to little kids at the park.
33. Help your mom do stuff around the house so that she dosen’t have to do it all alone.
34. Create an art piece or picture and give it to a family member.
35. When you bake cookies take some to your neighbor.
36. Give the mailman a gift card for coffee or hot chocolate to warm up after delivering the mail in the winter.
37. Send a present to someone you know who lives far away.
38. Leave a small gift for the cashier that you see all the time at the grocery store, post office or coffee shop.
39. Find a cause that you believe in and do something.
40. Help someone who is having a hard time with school work.
41. When you send a card to someone, include a blank thank you card with a stamp and a envelope so that that person can write a thank you card to someone else.
42. Organize your friends to clean up your neighborhood park or schoolyard.
43. Offer to return a shopping cart to the store for someone loading their car.
44. When you go to the mall or grocery store with your mom or dad bring a roll of stickers and give them to young kids you meet.
45. Have thank you cards ready with you when you’re out so that you can leave them for somebody who did something nice for you.
46. At school, organize a game for younger kids and play with them.
47. When you’re finished with a book or magazine give them to a friend that would like them.
48. Make a new friend.
49. Eat lunch with somebody that you don’t usually eat lunch with.
50. Always use your manners — people appreciate it when you say please and thank you.
51. Leave nice comments on someone’s blog that you enjoy reading.
52. Put a bird-feeder in your backyard.
53. Start a kindness club and find new ways to be kind.
54. When you’re at the grocery store with your mom, ask if you can pick out your dad’s favourite chocolate bar and surprise him with it when he gets home from work.
55. When you’re out with your dad, ask if you can buy some flowers for your mom, just because.
56. Hide little love notes around the house for your parents to find (you can leave them under their pillow, in their sock drawer, with the pots and pans or in the linen closet.
57. Share information about a cause or an organization that you believe in. They always need help to get the word out.
58. Do or buy something with some of your allowance or birthday money for someone special. Take your parents out for ice cream. Make a donation. Buy a gift card for someone you want to say a special thank you to.
59. When you’re at the library, pick out a book for your mom or dad that you think that they’ll enjoy. Write a note to tell them why you chose it for them.

Here is a beautiful piece of art by Kathleen Tennant to inspire your quest as a KInd Agent.

 

Note: If you’re over 18 years old, you can officially register at www.kindcycle.ca. (it’s free!) and $100 will be donated in your name to the Canadian Women’s Foundation by the Lise Watier Foundation to support programs across Canada that move women and girls out of poverty, out of violence and into confidence.

This post originally appeared at: http://www.callmehannah.ca/2013/01/07/tag-youre-it-be-a-kind-agent-with-me-and-kindcycle/ on January 7, 2013