Let's be honest – kids aren't always nice to each other. If fighting, tattling and arguing have become a problem in your elementary classroom, it might be time to teach a little kindness. Fostering kindness is a great way to promote positive behavior, create a welcoming classroom culture, and instill lifelong values in young students. If you're ready to get started, here are 30 kindness activities for elementary students that you can try today.
Classroom Kindness Activities For Elementary Students
1. Kindness Jar Challenge
Encourage students to perform kind acts and write them down on slips of paper. Students can also make note when they see another student who is being kind. Collect these notes in a kindness jar and celebrate read them aloud with your class at the end of each week.
2. Sticky Notes of Encouragement
Distribute a few sticky notes to students, and have them write kind words or compliments for their classmates. Encourage them to leave these notes on desks or in lockers as a special surprise to someone in their class. This can help spread positivity and kindness throughout your classroom. Teachers can also leave sticky notes of encouragement for their students too.
Choose 3 kids each day to uplift with a special note. This doesn't have to take a lot of time. Spend one or two minutes each day writing quick messages to 3 kids and put them on their desk to find when they come into class. Young children will be excited to see who got a note each and and you can build a culture of kindness in your classroom.
3. Kindness Scenarios
One of the best ways to help children learn about kindness is by showing them different kindness scenarios and discussing how they could act in that situation. Often times, kids don't think about what they will do until they are thrust into a situation. Talk to students about different topics ahead of time like how to welcome new kids to class, what to do if you see someone without a friend on the playground, sharing toys, etc. This will help them be prepared when something like this arises in the classroom and they will know how to be kind.
4. Kindness Calendar
Create a monthly kindness calendar with daily challenges for students. These challenges should be easy enough for students to do on their own without any help from an adult. Each day, during your classroom morning meeting, review the calendar to see what new ideas students can do to be kind. The activities can range from complimenting a friend to helping a teacher with a task. It's a great way to instill the concept of kindness as a daily practice.
5. Kindness Rocks Project
A fun way to show kindness is to make special kindness rocks for friends or strangers. Provide students with small rocks and art supplies. You can gather rocks from your playground or head to your local craft store for small flat rocks. Students can paint positive messages or kind images on the rocks and share them with a friend. Another idea is to hide them on the playground for another child to find. Students can also make kindness rocks to take them home for a family member.
6. Kindness Cards
Add kindness cards or nice notes to your writing center. Whenever students witness a kind act, they can write it down on a nice note and give it to their friend. This not only acknowledges positive behavior but also reinforces the importance of recognizing and appreciating kindness.
7. Kindness Journals
A great idea is to add kindness journals to your daily writing routine. Give students different writing prompts about how they could be kind in different situations. They can also write about when they were kind to a friend on the playground, in the cafeteria, at home, etc. When students draw and write about being kind it reminds them of how important it is to treat others as they would like to be treated themselves.
8. Morning Meeting Rituals
Start the day with a circle of kindness activities during morning meetings. Allow students to share kind things they've experienced or express gratitude for the actions of their classmates. This is a great time for students to share about good deeds they have done or seen others doing in school.
9. Kindness Bulletin Board
Set up a bulletin special board where students can showcase their acts of kindness. When students see another student being kind, they can draw a picture of what they saw the other child doing and hang it on the board. This bulletin board can serve as a constant reminder of the positive impact of kind gestures within the classroom.
10. Kindness Affirmations
Introduce daily kindness affirmations as part of the morning routine. Encourage students to repeat positive statements about themselves and their peers, fostering a sense of self-worth and appreciation for others.
11. Act Out Being Kind
Get your students up and moving by role playing different kindness situations. Choose a couple of students to act out how they would treat others with kindness in scenarios like letting a friend join in on the playground, how to be kind of someone accidentally bumps into you, etc. When students see these situations in action, they are more likely to be kind to others when it happens to them!
12. Kindness Pledge
Have students create and sign a kindness pledge, committing to promoting kindness in their daily lives. Display the pledges in the classroom as a constant reminder of the shared commitment to positive behavior.
13. Kindness Games
Incorporate kindness-themed games into classroom activities. Games like “Kindness Bingo” or “Acts of Kindness Charades” make learning about and practicing kindness enjoyable for young students.
14. Appreciation Box
Set up an appreciation box in the classroom where students can drop notes expressing gratitude for their peers. Take time regularly to read these notes aloud and celebrate the positive impact students have on each other.
15. Kindness Secret Missions
Have your students perform kindness secret missions throughout the week. Give your class a secret mission to accomplish like smiling at someone, inviting a friend to play or sharing a favorite toy or snack. Meet at the end of the day to find out who accomplished their secret mission and then give them a special prize for accomplishing their kindness mission. A simple prize like a sticker will do the trick!
16. Bucket Filling Activity
Read the story “Have You Filled A Bucket Today?” by Carol McCloud. Introduce the concept of being a “bucket filler” by engaging students in activities that promote positive behavior and kindness. Discuss how each kind action fills someone's metaphorical bucket with joy.
17. Kindness Craft Workshop
Organize a craft workshop where students create kindness-themed crafts, such as friendship bracelets or kindness bookmarks. Grab everything you need for friendship bracelets at your local craft store. Younger children will love designing and stringing beads on friendship bracelets and then sharing it with a special friend.l These crafts can serve as tangible reminders of the importance of kind actions.
18. Captain Kindness
Introduce kids to Captain Kindness, the fearless leader of the behavior bunch superheroes! Captain Kindness shows kids the power of being kind and how it can make your classroom a better place. Use the Captain Kindness puppet when you're reading kindness books to kids or talking about different ways to be kind to their friends. You can even hang his poster up in your classroom to remind kids about being kind every day.
19. Valentine's Day Kindness Cards
Instead of traditional valentine cards, encourage students to create kindness cards for their classmates. Add some red and pink construction paper to your art center or writing center and let kids design their own kindness VAlentine's Day cards. This not only celebrates Valentine's Day but also reinforces the value of spreading kindness on special occasions.
20. Kindness Gesture Chain
Create a paper chain in the classroom where each link represents a kind gesture. As students perform acts of kindness, add links to the chain, visually showcasing the cumulative impact of their positive actions.
21. Kindness Lessons from Favorite Books
Choose picture books that emphasize the importance of kindness and use them as tools for interactive lessons. Discuss the stories and encourage students to share their thoughts on how they can apply kindness in their own lives. Some excellent kindness books to add to your lesson plans include:
- I Walk With Vanessa by Kerascoet
- The Jelly Donut Difference by Maria Dismondy
- Stick And Stone by Beth Ferry
- Kindness Is My Superpwer by Alicia Ortego
Whole School Kindness Activities
22. Kindness Poster Creation
Have students work individually or in groups to create posters promoting kindness. Help students come up with kindness slogans to write on the posters. They can write things like “Be Kind To Others” or “Kindness Counts!” These posters can be displayed around the school, reinforcing the message that kindness matters. It's the perfect way to spread positivity throughout your school for all to see.
23. Kindness Tree Craft
Create a giant kindness tree using construction paper or butcher paper. Hang the kindness tree on a bulletin board in your hallway. Make some small pink and red construction paper hearts and place them near the tree with tape and a marker. Encourage students to add the heart shaped leaves with kind actions written on them. This is a great kindness activity that you can do throughout your entire hallway.
24. Random Acts of Kindness Day
Designate a day as “Random Acts of Kindness Day.” Encourage students to perform small acts of kindness for their peers, teachers, and other school staff. At the end of the day meet with your class to find out all the nice things they did for others during the day.
25. World Kindness Day Celebration
Did you know that World Kindness Day is celebrated each year on November 13th? Take the opportunity to celebrate this special occasion by organizing special activities, discussions, and projects that emphasize the importance of kindness on a global scale. This is a great day to read books about kindness, make a kindness chain with each link representing a kind deed or pair up with older children in another grade to do good deeds together.
26. Kindness Notes Exchange
Implement a pen pal system where students exchange kindness notes with classmates from other classes. This helps build connections across the school community. Set up a special kindness mailbox in the hallway where kids can drop notes to encourage and compliment friends in other classes. Choose one child each day to deliver the notes to the students in the other rooms.
27. Kindness in the School Community
Extend the focus on kindness beyond the classroom by involving the entire school community. Collaborate with teachers, administrators, and parents to create a school-wide initiative that promotes kindness in various aspects of school life. Organize a food drive around Thanksgiving or a special animal shelter collection for things like food, collars and toys.
28. Kindness Scavenger Hunt
Organize a kindness-themed scavenger hunt within the school premises. Provide students with clues that lead them to various acts of kindness or positive messages hidden around the school.
Community Kindness Activities
29. Kindness Project Ideas
Initiate long-term kindness projects, such as creating a kindness mural, organizing a community service day, or partnering with local organizations to support those in need. An easy way to encourage kindness in the community is to make cards for elderly people in nursing homes.
30. Whole School Kindness Initiative
Work towards establishing a comprehensive kindness initiative that involves the entire school. This could include creating a kindness committee, organizing special events, and integrating kindness into the school curriculum.
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Before I discovered these kindness learning strategies my students were struggling with emotional outbursts, fighting, tattling, and more. But with these daily kindness lessons, my students started improving rapidly – making friends, being respectful, and listening in class.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Hi, I'm Molly, the creative mind behind Firstieland. With over 35 years of experience in early childhood education, I'm your primary support for resources that will save you time and make learning feel like play. Learn more about my mission for Firstieland here.
