13 Free Ways to Create Kindness in Schools
Don't expect kindness in schools... teach it. Here are 13 fun and free ways to focus on the good this year:
Start a staff meeting or your first 10 minutes of class with an inspiring video. Check out our YouTube channel which has videos like this one of ALS patient, Chris Rosati. He is a father, husband, friend, and founder of Inspire Media. In 2010, he was diagnosed with ALS and has slowly lost his ability to walk and speak. Still, he is devoting the rest of his life to spreading kindness. After watching the video, have a brief discussion about how kindness transformed Chris and those around him (ex: he turned his challenge into an opportunity to do something meaningful and serve others) and pick one way your school or class can focus on kindness this year.
Post positive sticky notes around the school. A fun act of kindness that both staff and students can do!
Schedule a Custodian Appreciation Day on your calendar. Imagine what school would be like without custodians. Yikes! On the other hand, let's not imagine that. Instead, let's appreciate all that they do with a celebration! Custodian Appreciation Day could involve thank you notes, decorations, or even students helping to sweep up the cafeteria.
Start a Third Party Compliments box like Carroll High School. Unique, effective and totally doable (be sure to watch the video until the end).
Incorporate kindness into your writing prompts: Start a discussion with this writing prompt: "Kindness is...."
Create a Caught Being Kind bulletin board: Where do you see kindness in your school? Create bulletin boards that provide students with an opportunity to recognize and share kindness with others.
Track Acts of Kindness by Grade. This is a great way to emphasize that kindness is important to your school. Every week, try highlighting an act of kindness from each grade.
RAK Calendar: Share this Kindness Calendar Sheet from primarilypeace.tumblr.com with your students. How many students can check off all 30 kindness activities?
Set up a thank you note station in the school. Studies show that practicing gratitude increases positive emotions and happiness. Create a thank you note station by gathering construction paper, markers, and fun materials in one spot. This could be set up in a hallway or even in the principal's office for students who get in trouble in class.
Start a Kindness Club: Choose a handful of student leaders and one teacher leader. Check out these videos for inspiration and then download our kindness club guide.
Watch how teacher, Peggy Filer, started a Kindness Club at her high school.
See how Starr Elementary School is spreading kindness with the Kind Kids Club.
Get inspired by Sabrina Ma, a high school student leading Kindness Clubs across the country.
Create a kindness-based out-of-school program: do you have kiddos or stay late after school? Check out our free RAK4Kids after school program.
Email or write a former teacher who made a difference in your life. We love using this 5-minute thank you note template.
For even more ideas, check out our education resources page.
These ideas work. We have implemented a Kindness Club, Kindness Challenges, and a Caught You Being Kind Wall at our school. The culture and climate of our school is very clear: we promote and teach kindness.
I am starting our RAK after school club next week. We are an elementary school and I am starting with 15 students from 3-5 grade in this club. I am so very excited to use some of these ideas!
This is so amazing I am definitely going to use some of these ideas in my school.
wow!its so awesome
It is, so amazing to see how a kind words or actions can put a Smile in your face or even a happy tears. We started with our Kindness Tree, at Our Pre- K Center and I love it! We write every Act of kindness that the Children do to others every day, in a heart shape sticky note and we attached to the tree.!
What amazing resources, I am now inspired to share these ideas with my school! Thank you
We have our Kindness kick off tomorrow. I am so excited to share these great inspiring ideas. Loving it and paying it forward!
Can't wait to do something like this in my school in February! Thanks for the great, inspiring ideas!
Just reading all these "club" and RAK ideas and seeing such amazing results from totally beneficial acts restores my sense of hope towards others, and towards my inner self & soul.