Random Acts of Kindness Student Challenge- Teach Students to Be the Difference

Yesterday was National Random Acts of Kindness Day, and there is nothing I love more than making others feel special and appreciated.  In the spirit of this day, I decided to create a simple Random Acts of Kindness Student Challenge, which will provide my students the opportunity to engage in spreading positivity around our school this week.

Here’s how the Random Acts of Kindness Student Challenge calendar works:

1.  Each day for a week, students will choose an act of kindness, from that day’s choices, to perform in your classroom or at your school. 

    2.   After they have been kind to someone, they will answer the simple question below their act of kindness choices on the challenge calendar. This is a means of holding your students accountable, and for you to see just how they chose to spread joy.

3.   On Friday, students will reflect through a short written response on what they have learned while spreading kindness throughout the week. 

* Tip: Provide your students with 5-10 minutes to plan out their act of kindness. They may jot their ideas (Who, what, when, etc.) on the back of their Random Acts of Kindness Student Challenge Calendar, write their ideas in a journal, or discuss their plan with a partner. Some students will need this processing time to successfully implement their act of kindness.

Here are some extension activities that your students can engage in during the week of your Random Act of Kindness Student Challenge:

     ©Do the challenge with your students, making sure to spread kindness to the students you know will benefit from it.  Students will love knowing that you are participating, too!

     ©Have students reflect on their acts of kindness daily, through discussion strategies or writing.  Be sure that they are using the language and writing structures that you have instructed them in. (It’s always valuable to sneak in some extra skill practice on non-content activities. Hehe!)

     ©Engage in a discussion circle on Friday afternoon to share all the kind acts that students experienced. Allow students to talk about how the acts of kindness from other students and how gifting kindness to others affected their day/week.  Also, ask them what they would do differently next time you do this kindness challenge.

     ©Team up as a class to perform each of the acts of kindness for another grade level class and teacher. This will spread joy around your school!

     ©Show a short kindness video in the morning to kick-off the challenge, or go crazy and show a short kindness video each morning of the week. 

There are so many great videos on YouTube, but here are a few of my favorites…
The Science of Kindness

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O9UByLyOjBM
How to Change the World (A work in progress)- Kid President

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4z7gDsSKUmU&list=PLw-9ybYAnOPHM7zPC8O44mtx9swp8QTOx

Life Vest Inside - Kindness Boomerang - "One Day"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nwAYpLVyeFU&list=PL9UnFY7K92Rp-TKpJYhP_D2jlsAD6Omqv
Make an Impact- Inspirational Video (Best used with older students 5^th Grade and up.)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pb7_YJp9bVA&list=PL0knNBw0HmQoMBID8o_xd80Xt1g0bwwpb&index=5

Teaching your students how easy it is to make a difference in this world is essential in developing well-rounded members of society.  As educators, we are in prime positions to empower our youngsters to be positive models of kindness, and to have a positive impact on those around them. It all begins with one act of kindness…so what are we waiting for?

Download this free Random Act of Kindness Student Challenge here:

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