The smallest of acts can make a big impact and focusing on kindness education can empower our children to seek the good in others and also in themselves. Performing good deeds fill children with a sense of hope, joy, and accomplishment. Kind acts can also help improve self-esteem in young children. They feel proud of themselves and more connected to others when they know they can make a positive influence on the world around them.
This week’s activities aim to help children embrace the beauty of kindness and exercise a habit of looking at the world through the lens of kindness.
“Kindness Is Cool” is an ongoing event at Gan Jing World that promotes kind deeds and thoughtful actions. Through kindness events and kindness education, little ones learn that, they too, can create big change in our world and it all starts with their hearts toward others.
Choose at least 2 videos/movies to view and at least 2 activities to perform with your children.
As an added bonus for a chance to win prizes in the 2024 Kindness Is Cool event, in addition to adding the #GJCSummerCamp tag, also add the #KindnessIsCool to your posts!
Viewing List
Students at Little Lotus Academy Share Thoughts on What Kindness Is (4m)
Winner of the 2023 KindnessIsCool Awards, fourth graders from the Little Lotus Academy share their understanding of what it means to be kind to others and how to practice kindness.
Kindness Essays from the Star Academy for the Gifted and Talented (4m)
Winner of the 2023 KindnessIsCool Awards, students from the Star Academy for the Gifted and Talented write and present essays on what kindness means to them.
Lila Greer, Teacher of the Year (13m)
In this moving story, the smallest of things fill young student, Lila, with dread. Moving to a new town, she worries that things will go wrong or no one will like her. But one person, her teacher, helps Lila with kindness, helping her learn a message that will resonate with her long after second-grade.
One Million Trees: A True Story (20m)
A real-life story of a family who planted 1,000,000 trees to fight deforestation in British Columbia—a story that helps children understand the power of kind acts to change our world.
Activity List
1. Thinking About Kindness
Following the inspiration of the Little Lotus Academy fourth graders, who shared their thoughts on kindness, encourage your children to take some time to think about what kindness means to them. Ask the following questions:
- What is kindness?
- Why is kindness important for the world?
- What is the most surprising kind act anybody has ever done for you?
2. Write an Essay on Kindness
Have children think more deeply about what kindness means to them by working on their own kindness essays. Writing is a creative way for children to not only express themselves, but think more deeply through concepts, thus solidifying their understandings. Have children recite their essays back to other classmates or family at home. This can also be a great way to allow children to collaborate with one another and gain feedback from others so they can come to new understandings.
3. Create a Song or Poem on Kindness!
Is your child musical or poetic? Does your child love to sing? Have you child write their own song or poem on kindness. If your child plays an instrument, they can also create a musical melody that represents kindness to them.
Watch the Kindness Is Cool (Official Video), a winning submission from the 2023 KindnessIsCool event for inspiration! Inspired by the mission of promoting kindness, a nine-year-old writes and performs an original song about kindness.
4. Create a Kindness Quilt
Cut out small pieces of fabric or paper into squares with the prompt, “Kindness is…” and have children fill out the message. If this activity is being performed as part of a classroom activity, the squares can be strung or taped together to reveal a beautiful large quilt of kindness. If doing with children at home, they can be taped together on the fridge or over the fireplace.
See this activity being performed by fifth graders of the Star Academy for inspiration!
Kindness Quilt by Star Academy
5. Draw a Picture on Kindness
For children that are more visual and artistic, have them sit down with crayons and markers, and draw out what kindness looks like to them. This activity can be a great way for children to practice visualizing their ideas into reality.
6. Record One Kind Act Per Day Challenge
For this activity, children are challenged to record one kind act per day. Kind acts come in many forms. Discuss with your child beforehand the different ways one can be kind. When children spend a week recording a kind act per day, they will find their awareness of how they can proactively be kind in any situation naturally comes alive, and they will start noticing kindness all around them! Children are sure to see kindness in a new light after completing this daily activity.
Some acts of kindness can include:
- Praising another for a job well done
- Showing gratitude and thanks
- Offering a smile
- Giving a hug to another
- Sharing a compliment
- Helping someone
7. Share Your Kindness Activities in the 2024 Kindness Is Cool Event
Record your child’s journey through these kindness activities and take part in the 2024 Kindness Is Cool event! Your child will have the chance to win some additional prizes, but more importantly, it can help your child further integrate lessons on kindness by reporting on their findings, while also inspiring others.
Add the #KindnessIsCool tag, in addition to #GJCSummerCamp, for this week’s kindness activity posts.
8. Activity Sheets
Here are this week's fun activity sheets!
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