Teach Kindness in Your Classroom
Teach kindness in your classroom. Our world needs it now more than ever.
Just as you plan for teaching literacy or math, plan for teaching kindness. Not just on one day. Not for one week. Integrate kindness into your curriculum through important discussions, engaging books, and meaningful activities all year.
We’ve got some great resources to help you create a culture of kindness in your classroom – and through the ripple effect, spread kindness into your community and our world!
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Color Your World With Kindness This two-minute (wordless) animated video by A Better World illustrates how small acts of kindness can change the feelings and attitudes of others and can cause the kindness to be passed on.
What Does It Mean to Be Kind? Rana DiOrio shows that every act of kindness is also an act of courage, and how small gestures can make a big difference to other people, animals, the planet, and even oneself.
Download the publisher’s FREE Discussion/Activity Guide:
- Before reading: build background, take a picture walk, and review vocabulary (compliment, patient, encouraging).
- During reading: focus on the author’s craft and purpose, context clues, and main idea/theme.
- After reading: analyze the story’s problem/solution and create an action plan for kindness.
Instructional Standards for Reading Literature, Writing, Language, & Speaking, and Listening Skills are included. -Sourcebooks
The Power of One: Every Act of Kindness Counts When one child reaches out in friendship to a classmate who seems lonely, she begins a chain reaction of kindness that ripples throughout her school and her community. One kind act begets another, small good deeds make way for bigger ones, and eventually, the whole neighborhood comes together to build something much greater than the sum of its parts.
Download the FREE Educator and Community Guide.
Discover all the forms kindness can take! Fifty unique games, crafts and mindfulness activities help kids develop empathy and respect for themselves, their loved ones and the wider world. Written by preschool mindfulness experts Dr. Helen Maffini and Whitney Stewart, the cards include hands-on solo and group activities perfect for home or classroom use and beyond. -Barefoot Books
Download 3 unique ways to incorporate kindness into your classroom routines. These easy additions to your routines can help you establish a culture of kindness in your classroom. They’re also a great way to incorporate social-emotional learning into your curriculum. The activities in this lesson plan were adapted for classroom use from the Kind Kids activity deck to help acquaint students with the various forms kindness can take.
22 Children’s Books That Teach Kids to Be Kind
These books capture the power of a moment of kindness to change a life for the better, as well as the sense of purpose and pride that can come from helping someone. Most importantly, these books teach kids that you don’t have to perform a heroic act to make the world a better place: even small acts of kindness ripple across the world in ways that no one could expect. They’re an excellent way to show young children that their empathy and compassion really can make a difference! – A Mighty Girl
The Great Kindness Challenge Sign up to participate and receive your free toolkit with everything you need!
The Kindness Rock Project is a grassroots kindness movement that aims to make our world a kinder place through a fun activity for all ages.
Classroom Kindness Kit Multicultural Children’s Book Day provides a book list, activities, and a “Be a Hero Be Kind” poster.
Random Acts of Kindness Become RAKtivists! Get inspired by these great ideas – and brainstorm more!
Kindness Printables Free from the Random Acts of Kindness Foundation, it includes posters, bookmarks, a Kindness Calendar, and a Kindness Bingo game!
Teach Kindness: Events 2024-2025
November 13 World Kindness Day
November 24 RAK Friday (in place of Black Friday!)
January 27-31 Great Kindness Challenge
February 9-15 Random Acts of Kindness Week
February 17 Random Acts of Kindness Day
“In a world where you can be anything, be kind.”
How will you be teaching kindness in your classroom this year?
Related Post: Teach Peace: Books & Activities for Kids