Easy Random Acts of Kindness Week Ideas for Students to Nurture Friendships
Inside: Looking for easy but effective kindness week ideas for elementary students? Find powerful activities that teach compassion, boost wellbeing, and make kindness a no-stress part of your everyday routine.
With so many kids facing tough mental health challenges, teaching kindness in the classroom has never been more important. Little acts of kindness can make a real difference in building friendships, boosting wellbeing, and creating that supportive class community that helps kids thrive.
That's where Random Acts of Kindness Week in February and World Kindness Day in November come in. Participating in these days is an effective way to reinforce the good behavior that helps everyone feel connected and safe.
Random Acts of Kindness Day - February 17th
Pay It Forward Day - April 28th
World Kindness Day - November 13th
World Kindness Week - Week of November 13th
NOTE: The date range for World Kindness Week changes each year so you'll want to google it.
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With around 40% of high school students reporting persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness, it’s essential to build skills and set a mindset of compassion early by using kindness activities for elementary students on a regular basis.
Why kindness is important goes beyond the feel-good factor, especially when you’re teaching kindness intentionally throughout the year. The acts of kindness film Pay It Forward helped start a movement back in 2000 that had a huge impact as good deeds created ripples of love and compassion.
Reading books on kindness and using simple compassion activities for students helps nurture positive thoughts and build confidence to reduce isolation and create feelings of hope and happiness.
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Why Focus on Kindness Activities for Elementary Students?
Before we jump into some Kindness Week ideas, let's talk about the impact. Using feel-good activities, kindness worksheets that reinforce positive choices, and calming crafts can help with everything from emotional intelligence to social skills. And the best part? It creates a ripple effect that touches everyone around, making the whole classroom a happier place.
Research clearly shows that being kind can be contagious but that kindness activities for elementary students boost positive vibes and wellbeing beyond the giver and receiver with onlookers also enjoying the benefits.
Research has shown a simple act of kindness directed toward another improves the functioning of the immune system and stimulates the production of serotonin in both the recipient of the kindness and the person extending the kindness. Even more amazing is that persons observing the act of kindness have similar beneficial results.
How to Use These Kindness Week Ideas
Step 1: Choose 1–2 kindness activities that fit your class needs.
Step 2: Print the templates and prep materials.
Step 3: Introduce the activity during your morning meeting or SEL time.
Step 4: Let students complete the task independently or in groups.
Step 5: Reflect together and celebrate acts of kindness.
Step 6: Start a kindness club to build on your routine (get the Kindness Club Checklist).
My Favorite Kindness Week Ideas for the Classroom
If you’re looking for simple kindness week activities for students for Random Acts of Kindness Day the goal is to keep things easy, meaningful, and doable. You do not need complicated projects or hours of prep. A few intentional activities can help students build friendships, practice empathy, and feel proud of the good they bring into the world.
Below are the kindness activities you can use again and again. Each one comes from my Kindness Essentials Bundle, which was created to make kindness simple to teach and easy to sustain all year.
1. Kindness Quilt
This collaborative bulletin board is a hands-down favorite. Super easy to prep and use, you’ll love how versatile the Kindness Quilt is with lots of options for differentiation.
It makes the most beautiful and effective display. Each is different as students add their own unique style and flair. This bulletin board is a year-round visual that puts kindness ideas in front of your students each and every day to help cement a positive and compassionate mindset.
Use the pre-made templates with kindness quotes or jump online to customize words of kindness to suit your grade. Give your students the option to handwrite their own kindness messages on paper quilt squares or using the Google Slides file for some digital practice.
Why you will love the Kindness Quilt:
This resource was exactly what I needed! It was clear, well-organized, and easy to implement. The design is engaging and age-appropriate, and it saved me so much planning time. Thank you for creating such a helpful and high-quality resource!
Gabriella D.
Our school does a "kindness" project each year. This year my class did a kindness project for our class. We've struggled being kind this year and this was a good way to reinforce ways to be kind. We hung it in our hallway in February and it is still there. Love this!!
Heather G. - 3rd Grade
I teach in a self contained classroom and work with students that have moderate to severe needs 2nd-5th grade this product matches up really well with the essential element DLM standards and is a great resource for my setting.
Alexi M. - 3rd, 4th, 5th Grades
The Kindness Quilt Minna and her classmates have been asked by their teacher, Mrs. Bloom, to work on a Kindness Project. Mrs. Bloom wants them to do and draw and share an act of kindness. Minna and her family do lots of kind things, but Minna can’t decide which one is right for her project. Then she starts writing and drawing and cutting—and an idea for a paper quilt picturing many acts of kindness begins to take shape!
Important lessons about being kind to each other are depicted in NANCY ELIZABETH WALLACE’s charming artwork using origami, recycled paper, markers, crayons, and colored pencils.
2. Kindness Bookmarks
You AND your students will love these versatile kindness bookmarks. They can be a simple mindfulness activity that brings positivity into your day or an exciting kindness challenge that makes your students feel like secret spies.
Each bookmark includes a small kindness quote that encourages positive thoughts, words, and actions. They inspire a growth mindset and help your students see kindness as something they can practice and strengthen, or they can encourage a schoolmate through a warm compliment written on the back.
The challenge is a beautiful way to build confidence and a flood of feel-good emotions all while promoting an inclusive class or school community.
You can use the bookmarks as part of a kindness challenge, morning work, fast finisher tasks, or as a weekly SEL routine. Students enjoy choosing a bookmark, coloring it mindfully, and then carrying out their mission. It feels fun and purposeful, and it gives them something to be proud of.
This is one of those kindness craft ideas that students beg to do again.
Why you will love my Kindness Bookmarks:
We used these bookmarks for a RAK day activity. The kids decorated the bookmarks and then we hid them in books throughout our library and the local public library. It was so much fun.
Brianne B. - 1st-5th Grades
I just love this resource! I have used this a couple of times now and not only is it easy and quick for teachers, the engagement that it generates within the classroom for students is exceptional.
Thank you so much for a resource that is high in quality, easy and engaging to use and practical!
Megan V. - 2nd, 3rd, 4th Grades
My Year 2 class used the Kindness bookmarks twice. They coloured one, wrote a message on the back and I laminated them. They had fun hiding them in school library books for other students in the school to find and keep. Later I let them make another one for themselves.
Lyn C. - 2nd Grade
Add Picture Books for Even More Impact
Picture books offer an imaginative way for students to compassionately connect with characters and see kindness in action. They give children a safe space to explore emotions, understand different perspectives, and reflect on the impact of their choices. When paired with simple kindness day activities, these stories help students make meaningful connections between what they read and how they treat others. They’re an easy, powerful tool for building empathy, sparking conversations, and strengthening classroom community.
Enemy Pie : (Reading Rainbow Book, Children s Book about Kindness, Kids Books about Learning) 
3. Kindness Fortune Teller
Your students will be instantly hooked on this old-fashioned origami game. As they play, it gently guides your class toward thoughtful choices, friendship building, and simple acts of kindness. You’ll love how easy it is to introduce and how naturally it fits into your SEL routines.
As kids lift a flap on their kindness fortune teller (or cootie catcher), it reveals a small good deed they can act on right away. The prompts help them notice others, offer support, and practice empathy in a fun and low-pressure way. It is a great tool for helping them build friendships and see kindness as something they can choose again and again.
You can use these fortune tellers during morning meetings, as a partner activity, for indoor recess, or as a quick reset when your class needs a positive shift. Kids love the hands-on folding, the anticipation of each choice, and the excitement of discovering their kindness mission. It feels playful and purposeful, and it gives them a simple way to brighten someone’s day.
This is such a fun craft that builds so many skills. It gives your students a hands-on way to practice kindness while strengthening important developmental skills at the same time.
Why you will love these Kindness Fortune Tellers:
Love LOVE LOVE!
Used in individual counseling lessons with multiple students, boys and girls. They all have loved this resource to promote kindness in the building.
Dakota S. - 4th Grade
My students enjoy making the craft and it is very nostalgia for me. It is easy to make using the directions included. I like how some are prefilled and others are able to be written on with the ideas you come up with together. This has worked well one on one and as a small group.
Growing Grit - 2nd-4th Grades
My students loved these chatterboxes! They love chatterboxes - full-stop! These ones are special because they relate to our learning on kindness, relationships, and wellbeing in the New Year.
Lyn C. - 2nd Grade
Pin this image to save these ideas for later
4. Editable Kindness Checklist
Kids love this simple but powerful kindness challenge. These checklists give them clear, achievable kindness ideas they can complete throughout the day. It helps them realize that the small positive choices they make are essential for making your classroom feel safe, welcoming, and connected. You’ll love how easy it is to use and how naturally it supports your SEL routines.
There are different lists for individual and collaborative work that encourage your students to look for opportunities to be helpful, thoughtful, and inclusive. It is an engaging way to build friendships and promote positive behavior without adding extra work to your day. Kids feel a real sense of achievement as they check off each good deed, and it helps kindness feel natural and doable.
You can also edit a checklist to add your own good deeds or let your students write or type kindness ideas that matter to them. This makes the challenge feel personal, meaningful, and perfectly suited to your class needs.
Use the checklist during Kindness Week, as part of morning work, as a behavior management tool, or as a whole-class kindness challenge. It works beautifully for self-monitoring and helps kids take ownership of their choices in a supportive, encouraging way.
Why you will love these Editable Kindness Checklists:
Super helpful resource to use when encouraging acts of kindness! Well worded and easy for students to understand.
The Pencil Sharpener Society
- 4th Grade
This was an easy-to-use and highly engaging resource. Whilst I used it when teaching students remotely, I will most certainly be using it during face-to-face teaching as well.
Petia W. - 3rd, 4th Grades
Super helpful resource to use when encouraging acts of kindness! Well worded and easy for students to understand.
Fourth Story Creative Co.
5. Kindness Coloring Pages
These mindful sheets are such a simple way to bring calm to your classroom when students need a brain break. This pack of kindness coloring pages is a no-brainer for busy teachers needing a no-prep but meaningful activity that’s more than busy work. You’ll love how they help your students settle, focus, and reset while keeping kindness at the heart of your classroom.
Each page includes a kindness message that encourages kids to think about how their words and actions affect others. As they color, they naturally slow down, breathe, and reflect. It is a lovely way to build mindfulness and promote positive behavior without needing any extra materials or planning.
You can use the coloring pages for morning work, early finishers, calm down corners, indoor recess, or as an art or craft lesson. They work beautifully as a quiet transition activity and help students feel grounded and ready to learn.
Why you will love this set of Kindness Coloring Pages:
My students loved these Kindness coloring pages. They can be used throughout the year as well as during Kindness Week. Highly recommend."
Kimberley N. - 3rd Grade
I used these little posters for Pink Shirt Day. I printed them out on pink paper and gave copies to the school Justice League. They each completed 1 to 2 posters and then I hung them around the school so that we had a sea of pink for Pink Shirt Day.
Donna A. - 1st-4th Grades
This is a great resource! Coloring helps kids focus and be mindful and the kindness pages provide a good message.
Susan S.
6. Kindness Word Search
Recently added to the Kindness Essentials Bundle as a bonus resource, your students will love these calming kindness word searches. Just print and use to reinforce kindness vocabulary while giving your class a quiet activity that still feels purposeful.
Each word in the puzzle highlights an important kindness concept. As students search, they naturally revisit the language you want them to use in your classroom.
Use them for morning work, early finishers, literacy rotations, or as a quiet reset when your class needs to settle. It works beautifully alongside your kindness lessons and helps students feel grounded and ready to learn.
Why you will love these Word Searches:
Why the Kindness Essentials Bundle is a Must
If you want to build a classroom culture where kindness feels natural, consistent, and genuinely exciting for your students, the Kindness Essentials Bundle is your go-to kit with activities you can use every year with every class.
Each activity teaches kindness in a slightly different way, and when you use them as a set, they reinforce the same messages through hands-on practice, reflection, creativity, and play. You’ll love having a full toolkit that supports your SEL goals without adding extra planning to your day.
Here’s why teachers love the Kindness Essentials Bundle:
These kindness lessons and activities make it easy for students to connect and build deeper friendships while giving you a calmer, more peaceful classroom.
Whether you use one resource or the full bundle, you’ll give your students meaningful opportunities to practice thoughtful choices and positive interactions in a way that feels fun and natural.
Everything is ready to print, simple to introduce, and quick to weave into your day, which saves you time and energy. Regular kindness activities help cement a positive mindset and build genuine compassion and empathy for classmates.
When kindness becomes part of your daily routine, your students feel the difference and your classroom community grows stronger.
Get the Kindness Essentials Bundle for years of easy and effective social and emotional growth.
What Next?
If you’re ready to take kindness a step further, why not start a Kindness Club at your school. It’s an easy way to keep kindness visible and give your students a sense of ownership over the positive choices they make each day.
To help you get started, grab the free Kindness Club Checklist. It gives you and your students heaps of simple ideas for doing good and building a more connected classroom community. Sign up below and I’ll send it straight to your inbox.
â–º FREE Editable Kindness Club Activities Checklist
Frequently Asked Questions About Kindness
Kindness helps students feel safe, valued, and connected. When children regularly show and experience kindness, they begin to notice the difference it makes to their wellbeing and friendships. These positive emotions create a calmer classroom where they are more willing to help each other and solve problems peacefully. They also learn that even small acts of kindness can brighten someone’s day and make the classroom feel like a welcoming place to learn. This post shares research into the benefits of teaching kindness in schools.
Teaching kindness works best when it becomes part of your everyday routine. Simple things like morning meeting discussions, reflection questions, kindness worksheets, and more hands-on activities like crafts and kindness challenges help students understand what kindness looks like in action. Modeling kind behavior yourself and celebrating the positive choices students make helps reinforce the message in a natural, meaningful way.
Daily kindness activities don’t need to be complicated. Students love things like kindness coloring pages, crafts like fortune tellers, flipbooks, a collaborative bulletin board, or a bookmarks challenge that create excitement. Consistent routines help make empathy and compassion positive habits that last a lifetime.
Kind behavior grows in classrooms where expectations are clear and students feel supported. Routines can include things like kindness checklists, a kindness tree, and a daily behavior management system centered around good deeds to encourage responsibility and teamwork. When students feel connected to their classmates and proud of their actions, behavior naturally improves and the whole room feels more settled.
Picture books are a wonderful way to initiate conversations about kindness. Stories that highlight empathy, friendship, and helping others give students a chance to see kind choices in action. They also open the door to meaningful discussions about feelings, problem‑solving, and how our actions affect others. My list of character-building books is a good place to start.
A school‑wide kindness challenge works best when it’s simple and easy for teachers to use. Start with a weekly kindness focus, share a few ready‑to‑go activities, and create a visual display where students can celebrate their acts of kindness.
Many schools love using a kindness tree for this. Each time a student shows kindness, they add a leaf or heart to the tree, and the whole school can watch it grow. It’s a beautiful way to make kindness visible and help students feel proud of the good they do. Keep the program flexible so each class can adapt it to their needs, and make time to celebrate the positive impact students are making across the school.
World Kindness Day and Kindness Week are wonderful chances to slow down and help students notice the good they can do for others. Simple activities work best. Students love kindness coloring pages, compliment notes, fortune teller crafts, or a beautiful kindness quilt that keeps kindness top of mind all year long. You can also create a class kindness tree, use a friendship activity like Enemy Pie, or read a picture book that sparks a conversation about helping others. These activities make the week feel special while keeping everything low prep and meaningful for you and your students.
Kindness Day is a great time to start a Kindness Club at your school. To get going, it can be as simple as choosing a weekly focus and giving students a few ideas for doing good. Introduce the club to your class and explain that it’s all about noticing others, making thoughtful choices, and celebrating the positive things they do. Begin with easy activities and keep the routine light and fun. If you’d like a little help getting started, the free Kindness Club Checklist gives you simple ideas your students can use right away.
