Uplifting Kindness Bulletin Board Ideas for a Better Classroom Community

Want to improve friendships and student behavior? These kindness bulletin board ideas will help you build a culture of respect and inclusion!

A well-designed bulletin board is more than a classroom decoration. An eye-catching display can be a powerful tool to encourage good behavior and foster a positive and inclusive environment.

Bulletin boards are especially significant for visual learners. Up to 65% of elementary students fall into the category of people who absorb and retain more when information is presented visually. 

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When you create a kindness bulletin board, you're providing a visual that students repeatedly engage with. Seeing these positive affirmations regularly helps reinforce essential character traits and social skills. As students silently repeat the mantras, they gradually become part of their internal dialogue encouraging them to practice these values. 

Creating a kindness bulletin board will enhance the aesthetic appeal of your classroom or hallway. But more importantly, your display can be crucial to building a growth mindset and promote a culture of kindness among your students.

Most of the bulletin boards below can be adapted for preschool, kindergarten, elementary, middle school, or even high school and help to reinforce lessons about friendship and respect.

If you're specifically looking for a kindness tree, check out this post with almost 50 amazing bulletin boards!

Done for You Kindness Bulletin Board Kits

If you're looking to engage your whole school, my kindness tree bulletin board kit encourages students, teachers, parents, and even the principal to participate. Also, take a look at my other kits to make your bulletin board super simple.

Share Photos of Your Kindness Bulletin Board Ideas for Elementary Students!

If you have made a social-emotional bulletin board that turned out great, have SEL bulletin board ideas, or have seen one on the internet that's not included here, I'd love to see!!

Please email a link for unique bulletin board ideas you like or photos of your own with a short blurb about it along with the name, state, and country of your school. 

Contribute your kindness bulletin board and your beautiful work could be added here to inspire other schools.

Unique Kindness Bulletin Board Ideas for Your Hallway

1. Be a Rainbow in Someone Else's Cloud

Be A Rainbow In Someone Elses Cloud Barbara Gruener

Westwood Elementary GT Specialist Danyelle displayed this beautiful rainbow visual as a reminder to her school family to comfort and care for one another after Hurricane Harvey flooded her town.

Be A Rainbow In Someone Else's Cloud Bulletin Board From Great Falls School

This cute rainbow bulletin board was constructed by the Secret Agents of Kindness at Great Falls Elementary. These exceptional kids should be very proud of their awesome idea!

FREE Kindness Coloring Pages!

Free Kindness Coloring Pages For Kids To Color. Download Them For Random Acts Of Kindness Day. By Ripple Kindness Sel Activities.

2. Be the I in KIND

Be The I In Kind Bulletin Board By Kirk Elementary

Wendy Hankins says their “Be the l in KIND!” is—by far—her favorite of the kindness bulletin boards created at her school. Her @KindKidsatKirk Club grabbed the idea from Twitter of course!

The bulletin board was created to remind students, staff, and anyone else who walks by that each one of us have the power to be the “Be the ‘l’ in KIND!”

In addition, to the bulletin board, footprints are taped on the floor for kids, staff & anyone who visits @KirkElementary to stand and “Be the l in KIND!” They have even taken pictures and given the photos to the person acting as the “I” as a permanent reminder!

@MrsHankinsClass encourages teachers to follow her and some of her colleagues @MrsOwingsClass and @StrongKristy on Twitter for more ideas to spread kindness!

Be The I In Kind Bulletin Board By Crab Orchard School

Michelle Kissing is a 3rd grade teacher at Crab Orchard School in Marion, Illinois. Her students participated in a classroom kindness challenge from their local news station. The students got together and decided to make a bulletin board to put up in their school’s main hallway that would promote kindness. 

Be The I In Kind Bulletin Board By Crab Orchard School

They chose “Be The ‘I’ In Kind” and took photos of students standing in place of the letter I. They felt that this showed kids to take ownership of promoting kindness in their school. Even their superintendent stepped up to “BE The I”!

One of Michelle's students said she hopes that the board would “bring a smile to someone’s face and remind them to be nice and kind to everyone.“ Another student added, “and let that person’s act of kindness encourage others to do it too!“

Grab the Kit to Make This Bulletin Board

This beautiful quilt was created by 4th grade students in Australia.

This collaborative kindness quilt bulletin board kit is an absolute favorite. It's a best seller because it's low-prep and students feel proud to see their artwork on display.

Everything's included in this ready-made set. The quilt squares can be printed to use as coloring pages or students can add their own positive messages in Google Slides™.

3. Take What You Need Bulletin Board

Indian Lake High School Take What You Need Leave What You Can Bulletin Board
Indian Lake High School Take What You Need Leave What You Can Bulletin Board Post Its
Indian Lake High School Take What You Need Leave What You Can Bulletin Board Post It Notes

At Indian Lake High School students received "word wall" of encouragement from elementary kids. Educator Amber Shively created the "Take What You Need Give What You Can" wall outside of her classroom after seeing the idea on Pinterest.

She enlisted students from the elementary school to write something kind or funny on post it notes with teachers also adding their own words of wisdom. Amber encouraged students to take a note whenever they were feeling sad or lonely and invited them to add their own words of encouragement for someone else having a bad day.

The wall was part of a cross-campus effort to support and highlight positive behaviors from all students.  

Take What You Need Bulletin Board

Another great example found on Pinterest.

4. Throw Kindness Like Confetti

Throw Kindness Like Confetti Bulletin Board By Nottingham Elementary School

When teachers or students at Nottingham Elementary saw someone being kind during kindness week, they would take a piece of "confetti" to write the good deed on and add it to the windows and walls. What resulted is a very colorful Throw Kindness Like Confetti display that reminded everyone of their school values. 

Create Your Own Kindness Confetti Bulletin Board

Lots of bright and colorful elements and different text options to make a quick bulletin board or classroom door. Just print, cut, and assemble a layout to suit your space.

5. Pick a Random Act of Kindness

Random Acts Of Kindness Bulletin Board With Envelopes

This RAK board created by FACS teacher Caroline Friday at De Soto High School in Kansas allows anyone to take a card from an envelope and do the act of kindness listed on it.

After doing their good deed they are encouraged to take a picture of either their kindness or the board itself. “I tried to get people to post a picture, either of the card or the act of kindness itself, hopefully anonymously to keep the acts random,” Friday said.

A student who commented on the positive effect the board was having said “Every time I walk past the board, it reminds me that I’m not the only person who could be having a bad day and that I shouldn’t be obsessing over my own feelings but trying to improve someone else’s day instead.”

Random Acts Of Kindness Bulletin Board

A similar board found on pinterest where students are encouraged to choose an act of kindness from one of the 25 envelopes on the board. They post a photo of their act of kindness in the space provided. 

Be Kind To One Another Bulletin Board By Euroamerian School Of Monterrey

And one more great example from Euroamerican School of Monterrey.

A Collaborative Kindness Coloring Display

Students get to color a section of the poster for each act of kindness submitted. 

6. Have You Filled a Bucket Today?

Little Mrs. Preschool Bucket Filler's Bulletin Board

At Little Mrs. Preschool, Kimberly created a bucket filling bulletin board after sharing the book "Have You Filled A Bucket Today?: A Guide to Daily Happiness for Kids" by Carol McCloud.  Each child has their own bucket that they  get to fill with a “warm fuzzy” when they are a bucket filler. 

Warm Fuzzies For Little Mrs. Preschool Bucket Filler's Bulletin Board

How Kimberly Encourages Bucket Filling in Her Classroom:

  • I buy mini-buckets from Target ($1) and have each child pick one out and label it. 
  • I hang them up in a special spot in our classroom that the kids can see each day.
  • Each time they do a kind act they get to put a "warm fuzzy" (pom-pom) in their individual bucket. 
  • Every week or so we empty all the individual buckets into our "classroom bucket".
  • When the classroom bucket becomes full we do something special in our classroom as a reward (e.g., pizza party, ice cream social).
  • EVERY DAY, ALL DAY we promote this concept! We are constantly encouraging, reminding, and recognizing every child's efforts to be bucket fillers in our classroom.
  • We encourage the parents to promote this idea at home. Several parents even bought their own buckets to encourage bucket filling in their family!
Bucket Filling Bulletin Board
Bucket Filling Using Shoe Hanger

Two other fantastic examples of bucket filling bulletin boards. I love how Primary Graffiti has used plastic shoe hanger as an alternative to buckets.

7. How Do You Sprinkle Kindness?

How Do You Sprinkle Kindness Bulletin Board

Counselor Barbara Gruener is all about kindness and had this pretty sprinkle kindness bulletin board made where she added butterfly post-it notes with students' answers from a peace class she held. These were some of the things they said: keep your promises, read with someone, invite someone over, listen, play nicely, tell the truth, smile at someone.

8. Cool To Be Kind Bulletin Board

Cool To Be Kind Snowman Bulletin Board

Another wonderful idea from Counselor Barbara Gruener.

The hat worn by each snowman invites students to be conscious of where/when they might show kindness to others - i.e. on the playground, in the classroom, in the hallways, and toward others. Buttons on each snowman offer suggestions as to how students might put kindness into action in these different scenarios. For example; On the playground, you can show kindness by inviting someone who is playing alone to come play with you or let someone go ahead of you on the slide, etc!

9. Things We Should Say More Often

Things We Should Say More Often Bulletin Board

How about this for an awesome idea! This kindness board from Distinctive Schools is a great reminder for students to think about others. 

Schools in this district believe their students should be more considerate with their words and display examples of things that everyone can say more often. You can do it!! You are the best! Thank you. Good luck. You got this. How are you? Sorry!

10. Kindness Matters 24/7 - 365

Kindness Matters Calendar Bulletin Board

I just can't get enough of the amazing creations from my counselling friend Barbara Gruener. She's such a huge inspiration as you can see by the multiple photos in this post. 

Inspired by countdown calendars she'd sent home to parents in the past, Barbara decided to make a life size bulletin board to encourage kindness in her students. When a fourth grader passed by and pointed out that the daily numbers were missing, Barbara replied it was because kindness knows no calendar, she'd left them off on purpose.

Contribute your kindness bulletin board and your great work could be added here to inspire other schools.

11. 10 Ways to Get People to Like You

10 Ways To Get People To Like You Bulletin Board

A fabulous idea for encouraging students to be their best selves from A Time to Share and Create

12. Choose Kind

Choose Kind Bulletin Board By Atlantic Christian College

Mrs. Hopwood’s 7th grade literature class were inspired to create a bulletin board after reading Wonder by R.J. Palacio. Wanting to highlight the novel’s empowering message they decorated a bulletin board in a second floor hallway to remind their fellow students to “choose kind”. They filled it with original precepts (a challenge, goal, or rule to live by) and wrote positive words of encouragement to their peers.

Choose Kind Bulletin Board By St Elizabeth Catholic School

This wonderful winter kindness bulletin board is bought to you by Saint Elizabeth Catholic School in Rockville, MD. where they "choose kind"!

13. A Seed of Kindness Can Go Farther Than You Think

A Seed Of Kindness Can Go Farther Than You Think Bulletin Board

Elementary school teacher, Erica Gerber created this wonderful bulletin board. "Long story short, my students need a constant reminder of how to treat one another. As a bonus, we had just finished learning about seed dispersal."

14. Calculate Kindness into Every Day

Calculate Kindness Into Every Day Bulletin Board

Snapped by my counsellor friend at St. John’s Lutheran School in Plymouth, Wisconsin.

15. Plant Seeds of Kindness Bulletin Board

Plant The Seeds Of Kindness Bulletin Board By Central Bucks High School South

The Multiple Disabilities Support Classroom at Central Bucks High School South participated in various pre-vocational and vocational activities. Students took part in school  "jobs" such as washing, folding, and delivering laundry, adding paper to copy machines and dusting in the library, putting trays away in the cafeteria, and delivering mail to teachers in the school. They also worked on functional life skills such as cooking, daily living skills, and personal grooming skills as well as fine motor skills, social skills and communication, and gross motor skills during the school day.

Their students and staff always have a smile on their faces and a song in their hearts as they believe in the motto: "Positive thoughts attract positive results".

16. In a World Where You Can be Anything, BE KIND

In A World Where You Can Be Anything, Be Kind By Dots And Spots

After reading the book "Kindness Counts" by Bryan Smith, Becky from Dots -n- Spots asked her students to write their suggestions for acts of kindness on a form she'd printed. These were hung on the bulletin board she made and put on display so all students could see how hers planned to show more kindness to others. Becky revisited their goals at the end of the month to see who followed through and how it made them feel.

17. Kindness is Like Snow, it Beautifies Everything it Covers

Kindness Is Like Snow It Beautifies Everything It Covers Bulletin Board

I love this bulletin board created by students in the TOGS (Township of Ocean Growing Strong) program at Ocean Township High School. Several clubs at the school are participating in this initiative to promote kindness and positivity.

18. We Are Kind!

Kindness Bulletin Board Stratford National School Ireland
Kindness Bulletin Board Stratford National School Ireland

When Stratford National School in Dublin, Ireland celebrated their first kindness week they created lovely pictures depicting kindness and made a link chain for a whole school display. Their aim was to show that they are all connected together and that kindness makes the world a more beautiful place.

They also did lots of random acts of kindness amongst their classes, such as the senior classes inviting the junior classes to go to the park, and the junior classes asking whether the senior classes could have a night off homework or some extra yard time. Some classes sang songs for other classes and kindly gave stickers to each other. Some classes kept kindness diaries. We also got to 'walk a mile with a smile' with partners from different classes. 

Focusing on kindness throughout this special week has inspired them to continue celebrating kindness each and every day. 

19. Be Kind - Lend a Hand!

Be Kind Lend A Hand Bulletin Board By Del Mar Pines School

If you're looking for bulletin board ideas with handprints, this colorful poster is for you! 

After reading the book "I Walk With Vanessa" by Kerascoet and poems from "Lend a Hand", the kindergarten children at Del Mar Pines School in San Diego, CA created a bulletin board to remind them that they can all Be Kind and Lend a Hand.

20. I See Kindness Everywhere!

I See Kindness All Around Mirrored Bulletin Board

Inspired by the mirrored walls that were popping up all over a Pinterest, Counselor Barbara Gruener found a way for her students at Bales Intermediate to reflect on kindness in their school family and beyond the school walls. Once the mirrors were up, students suggested the display could use something more, so they downloaded coloring sheets from the Ripple Kindness website to put the finishing touches on this heart-shaped display.

21. Tree of Respect

Tree Of Respect By Kirk Elementary
During the 2019-2020 school year, @MrsOwingsClass & @MrsHankinsClass are working diligently for their school @KirkElementary to become a designated #NoPlaceForHate school. To earn the designation, staff and students have been completing lessons throughout the year that teach respect and spread kindness in efforts to prevent hate, bullying, and violence. During their journey, all 900+ of their students and many staff members traced their hand, wrote how they can show respect on it, and created the #TreeOfRespect. The tree hangs in their school’s main hallway and serves as a reminder to all who pass it of the importance of respect in school and in life.

Contribute your kindness bulletin board and your great work could be added here to inspire other schools.

Kindness Bulletin Boards Submitted by Teachers

1. Kindness Tree

Billy Holloway Kindness Tree Ripple Kindness Project

Billy Holloway made a kindness tree bulletin board at his school. He printed out leaves in the shape of hearts for students to add their acts of kindness. 

Kindness Tree By Ripple Kindness Project Submitted By Kaelene Scow

"We just started school, so I put this together with a few things. I am going to start having the kids look for acts of kindness and add more throughout the year. I love this. It is so cute. Thank you so much." - KaeLene, School Support Specialist, Nevada

 Easy Printable Kindness Tree

Kindness Tree Bulletin Board Kit For Primary And Elementary School Hallways For Students, Teachers, And Parents To Report Acts Of Kindness By Ripple Kindness Sel Activities.
Printable Resources To Create A Kindness Tree For Primary And Elementary School Children By Ripple Kindness Sel Activities

This kindness tree bulletin board is an amazing collaborative activity that can bring the whole school together. Students, teachers, parents, and even the principal are invited to report acts of kindness to make the tree bloom to life!

2. We are Fluent in Kindness - Classroom Door

Heart With Acts Of Kindness Pasted On A Classroom Door With A Banner &Quot;We Are Fluent In Kindness&Quot;.

"We are having a door decorating contest for Connections class, but I don’t have one since I’m part-time. I didn’t want our door to be blank, so I asked my 8th-grade World Language students to write ways that they show kindness onto the different sized and colored hearts.

Their answers? Show empathy. Hugs. Smiles. Hold the door for someone. Encourage others. Cheer people up if they’re down. Show respect.

Not only are we learning to speak Spanish, but we are also becoming fluent in kindness!" - Barbara Gruener, Friendswood Junior High.

So there you have it! That's a lot of incredible ideas for Random Acts of Kindness Day or World Kindness Day. Won't you let me know if you happen to use one!


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2 Comments

  1. Robin Holmes says:

    I love the throw kindness like confetti where the students are in black and white throwing their hands up. What did you use to make it look like they are throwing a shimmery dust? It is so beautiful! Thanks! Robin

    1. RippleKindness says:

      Hi Robin,
      That is a gorgeous bulletin board. I’m not sure what they have used to create that effect, but I wonder if a few different colored glitter pens would work just as well?
      I’d love to see yours if you make one.
      Enjoy your day,
      Lis 😀

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