Gathered, right here, are the best resources about giving and acts of kindness during the holiday season. This is a constantly evolving Holiday Kindness Took-Kit. And, as new resources, printables, and ideas are found, we will share them here!
5 Part Series on Serving During the Holidays from Pennies of Time
4 Asks of Kindness Activities to Give to Others
(So they can do an act of kindness with their families!)
Free Kindness Printables:
- 4 Acts of Kindness from Pennies of Time
- December Random Acts of Kindness Calendar from Coffee Cups and Crayons
- Advent Acts of Kindness from The Mad House
- Making Christmas More Meaningful from Not Consumed
- 12 Days of Christmas Kindness
- An Alternative to Elf on the Shelf from Wellness Mama
- Christmas Chain Countdown from Coffee Cups and Crayons
- THE BEST ideas for meaningful Elf on the Shelf for Kindness put together by Lisa Van Engen with About Proximity
Great Holiday Ideas with a Kindness Twist:
- 25 Acts of Advent Kindness from About Proximity
- 10 Tips from Caroling with Kids from She Lives Free
- 15 Holiday Traditions That are Easier than Elf on the Shelf from Schooling a Monkey
- Holiday Overstimulation and Kids from Sunshine Whispers
Meaningful Thank Yous:
- Thank your local police station: We should be doing this year round, and during the holiday time is a great time to start that habit. (I looked for a great holiday printable for this. If you have one, please share) A Fun Suggestion: Police Officer Survival Kit
- Thank your mail carrier (free printable to help from Pennies of Time)
- Thank those that help us keep our community clean from Coffee Cups and Crayons
Love to Use Pinterest for Inspiration?
Then check out the MEGA Pinterest Board with Holiday Kindness Ideas (Board Curated by Pennies of Time)
Operation Christmas Child
Sheila’s Suggested Top 5: Books and Activities to Give During the Holidays
If you are just starting building your kindness library, I would suggest these books. They are books that all of my kids have read over and over and have provided to be springboards of meaningful conversations in our family.
Being Frank One Smile If Everybody Did Have You Filled a Bucket Today?
If you already have those books, you can find more that we use frequently in our Children’s Book Gallery or at one of the resources below:
Other book suggestions to expand your library:
Other Great Places for Kindness Inspiration:
- Barbara at The Corner on Character always has fabulous ideas!
- Christmas Acts of Kindness: Gifts for the Elderly from Discovering the World Through My Son’s Eyes
- 25 Ideas for Kindness Elves from Imagination Tree
- 31 Acts of Kindness from Living in Retrospect
- The Butterfly Effect from Do Some Good Today
- Magic Mail Center from Doing Good Together
- Family Mission Statement from Doing Good Together
What about after the holidays, Sheila?
Reflect Back: As a family, make a goal around New Year’s Day about your experiences with kindness and serving others during the holidays.
- Did we have fun?
- Did we help others? How?
- Which ones did you like doing? Dislike doing?
Decide on a new goal for the rest of the year and put a timeline with it.
Please don’t just say, “We should do more of that,” and then move on to something else without further thought. DECIDE on how you will do more of that.
Best Practices for Year Round Giving and Kindness:
- Set a schedule: Once a day, once a week or once a month. You decide what is best for your schedule.
- Get the entire family’s input on what to do.
- Make sure that you allow flexibility for those spontaneous moments when you see a need (and then take the time to make sure you help, we keep our Kindness Kit on hand to help us with that).
- On a routine basis, check in on how your new kindness routine is doing. Did you plan for too few, too many? And, then adjust it!
- Need ideas? There are so many that can serve as inspiration. Sit down with your family and pick a few ideas from here.
Want to establish a relationship with a nonprofit so you family can give back to a cause you care about?
