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Random Acts of Kindness Activities for the Classroom and the Home

December 1, 2018 No Comments

The time leading up to the holidays are always full of a flurry of activities.  Kids both at home and at school are busy writing letters to Santa, making a list of all of the new games and toys that they want to receive, and decorating their homes and classrooms for all of the fun that’s going to be had.

There are many different ways to countdown to the holidays that people have enjoyed with their families and within the four walls of their classrooms.  Some of these countdowns are to build excitement for the holidays while others are used to teach lessons about the holidays kids are looking forward to.  But, what I’ve realized throughout my time in the classroom is that sometimes an extra incentive for positive behavior is necessary for this time of year.  Our students and our own children can really benefit from activities that encourage kindness and giving during the holidays and not just receiving.

I wanted to create an activity that would be able to be used during the holiday months but could also be used throughout the entire winter season as well. Teachers have many students in their classrooms that don’t just celebrate Christmas or Hanukkah so I wanted to make sure this kindness calendar would suit all students and families.  I was inspired by an adorable snowman countdown calendar I stumbled upon a few years ago at the Target dollar spot and knew I needed to grab it and create something to work with it.

This seasonal snowman countdown was the inspiration for the random acts of kindness activities for both the classroom and at home.  The motivation for all children would be to pledge to be kind during the holidays by conducting random acts of kindness either at school or at home.  Each kind act would be placed on the calendar either by a pom-pom from the snowman countdown or one provided in the packet. The added incentive for the classroom and doing this at home would be that once 25 random acts of kindness were completed, a reward, treat, or class party would be given.  Even though there is an added incentive, the kindness countdown is used to encourage kind acts throughout the entire year and not just during the holidays.  Hopefully modeling this for children will be something that sticks with them once this countdown is complete.
I don’t think that teaching and encouraging kindness should stop in the classroom.  So, after many teachers have enjoyed and found success with ‘Snow’ Many Reasons to be Kind in the classroom, I decided to modify some of the activities and kindness cards to suit families at home. In each packet of activities you will find similar resources to help encourage your own kids at home or students in the classroom to act kind and generous during this time of year.  Each packet includes a color or black and white calendar option as well as a certificate of kindness that will hold children accountable for showing kindness towards their friends and family during the month.
The first activity you can do to help encourage kindness is to brainstorm ideas with your students or children for how they can be kind during the holidays.  A brainstorming page has been included in each packet so you can do the activity together.
After your kids have completed the kindness brainstorming page, you can begin to celebrate random acts of kindness that you notice your students or children doing.  If you feel that they may need help to come up with some of these ideas, different kindness cards have been included for the classroom packet as well as the at home packet.  These cards can give your kids ideas for different kind acts they can complete for others at home and at school.
Kindness Cards for the Home
Kindness Cards for the Classroom 
I hope that with the help of these activities your little ones are more encouraged to show kindness towards their friends and family during the holidays.  After all, it is the reason for the season.  You can find ‘Snow’ Many Reasons to Be Kind–A Classroom Management Idea by clicking the link or visiting my store here!
If you’re a homeschool parent or interested in trying this kindness countdown with your little ones at home, I have tailored this packet of activities to best suit you!  You an find it by clicking on the image below.
Thank you so much for stopping by!  I hope you can use these in your classroom or with your own littles at home all season long!

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Welcome!
Welcome!
Hi! I’m Jayme! A former elementary teacher turned stay at home mom sharing toddler activities, mom tips, and educational resources to help you learn and play with your children. I believe in the power of PLAY and creating meaningful activities for you and your little ones to enjoy together.

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