We strive to do acts of kindness throughout the year in our home. But for young kids, in particular, this concept can sometimes feel abstract. Bring it to life for your toddler or preschooler by encouraging them to be a kindness superhero! This post includes all you will need, from ideas to printables, to come alongside your little one in developing an understanding of what being kind truly means.
I don’t know about your home, but in ours, we have a child who loves superheroes. And what I quickly realized is that I could use that to my advantage to teach him an incredibly important concept in a more tangible way. A superhero’s job is to help people and to treat them with care, and this is exactly what being kind is all about.
Giving children a chance to practice kindness through being “superheroes” themselves, not only helps them develop those important, life-long social emotional skills, but enables them to do so through fun, imaginative play!
Preparing for your adventure
The following are some ways to prepare for launching your acts of kindness adventure with your superhero:
the outfit
I knew from the start I wanted to create a special outfit for carrying out our acts of kindness. I used this tutorial for creating a felt cape and this one to make a corresponding mask. Then, I cut out the letters SB for Superhéroe de la Bondad (Kindness Superhero, in Spanish), and glued them to the back of the cape with Tacky Glue.
Already have a cape on hand? Feel free to use that one.
Want a DIY option that requires little investment? Try this old t-shirt tutorial.
Want your child to be involved? Make one with some string and a paper bag!
The Books
We don’t let a day go by in our home without reading a number of books. Use this adventure as an opportunity to build your child’s literacy skills with books about kindness! Not to mention, using books can be an wonderful way to build their background and understanding when it comes to this concept.
Here are a few book lists to get you started:
The Ultimate List of the Best Children’s Books about Kindness
22 Children’s Books that Teach Kids to be Kind
The Printables
To help us track and reflect on our acts of kindness, I prepared a few printables that we could use throughout our adventure.
- Acts of Kindness Sticker Chart: This chart can be used to track 25 acts of kindness. Add a sticker each time an act of kindness is completed to fill up the chart.
- Kindness Super Hero Books: Take photos of the child completing their acts of kindness, and compile them in an “I am a Kindness Superhero” keepsake book.I created printable cover pages as well as lined and unlined pages to be used to customize the book as desired.
- Bonus – Kindness Stickers: These “Be Super Kind” stickers are made to be printed on Avery 5160 address labels. We carried them with us to the supermarket, to classes etc. and passed them out to our friends and people in our community as a reminder of the importance of kindness.
You can download all of our printables in English/Spanish for free by clicking here or on the image below.
25 Acts of Kindness for Young Kids
The following is a list of acts of kindness that are age appropriate for young children with assistance from a trusted adult:
- Pick up litter in your neighborhood or local park.
- Donate a toy or give one to a younger friend.
- Bake something together and deliver it to your neighbors.
- Do a chore for someone in your family.
- Return the cart at the grocery store.
- Draw a picture for a friend.
- Write a thank you card for someone special.
- Sell lemonade, ring the Salvation Army bell etc. to raise money for a cause.
- Invite someone new to play.
- Donate a book to the library, doctor’s office or other local organization.
- Hold the door open for someone.
- Donate food to a food pantry.
- Shovel snow for a neighbor, help rake their leaves, pull weeds, etc.
- Take lunch to dad/mom/a loved one at work.
- Leave dollar bills scattered around the dollar store for people to find.
- Make a homemade gift for someone.
- Provide treats for community helpers – fire, police, mail, garbage etc.
- Feed the birds/animals.
- Reuse or recycle something.
- Read a book to someone.
- Pass out flowers to people in the community.
- Bring a card to a loved one in the hospital, nursing home, etc.
- Walk/run as a family for a cause.
- Clean up your toys.
- Pray for someone.
Complete these acts of kindness with your child over the course of 25 days, spread them out or add your own! The important thing is that children have a chance to experience the power that even their smallest acts of kindness can make and have a blast while doing it!
Enjoy this post? Here are some others you may like as well:
Calming Strategies for Young Children
15 Grocery Store Activities for Toddlers
10 Outdoor Activities that Promote Balance and Coordination
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