forty-four acts of kindness to do with your kids

I cannot think of a better time of the year to love on those surrounding you than the days and weeks leading up to Thanksgiving and Christmas. Here is a list of forty-four ways your family can serve your community. What will begin as you blessing others will turn into a tremendous blessing for you.

1.      Pass out hand warmers to children playing in the park.

2.      Decorate your child’s principal or favorite teacher’s parking spot with chalk, balloons, notes, or signs.

3.      Go to Wal Mart. Greet the greeter and then treat the greeter to a special treat.

4.      Pass out Hugs and Kisses (the chocolate kind) at a nursing home.

5.      Decorate walkers and wheelchairs at a nursing home with ribbons and love.

6.      Read a story with a nursing home resident. 

7.      Take a Polaroid camera to the nursing home. Take pictures of precious memories and leave them with the residents.

8.      Help unload groceries into someone’s car.

9.      Buy a pack of greeting cards. Write letters to friends and family telling them why they are special to you.

10.   Organize an aisle in the shoe department.

11.   Give high fives to the employees in your favorite department store. Tell them you appreciate the work they do.

12.   Choose your favorite restaurant. Go through the drive though and pay for the next person’s meal.

13.   Tape single dollar bills to items in the dollar bin.

14.   Tape coins to vending machines.

15.   Take dog bones to your vet’s office.

16.   Place parking coins on windshields at the hospital.

17.   Purchase used books from the thrift store. Donate them to your doctor’s office for patients to read while they wait.  

18.   Go to your favorite ice cream shop. Ask the cashier what his or her favorite treat is. Buy it for them to have during their break.

19.   Offer to play with small children on the playground so their parents can rest.

20.   Cut coupons from the Sunday paper and mail or pass out to friends who use those items/shop those stores.

21.   Pass out water bottles to shoppers buying Christmas goodies.

22.   Set up a hot chocolate stand in your front yard. Brighten days with a warm chocolaty treat!

23.   Pass out candy canes on Black Friday. Everyone needs a little sweet on that crazy day!

24.   Offer to pump someone’s gas.

25.   Let someone go in front of you in line.

26.   Fill empty vases at the cemetery with flowers.

27.   Deliver goody baskets to the hospital.

28.   Write get well notes to hospital patients.

29.   Bake cookies to deliver to friends and family.

30.   Go to the local library. Place handwritten notes in your favorite books for others to find.

31.   Decorate bookmarks. Donate them to the children’s section of your library.

32.   Pick up trash at a local park.

33.   Chalk talk a sidewalk with holiday wishes or notes of encouragement.

34.   Pass out fancy pens to waiters/waitresses at your favorite restaurant.

35.   Hold the door for others.

36.   Buy flowers for your banker.

37.   Leave a note of encouragement on the changing table for someone else’s mommy. 

38.   An extra perk would be to also leave a Starbuck’s gift card.

39.   Pass out socks and gloves at the local soup kitchen. Baby it's cold outside!

40.   Tell someone why you are thankful for them.

41.   Take a neighbor homemade breakfast (or bread, or pie, or a cup of coffee, or a flower. It can even be store-bought. Just go).

42.   Refill a parking meter.

43.   Leave a surprise in your mailbox for the person who delivers your mail.

44.   The men and women who pick up trash must be frigid! Warm their hands and their hearts with a cup of cocoa.

 

“And the King will say, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’”

Matthew 25:40

“By this, everyone will know you are my disciples, if you love one another.”

John 13:35