Celebrate World Kindness Day across the globe on Saturday, November 13th with acts of kindness both large and small!
Each year, you and your family can help promote the importance of being kind to each other, to yourself, and to the world on World Kindness Day. This international celebration gives us the opportunity to practice kindness alongside other skills like empathy, understanding, and inclusiveness — all of which are stepping stones to becoming a caring adult.
Tell a loved one how much they mean to you, help out a friend or neighbor, do an emotional check-in with a sibling, or be a good sport by including a coworker or classmate in an activity you enjoy. Parents and caregivers can also take time to talk about what to do if our feelings are hurt, or someone else’s, and how our actions affect others.
Help promote kindness and model positive behavior using the picture books, articles, games and activities below!
Promoting Kindness & Caring
How to Raise a Caring Child
Teaching our kids to care is one of our most important jobs as parents. It takes time and lots of practice to learn kindness. When we show kindness by example and also address the barriers to kind action, we help our kids learn to make caring choices.
How to be Kind When You Feel So Mad!
Learn how to set the foundation for respectful, empathetic and caring relationships with your children using the power of the pause.
Creating an Emotionally Supportive Home Environment
Children need a safe space to share and a calming guide to listen and empathize. Follow these tips for how you can build an emotionally supportive home for your family.
Raising Includers: 5 Tips to Help Your Kids Be Kind and Compassionate
When kids learn to empathize with others and show compassion for their peers, being an “includer” becomes automatic. Here are five ways to help your child learn to include others.
Expanding Your Child’s Circle of Concern
Learn tips for helping children expand their circle of concern to include those who look, sound, or behave differently than they do.
Books, Activities & Games
Kindness Loops
Grades PreK-K
Kindness Loops are interlocking paper loops that help children understand how to show kindness. Make Kindness Loops together, or a child can make them on their own.
Kindness is Everywhere
Grades PreK-2
Fill in the hearts with words or drawings that represent acts of kindness in this printable from Xavier Riddle and the Secret Museum.
Room for Everyone: 10 Picture Books that Encourage Kindness
Grades PreK-4
As parents and educators, we can teach our children how to be kind to others by reading books that explore empathy, celebrate diversity, and encourage inclusivity. Here are ten books to get you started.
Kindness Bingo
Grades K-3
This World Kindness Day, encourage your child to be kind by completing “Kind Acts Bingo!” Sharing toys, mailing someone a letter or helping your teacher are all wonderful ways to be kind.
Give Awards to Everyday Heroes
Grades K-4
Help your child understand what a makes someone a hero, and encourage them to create awards for the heroes in their life.
So Funny I Forgot to Laugh
Grades K-5
Explore the topic of empathy in this interactive comic, So Funny I Forgot to Laugh, based on the characters and storyline from Arthur. When Arthur takes his teasing too far, it upsets Sue Ellen. Can Arthur find a way to apologize for bullying Sue Ellen and save their friendship?
Community Service: Teaching Kindness for Kindness’ Sake | PBS NewsHour
Grades 6-12
Ask students to reflect on the meaning of empathy and kindness. In this daily news story, PBS NewsHour Extra looks at the impact and meaning of community service and why the winter break may be a more challenging time for students than many people may realize. Read this Teachers’s Lounge piece, ‘Opinion: Don’t assume that every student had a fun or warm holiday break,’ out loud first and use the additional Support Materials for classroom activity tips. Finally, finish up with nine other stories made by and about young people making a difference from PBS NewsHour.