Everyone wants their kids to grow up kind. Most of us just aren’t sure where to start, especially when they’re little.
I see it all the time at work. I manage a movie theater, and most of my crew are teenagers. The ones who are kind to each other didn’t learn it in one big lesson. They learned it in a thousand small moments, a long time before they ever clocked in.
That’s why I love World Kindness Day. It’s on November 13 every year, and in 2026 it lands on a Friday. It’s one simple day to slow down and practice those small moments together. Here are eight easy activities that work for kids ages 3 to 8, at home or in the classroom.
1. Make kindness heart notes
Cut hearts out of red, pink, and orange paper. Your child decorates them, and you help write one short kind message on each: “You are a good friend.” “Thank you for helping.” Little ones can draw a picture instead. Then leave the hearts for people to find, on a pillow, in a lunchbox, or on a neighbor’s door.
2. Tie them into a kindness garland
Save a few hearts and string them together with yarn. Hang the garland where everyone can see it. Each time someone in the family does something kind, add another heart. Kids love watching it grow, and it gives you a reason to say, “Look how much kindness happened this week.”
3. Start a kindness jar
Grab an empty jar and a bag of pom-poms or buttons. When you catch your child being kind, they drop one in. When the jar is full, celebrate together. Keep the reward simple, like a picnic or an extra bedtime story; the point is noticing the kindness, not the prize.
4. Write thank-you notes for helpers
Talk about the people who help your family every week. The mail carrier. The crossing guard. The lunch lady. A grandparent. Then make a simple card for one of them. This one teaches kids that kindness also means noticing people.
5. Play Kindness BINGO
Print our free Kindness BINGO sheet and let kids mark off kind acts all day long. Share a toy. Hold the door. Help clean up. It turns kindness into a game, and little ones really get into it. No sign-up needed.
6. Pass out “caught being kind” cards
Teachers, this one is for you. The free Classroom Kindness Kit on our For Educators page has “Caught Being Kind” cards ready to print. Hand one out every time you see a student include someone or help a friend. Parents can use them at home too.
7. Plant a kindness forest
In The Grumble-Gator’s Greatest Raft, Toby remembers his father’s words: “A fist can break a branch, but a kind word can plant a forest.” Draw a big tree trunk on poster paper. Every time someone says a kind word, they add a paper leaf. By the end of the day, you’ve grown a whole forest. Our free Family Reading Guide walks you through it.
8. Read a kindness story together
Stories give kids a safe place to practice big feelings. Pick one where a character chooses kindness when it would be easier not to, and stop to ask questions as you read. “How do you think he feels?” “What would you do?”
I wrote my books for exactly this. In The Grumble-Gator’s Greatest Raft, Toby chooses a kind word instead of hitting back. In The Grumble-Gator’s Bravest Choice, Barnaby learns that hurt doesn’t have to be passed on. Both are made for reading out loud.
World Kindness Day questions parents ask
When is World Kindness Day 2026?
World Kindness Day is on November 13 every year. In 2026 it falls on a Friday, so it's easy to plan a kindness activity at school and carry it into the weekend at home.
How do I explain kindness to a 3-year-old?
Keep it simple and show it. Kindness is doing something that helps someone feel happy or safe. Then point it out when it happens: "You shared your crayons. That was kind." Little ones learn it by seeing it and hearing it named.
Is World Kindness Day the same as Random Acts of Kindness Day?
No. World Kindness Day is November 13. Random Acts of Kindness Day is in February. Both are great reasons to practice kindness, and the activities on this page work for either one.
What is a good book to read on World Kindness Day?
Pick a story where a character chooses to be kind when it would be easier not to. That gives kids something to talk about. My own books, The Grumble-Gator's Greatest Raft and The Grumble-Gator's Bravest Choice, were written for exactly that kind of read-aloud.
The takeaway
You don’t need a big plan for World Kindness Day. You need one small activity and a little time together. So cut out a few paper hearts, read a story, and notice every kind thing your child does.
Those small moments add up. And one day, you’ll watch your child be kind when nobody asked them to. That’s the best part.
Cory