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Teach Kindness in Your Classroom

Teach kindness in your classroom. Our world needs it now more than ever.

Just as you plan for teaching literacy or math, plan for teaching kindness. Not just on one day. Not for one week. Integrate kindness into your curriculum through important discussions, engaging books, and meaningful activities all year long.

We’ve got some great resources to help you create a culture of kindness in your classroom – and through the ripple effect, spread kindness into your community and our world!

Teach Kindness in Your Classroom
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Teach Kindness Resources

Color Your World With Kindness

This two-minute (wordless) animated video by A Better World illustrates how small acts of kindness can change the feelings and attitudes of others and can cause the kindness to be passed on. 

What Does It Mean to Be Kind?

Rana DiOrio shows that every act of kindness is also an act of courage, and how small gestures can make a big difference to other people, animals, the planet, and even oneself.

What Does it Mean to be Kind?

Download the publisher’s FREE Discussion/Activity Guide:

  • Before reading: build background, take a picture walk, and review vocabulary (compliment, patient, encouraging).
  • During reading: focus on the author’s craft and purpose, context clues, and main idea/theme.
  • After reading: analyze the story’s problem/solution and create an action plan for kindness.

Instructional Standards for Reading Literature, Writing, Language, & Speaking, and Listening Skills are included. -Sourcebooks

The Power of One: Every Act of Kindness Counts

When one child reaches out in friendship to a classmate who seems lonely, she begins a chain reaction of kindness that ripples throughout her school and her community. One kind act begets another, small good deeds make way for bigger ones, and eventually, the whole neighborhood comes together to build something much greater than the sum of its parts.

Download the FREE Educator and Community Guide.

Kind Kids Activity Deck

Discover all the forms kindness can take! Fifty unique games, crafts and mindfulness activities help kids develop empathy and respect for themselves, their loved ones and the wider world. Written by preschool mindfulness experts Dr. Helen Maffini and Whitney Stewart, the cards include hands-on solo and group activities perfect for home or classroom use and beyond. -Barefoot Books

Download 3 unique ways to incorporate kindness into your classroom routines. These easy additions to your routines can help you establish a culture of kindness in your classroom. They’re also a great way to incorporate social-emotional learning into your curriculum. The activities in this lesson plan were adapted for classroom use from the Kind Kids activity deck to help acquaint students with the various forms kindness can take.

22 Children’s Books That Teach Kids to Be Kind

These books capture the power of a moment of kindness to change a life for the better, as well as the sense of purpose and pride that can come from helping someone. Most importantly, these books teach kids that you don’t have to perform a heroic act to make the world a better place: even small acts of kindness ripple across the world in ways that no one could expect. They’re an excellent way to show young children that their empathy and compassion really can make a difference! – A Mighty Girl

The Be Kind Break

A free program from The be kind people project that offers quick 5-10 minute lessons, videos, and activities that align national academic standards with character education.

Each month the lessons focus on one skill of The Be Kind Pledge which defines the skills of kindness and helps students understand what TO do instead of what NOT to do.

be kind pledge

The Great Kindness Challenge

Sign up to participate and receive your free toolkit with everything you need!

The Great Kindness Challenge

The Kindness Rock Project

A grassroots kindness movement with the mission of making our world a kinder place through a fun activity for all ages.

kindness rocks

Classroom Kindness Kit

Multicultural Children’s Book Day provides a book list, activities, and a “Be a Hero Be Kind” poster.

Classroom Kindness Kit

Random Acts of Kindness

Become RAKtivists! Get inspired by these great ideas – and brainstorm more!

Kindness Printables

Free from the Random Acts of Kindness Foundation, includes posters, bookmarks, a Kindness Calendar, and a Kindness Bingo game!

Teach Kindness: Events 2023-24

November 13  World Kindness Day

November 24  RAK Friday (in place of Black Friday!)

January 22-26  Great Kindness Challenge

February 11-17  Random Acts of Kindness Week

February 17  Random Acts of Kindness Day

“In a world where you can be anything, be kind.” 

How will you be teaching kindness in your classroom this year?


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