Let’s talk about kindness for a minute. We can show kindness to the people we love, to the people we like, and to people we don’t even know. With that in mind, we’ve created a kindness challenge to get you in the mood for 28 days of kindness.
This quote from the poet Toi Dericotte, spoken at the National Book Awards speaks deeply to us.
Small Acts Can Have a Ripple Effect
We recently published a podcast episode all about small changes that can have a big impact.
While we mostly talked about little changes in our daily life and how they effect us, we think random acts of kindness are the perfect kind of small change
Not only might you be making someone’s day, you can’t argue with the endorphin rush of doing something good for others.
28 Days of Kindness Challenge
For the month of February, we are challenging both ourselves and you to throw kindness around like confetti. We’ll have a prompt for every day of the month, but feel free to come up with your own ideas.
This challenge isn’t just limited to the month of love. Take our kindness challenge whenever you feel the need to spread a little love in the world.
Ideas for Random Acts of Kindness
1 – Gift the gift of caffeine – Send someone $5 via Venmo to buy themselves a cup of coffee or pay for the person behind you in the drive through line
2 – Make care packages for those who are unhoused – This is a great list of helpful items to include in a care package. You can keep these in your car and hand them out as needed.
3 – Bring back the thank you wave – This might seem silly, but everyone loves to be thanked. Give someone a little wave when they make room for you to merge.
4 – Clear an Amazon teacher wish list. Search #clearthelist or #amazonteacherwishlist on social media sites for links to a wish list accepting donations.
5 – Make it rain compliments – Send five text messages to friends or co-workings saying the nice, genuine things you think about them, but forget to say out loud
6 – Leave a basket of balls at the dog park. No explanation needed! (Alternately, leave $1 in a library book!)
7 – Make chalk art with encouraging notes – Need a little inspiration? Lovely Indeed has adorable chalk art stencils!
8 – Pick up trash in your neighborhood – Go for a walk and take a trash bag along with you. Easy peasy.
9 – Return carts to front of the store – If you’re not doing this regularly, start now!
10 – Write notes of thanks – Self explanatory! Write a note for a gift received or just for someone’s friendship. We’ve got a printable with eight free thank you notes that you can access below!
Want more free printables? Sign up for our mailing list for full access to our entire library of freebies!
11 – Donate blood – Find a local blood drive here
12 – Make a donation to a food bank – Make a donation to No Kid Hungry, or google the closest food bank in your area. Feeding America has a great list of what to donate and what to avoid.
13 – Learn the name of someone you see often – That security guard you see every day? Your local barista? Learn their name and use it the next time you see them!
14 – Donate clothing – We’ve got a list of places to donate your clothes. Also, consider your local buy nothing groups, which can be found on facebook.
15 – Plant a tree. No space for a tree in your yard? One Tree Planted will plant a tree on your behalf for for just $1.
16 – Give the gift of laughter – When we discussed how to maintain friendships on a recent episode of the podcast, many people said they’re in the habit of sending funny memes to friends. This isn’t something either of us had ever considered, but now I’m starting to save funny images as I find them for sharing at exactly the right time.
17 – Deliver a surprise gift – a sweet treat, an afternoon soda, a pair of cozy socks, or a delicious smelling candle – we know we would be happy to find any of these waiting on our front porches.
18 – Send snail mail to a friend – Remember mail that’s neither a bill or a political ad? Order stamps directly from usps.com. We love cards from Emily McDowell.
19 – Give the gift of quality time – Set aside 30 minutes to hang with your partner or one of your kids one on one. Phones away.
20 – Visit a Little Free Library – Find a Little Free Library near you and leave a book behind
21 – Leave a big tip – Our food service workers are working harder now than ever. Give them a bigger tip than you might normally leave to show your appreciation
22 – Donate to an animal shelter – check in ahead of time to see what their current needs are.
23 – Make a thank you basket for your delivery drivers – we have a bunch of free printables that you can use to make your delivery basket look extra cute!
24 – Deliver flowers – Even flowers from your garden will work! Level up with a small bouquet from Trader Joe’s.
25 – Run an errand for someone – Send a text to your neighbors letting them know you’re headed to the store and offer to pick up anything they might need.
26 – Write a letter to a soldier – Operation Gratitude has a great list of ways to show your support.
27 – Be kind to yourself – Rest is a right, not a gift. Prioritize your needs.
28 – Support a Donors Choose project – Check if any of the teachers in your life have a Donors Choose project that needs funding. If not you can browse local and nationwide projects that are in need of funding on the Donors Choose website.
Since this is a crowdsourcing website, your small donation can make a difference when combined with the donations of others!
Shout Your Kindness from the Rooftops
Megan’s dad likes to say that it’s not a good deed if you tell someone about it. Well, we agree, but we also think that sometimes seeing someone else’s efforts will encourage others to act.
We would love for you to share your good deeds and tag is on Instagram! Use hashtag #lsskindness so we can see it all in one place!
We are sure it will be heartening to others to see these acts happening in tiny ways, all over the world. (Okay, we may overestimate our reach, but wouldn’t that be great? All over the WORLD?)
We can’t wait to see your kindness at work. Pin this post to save it for later!
More Great Ideas from Megan and Wendy
Brighten your own day with a few of these great ideas!
- Nespresso Recipes to Try at Home
- How to Make Your Home Feel Welcoming
- Things You Can Do to Get Your Sh*t Together
- Fun Hobbies for Women
We’re Your New Best Friends
Hi, we’re Megan and Wendy! Join us every Wednesday for “Approved with Megan and Wendy” – the podcast where we ask each other every week what we’re currently using and loving. Don’t waste any more time or money on products that don’t live up to their promises.
You can also find us on “Girls Gone Hallmark” on Tuesdays and Thursdays where we review new and fan-favorite Hallmark movies and ask the question: Did you see that?
Long Story Short with Megan and Wendy continues on Patreon! New episodes, four times a month, where we cover everyday life, pop culture, and more!
What a great challenge! Thanks for linking up, have shared 🙂
Thanks for swinging by!