Kindness Club Ideas

The last two years at school we have tried to purposefully add more activities to promote kindness to our days.  We have adopted an Ohana mentality, we are family, and we have tried to help the students (and staff) connect outside our classrooms to bring unity to the entire school.  Being in a K-8 that has been a challenge, trying to connect over 1,000 kids on a daily basis.  

We are Ohana, Start a Chain Reaction -
All 1,000+ kids stamped their hands during lunch,
leadership students designed the entire thing.  

We brought in the Friends of Rachel program this last year with an assembly and to train some of our middle schoolers.  Our Kindness Club is set to grow from 18 students to about a 100 this next year.  The plan is to have 2 groups of students - a Varsity level with the middle schoolers, and a Junior Varsity with the upper elementary students (4th and 5th grade).  Both groups will have specific events and activities that they will help to run.

The logistics?  Last year we held meetings mainly during lunch and some after school for middle school.  It was kind of difficult since my lunch was different than theirs, but I teamed up with the middle school leadership teacher to help facilitate.  Since we are more than quintupling our numbers, we will be breaking up into the different ages for lunch, and every once in a while meet together after school.  

Our students are great at brainstorming ideas to spread kindness both in our school and in the community.  The Friends of Rachel program had lots of ideas in their training as well.  We had a school supply drive to help a town in need, we had a canned food drive and a shoe drive that benefited a local charity.  In school, we held a Kindness Kickoff where we had daily quotes and a daily challenge for students to complete.  The classrooms made kindness chains, each link representing an act of kindness that was witnessed, then we linked them all up.  We stood outside the gates and gave High 5's entering school.  We wrote chalk notes on the sidewalk and made posters.  We held a spirit week... and we didn't launch it all until the beginning of February.  

It's easy to just write a question on your classroom board and have the kids brainstorm on sticky notes.  Then collect the stickies and you have an instant list to refer back to.  

For this coming year I have SO many more ideas running around my head to talk to the kids about.  It's their club, and they have to take ownership and run with it.  I can bring ideas, but they have to vote and decide what's important to add.  I asked for some teacher input over on Facebook and on Instagram, and they delivered.  

*Smiley Face stickers delivered to each classroom for the reminder to smile.

*Socktober

*Door decorations for nursing homes

*Handwritten notes for community helpers

*Animal shelter donations

*Cafeteria lunch bin for extras (we already have a share table) - last lunch taking those non perishables from the share table and packaging them up to keep for those kids that need something for dinner.

*School supply drive for our own needy kids

*Teacher love cart - ask for donations from families and give teachers a treat

*Kindness Kid of the Month - teachers choose a kid from each grade level or class, and that kid is recognized from the office.

*Heart attack on doors

*Random Kindness notes delivered

*Give one/Take one board in the cafeteria

*Challenges bulletin board - kids sign their name when completed

*Mix it up table lunch

*Gratitude snaps

*Get well cards for the hospital

*Kindness cards for the nursing home

*Testing quotes/banners for motivation

*Monthly service project

*Used eyeglasses to the Lion's Club

*Blessing bags for the homeless

*Help with Teacher/Nurse/Bus Driver Appreciation

*Christmas rocks painted and hidden around campus - when a student finds they take to the office for a candy cane

*Sock, Glove, and Winter Hat drive

So many ideas, I can't wait to see what the kids can think up too.  

I made this Kindness Matters a couple of years ago, maybe it can help you too.  

Link goes to Google Drive.  

Have a great day!