Do you consciously teach kindness in your preschool classroom? How much importance do you place on teaching kindness? What are your go to kindness activities for kids?

I believe that we need to be purposeful and teach kindness in preschool as it helps develop a culture of kindness in the classroom. By focusing on kindness, it helps our students see the value kindness has in our classroom community.

Kindness is all about being friendly, generous, and considerate. We have to teach our little learners all the pieces that go into kindness. But before I jump into sharing some simple kindness activities for kids, I wanted to share with you my Kindness FREEBIE.

Why Kindness Is Important In The Preschool Classroom

Kindness helps increase energy and gives students an incredible feeling of optimism. When preschoolers are part of a kind classroom, they often concentrate better and learn more effectively. Being kind also has many mental health and physical benefits, and some of the benefits include increased happiness and reduced stress. 

When children learn to show kindness and gratitude, they appreciate what they have and understand why they should help others. Purposefully teaching kindness is an excellent way to create a positive classroom culture. Focusing on kindness sends the message to your students and parents that you value a strong classroom community. 

So how can you model and encourage kind behavior in your classroom? Bringing in some kindness activities for kids and prioritizing kindness helps children see how words and actions can affect others. 

9 Kindness Activities For Kids

There are a million different ways to teach kindness, but I wanted to share with you my 9 go-to kindness activities for kids I use in my preschool classroom. Each of these activities teaches children exactly how to be kind to others, what empathy is, and how to show appreciation to others. These activities will help your students learn how to spread kindness and be more thoughtful and kind to others.

Activity #1: Brainstorm – What Does Kindness Look Like?

Before you jump into all of the big kindness challenges and projects, you want to ensure your preschoolers understand what kindness is and what it looks like. With your students, brainstorm some ideas of what kindness looks like in the classroom, their home, playground, etc. Use open-ended discussion questions and prompts to invite your children to share what they know about kindness. What does it mean? How does it feel when someone is kind to you? Share memorable times they’ve had, when someone was kind to them, or they were kind to someone, etc. 

Activity #2: Use a Sorting Activity to Look at Kindness

A sorting activity is a great kindness activity to move into after your discussion with your class. Using different pictures to help your student sort, ask them questions like: 

• Is that What Kindness Looks Like? 
• Does this look like a kind activity?

Including an activity like this Kindness Monster Sort allows children to see clear examples of kindness.

Activity #3: Kindness Classroom Challenges

Starting a kindness challenge is a fun way to get your students thinking about how simple acts of kindness can impact the lives of others and, in turn, bring joy to their own lives. Through daily kindness challenges created with the young learner in mind, this challenge will inspire your young students to show kindness and make it a conscious part of their day.

If you want to include a classroom kindness challenge today, check out this classroom kindness challenge perfect for preschoolers.  I made sure to include everything you will need to make the kindness challenge work in your classroom.

Activity #4: Read Books on Kindness

Reading books with your preschooler is the best way to introduce and discuss kindness with your preschoolers. There are so many amazing books about kindness; it is hard to pick the best ones to share with your students! To make your life a little easier, I have gathered some great book lists on empathy and friendship and wanted to share some of the books I often use when helping my students learn all about and show kindness to others. Below are a couple of books on kindness I have used in my classroom to get my students thinking and talking about what kindness means.

A Little Spot Of Kindness By Diane Alber

The A Little Spot books are an excellent resource for your classroom. There are many to choose from, and each teaches a lesson! In this one, the little spot is on the quest to spot kindness, and you will learn how to spread kindness in everyday situations.

Kindness Is My Superpower By Alicia Ortego

This book is a great resource for teachers, and your students will start to understand others, accept diversity, accept everyone, and show empathy. Lucas is a little superhero who learns what kindness means and learns to understand what it’s like to be kind, caring, sensitive, and generous.

Pete The Cat’s Groovy Guide To Kindness By James Dean

Cool cat Pete uses well-known classic quotes from Booker T. Washington to Henry James, reminding everyone that “it’s cool to be kind.” 

Activity #5: Caught Ya Being Kind

You want your students to know that you and their classmates are looking out for kindness. Whenever you or your students see a classmate completing kind acts, you may add their name and describe the random acts to a kindness jar.

Highlight your student’s kindness using awards, and invite students to share who was kind to them that day at the end of the day or during circle time! 

Activity #6: Kindness Scenario Role Play

Prepare some simple scenarios to help your students understand how to be kind and show kindness. Have your students act out each scenario and discuss how they could show kindness in each one. It is always a fun activity because students love to be a part of the little “plays” and the audience to answer questions! 

My students and I absolutely love using scenario cards when learning all different social skills, especially kindness. If you haven’t had a chance to download my free Kindness Scenario Cards, grab them here.

Activity #7: Kindness Crafts

Your preschoolers could make many great kindness crafts while learning all about kindness. Your students can make kindness cards for each other or adults within the school. Decorate the school with some kindness posters, or they can make simple friendship bracelets for each other.

My students absolutely loved the friendship bracelets when I showed them how to make them. I wanted to ensure you could create these easy bracelets with your students.

I created these simple friendship bracelets, which are easy to use with lots of design options. Just print the friendship bracelets, cut them out, and color them! Your students will love making them, and it’s an easy friendship craft!

Activity #8: Show Appreciation for People in The Community

A great way to help your preschoolers learn about kindness is to show it to others. Have your students write cards to important people in the community. They will learn that just one simple act of kindness, like a card, can make someone’s day. 

Some people in the community, your students, could write to are:

• Lunch workers
• Postal workers
• Principal
• Doctor
• Nurse
• Sanitation Workers

Activity #9: Spread Kindness

You and your students can easily spread kindness around school! Consider starting a kindness club or creating a kindness calendar. You could make cards for the secretary, bring in some drinks and snacks for the teacher’s lounge, color in pictures and hang them on other students’ lockers. Anything to make someone smile! 

Kindness Activities For Kids Resource

It can be challenging to figure out what activities you should do with your preschoolers, and there are so many good options. When teaching kindness, you want your lessons and activities to help your preschoolers internalize what kindness is, how kindness works, and how to show kindness. If you need a complete done-for-you lesson, check out my Kindness Activities for Preschool | BUNDLE resource below. ????????

Kindness seems like a simple concept to teach. However, it takes some time, and you want to really think about your lessons and the kindness activities you want to include. Preschool is the perfect time to really help students learn and become kind humans.

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