As a busy preschool teacher, I’m always looking for simple, meaningful ways to weave social-emotional learning into our daily routines—without adding one more thing to an already overflowing plate (Can I get a hand up if you’re with me?).

That’s why I love incorporating kindness holidays into the preschool classroom. These special days make it so easy to create a culture of kindness without needing to reinvent the wheel.

And here’s the thing: why limit ourselves to celebrating kindness on just one day a year? There are so many amazing kindness holidays out there that can inspire our little learners to see kindness in action.

Just think about all the fun and meaningful activities you could plan for days like Earth Day, Make a Difference Day, or Random Acts of Kindness Day! These celebrations help expand the idea of kindness for our preschoolers, showing them that being kind goes far beyond just being nice to friends and family. It’s about caring for our community, our planet, and everyone around us.

Before I jump into my list of favorite kindness holidays to celebrate in the preschool classroom, I wanted to make sure you have my Free Kindness Bingo Game. Click here to download now.

Kindness Holidays Throughout The Year

If you’re looking for ways to immerse your preschoolers in the world of kindness, these kindness holidays are a perfect way to show them that kindness isn’t just reserved for World Kindness Day, it can be celebrated all year long! Here are some special holidays and events you can use to spark meaningful discussions and activities in your classroom.

January 

Start the New Year off right and start celebrating kindness and the perfect way to kick off the calendar of kindness holidays.

Martin Luther King Junior Day (3rd Monday)

Celebrate the life and legacy of Dr. King by focusing on fairness, inclusion, and empathy. While preschoolers might not understand the complex history, they can grasp the idea of standing up for others and being a kind friend. Read simple books about helping others, create art inspired by Dr. King’s messages, or have a circle time conversation around empathy and how we can make others feel welcome, and valued.

February

The month of love and the perfect month to help your students learn more about random acts of kindness.

Random Acts of Kindness Week (2nd Sunday to 3rd Sunday)

This week always starts on the 2nd Sunday and lasts until the 3rd Sunday of the month. This

This week is all about spontaneous kindness! Challenge your preschoolers to notice moments where they can be kind—like sharing, complimenting a friend, or tidying up without being asked. You can create a classroom “kindness jar” where each student adds a token every time they see or do something kind. Bonus idea: How about creating a kindness classroom challenge for the week?

Valentine’s Day (February 14th)

A natural time to talk about love and kindness, but with a focus on community rather than just treats. Make Valentine’s cards for classmates, school helpers, or even a local nursing home. Create a “Kindness Tree” where students add paper hearts with kind words.

March

If you are looking for a month packed full of kindness days, March is one of the best. Plus, most schools do not have any days off in March, making it a perfect month to plan some fun and kind activities. 

Won’t You Be My Neighbor? Day (March 20th)

Honor Fred Rogers’ legacy by focusing on what it means to be a good neighbor. Create activities like pairing students as “kindness buddies,” helping tidy the classroom, or making thank-you notes for school staff. Watch a short clip of Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood to tie in visual learning.

International Day of Happiness (March 20th)

Use this day to explore what makes us and others happy. Start a “Happiness Wall” where students draw or write about things that bring them joy. Encourage them to brighten a friend’s day with a smile, a compliment, or a simple act of kindness.

Good Deeds Day

This global day of volunteering and community action can be made preschool-friendly with simple at-home or school-based good deeds. Create a “Good Deeds Chart” with ideas like helping a sibling, sharing with friends, or picking up litter.

April

April isn’t just for April Fool’s Day! It is full of kindness holidays you can celebrate with your students and families. 

Keep America Beautiful Month

April’s focus on environmental care is perfect for introducing kindness toward our planet. Organize a class cleanup walk, start a classroom recycling station, or plant seeds. Discuss how being kind to Earth helps everyone.

National Volunteer Week

This week runs for 7 days during the month of April. Organizations normally plan special events to honor their volunteers. This is a great opportunity to honor the family members or community members who volunteer in your classroom. Hold a special breakfast, make cards, or a cute video. There are many ways your students can show their appreciation. 

Earth Day

Celebrated on April 22nd, this special kindness holiday is a day full of events that help make our earth a better place. Discuss with your students how they can help make Earth better by turning off lights, running water, or walking or biking to places instead of driving in cars. You can even sprinkle in some kindness lessons since being kind helps the Earth too! Looking for Earth Day resources? I’ve got you covered! Want more ideas on what to do for Earth Day, check out this blog post.

Pay It Forward Day (Last Thursday)

Everyone is encouraged to pay it forward on the last Thursday of April and show kindness to others. The goal of the day is to perform 3 acts of kindness throughout the day and ask others to “pay it forward.” Giving out cards, helping clean up the school, etc., is a great way to celebrate. Don’t forget to leave a little note about paying the good deed forward. 

May

This month students are encouraged to help animals and others who may need help when it comes to feeding themselves and their families. 

Be Kind to Animals Week

On the first week of the month, animal shelters, volunteers, and community members come together to hold special events to help promote public awareness of animal cruelty and shelters. Many hold adoption events, special classes, and other events to help educate the public. You probably have a lot of animal lovers in your class. Figure out ways to help animals in your community, whether you donate blankets, food, and toys to a shelter or make birdhouses or feeders to put outside your classroom window. 

More Kindness Holidays …

June

National Smile Power Day (June 15th)

Teach preschoolers how a smile can brighten someone’s day. Try a “Smile Challenge” where they smile at a certain number of people or animals during the day. Pair this with a craft like making smiley face masks or drawing smile-themed pictures.

August

A warm month where everyone is enjoying the nice weather and the perfect month to show kindness to a friend. 

International Friendship Day / National Friendship Week (First Sunday in August to Saturday)

This special day is celebrated on August 4th each year, or you could celebrate this day during National Friendship Week, which runs from the first Sunday in August through to Saturday. If you are in school during August, this is a great opportunity to discuss friendship with your class. I absolutely love celebrating this special day with my students, and I have 7 fun preschool activities you can do with your class here! 

September

National Good Neighbor Day (September 28th)

Introduce the idea of being a good neighbor—whether it’s someone in the next cubby, a classroom helper, or a neighbor at home. Preschoolers can make simple thank-you notes for janitors, school bus drivers, or community workers.

November

The month of thankfulness, this month is all about showing thanks to each other and for the things we have! 

World Kindness Day

Celebrated on the 13th of November every year, everyone is encouraged to perform acts of kindness throughout the day and week. Bring in some fun kindness read alouds and kindness activities to enjoy this day even more with your students! 

Thanksgiving (4th Thursday)

Though not a formal kindness holiday, Thanksgiving offers a natural opportunity to practice gratitude. Create a classroom gratitude tree where each student adds leaves with things they are thankful for, or make thank-you cards for family members.

December

Giving Tuesday (The Tuesday after Thanksgiving)

End the year by focusing on giving. Organize a simple donation drive, make holiday cards for local seniors, or decorate kindness-themed ornaments. Discuss with students how giving and kindness go hand in hand.

Weave Kindness Holidays into your Year

By celebrating these kindness holidays with your preschoolers, you’re not just teaching them about special days—you’re helping them understand that kindness is a way of life. These holidays offer fun, meaningful opportunities to show how we can care for each other, our community, and our planet.

When we make kindness visible through actions, whether it’s picking up litter on Earth Day, sharing a smile on Smile Power Day, or expressing gratitude at Thanksgiving, we’re planting seeds that will grow into lifelong habits. Our little learners begin to see that kindness doesn’t have to wait for a special occasion. It can happen every single day, in small, simple ways.

And let’s be honest, as busy preschool teachers, we love finding ways to seamlessly integrate social-emotional learning into what we’re already doing. These kindness holidays make it easy and fun to do just that. Whether it’s through a simple classroom activity, a story read aloud, or a shared moment of reflection, you’re creating an environment where kindness is not just encouraged, it’s celebrated.

Looking for Kindness or Empathy Activities for your classroom? Check these out:

Kindness Activities for Preschoolers |BUNDLE

Empathy Activities for Preschoolers |BUNDLE

BLOG POST UPDATED: May 2025