I am trying to raise my kids to be well-rounded adults and part of that entails inspiring them to think outside of their own personal space and to help those around them. Many people are so occupied with their own drama, their own busy lives, that they forget to look around and take the time to help out a person in need. Today I’m sharing some Random Acts of Kindness Ideas to help inspire you and your children.

Free Printable Random Acts of Kindness Cardsards

One simple way I encourage kindness in my children is to take time every now and again to try to make the day a little brighter for strangers. One of our favorite activities is painting rocks and leaving them for others. My kids have such a great time painting the rocks. But we have an even better time interacting with the people that are on the receiving end!

It’s been a while since we’ve had a planned day of encouraging others, so I thought I would whip up some Random Acts of Kindness cards and we could head out to do some good.

Random Acts of Kindness IdeasThe cards I made can be standalone or they can be taped to an envelope, attached to a bag – whatever you can think up! For ours, we added two quarters to the back of the card with washi tape and taped the card to a toy vending machine outside the grocery store. We also put some drink pouches in a Mason Jar Drinking Glass and placed it in random mailboxes. Lastly, we filled a couple of baggies with Hershey Kisses, attached the card, and left them in random places!Random Acts of Kindness Free Printable
There are so many small things you can do to help make someone smile. Do you make handmade items? How about making a few extra and leaving them around town with a RAOK tag attached? Or keep an eye out for someone’s parking meter that is running low or has expired and insert a coin.

Stop by the laundry mat and leave some change with the card and a note on the back saying “Laundry is on us today.” Or make a bouquet of wildflowers, put them in a vase and place the card in the flowers – leave them in a popular local park.

RAOK Ideas

All of these examples are inexpensive and take very little energy, but can really help restore people’s faith in other humans!

This is not a strictly altruistic act. We get to feel really good about ourselves for helping to brighten someone else’s day, but it is a great reminder that there are lots of people in the world. Some are struggling, some are feeling worthless or unloved, and a small act of kindness can be just what they need!

Download the Random Acts of Kindness Cards by clicking the button below. Print onto 8.5″ x 11″ paper. Cut out and use as you please!

Remember, these are for personal use only and should not be altered.