RAK is a spontaneous or planned kind act performed for no other reason except to simply make someone’s day or life a little better, brighter, and happier.
We are happiest when we feel like we are making a difference in the world. Random Acts of Kindness gives you the opportuntiy to make a little difference in the world for somebody. RAK is a gift for both the giver and receiver. In fact, after experiencing the ethereal feeling of giving a few times, I think we begin to realize that giving makes us happier than any material possession can. We only truly learn this by experiencing it, and I want my children to feel that feeling and learn this truth too. When we do RAK as a family, we are giving a gift better than gold to our children.
Starting RAK
Starting RAK can feel overwhelming (I talk about this here), so below are 64 of my absolute favorite ideas to get you started. Have fun! Spread joy and get double the joy in return.
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Everyday
- Before entering any new environment (ex: work, the grocery store, church, a party, or a park; or even before you get on the internet or social media), pray to God, “God, please help me be loving and kind while I am at (Insert where you are going here), please guide me and help me notice when someone needs help or extra kindness. I know that you are here with me right now. Thank you for being with me here in this place.”
Giving Ideas
- Leave one of your favorite uplifing books at a doctor’s office waiting room or donate a book to the “Little Free Library.”
- Put $1 in a tip jar for no reason.
- Leave a small gift surprise on a neighbors front door.
- Make a Random Acts of Kindness planner and include local nonprofit agencies and their contacts in your list. Now you have a list on hand whenever you want to help! Call and email your local agenices and ask them what kinds of donations do they need. Examples of local agencies include soup kitchens, nursing homes, hospice, food pantries, homeless shelters, foster care, chidlren’s homes, adult day cares, etc. Find a free printable Random Acts of Kindness Planner
- Leave some change at a laundry mat.
- Leave a little bag containing money on the Redbox so that a family to buy snacks to go along with their movie. Add a little note to the bag explaining this Random Act of Kindness.
Printable “Movie snacks” Random Acts of Kindness Notes are included in the free downloadable RAK planner here.
- Leave $2 in a bag on one of the aisle of the Dollor store. Add a little note to the bag explaining this Random Act of Kindness.
Printable “Dollar Store/Dollar Tree” Random Acts of Kindness Notes are included in the free downladable RAK planner here.
- Add a lunchbox note to your kids or your husbands lunchbox.
For free printable lunchbox notes for your kids, click here!
- Whenever your school, church, cub scouts, or team holds a service project or donation collection, participate!
- Purchase a gift card at a store; then give the gift card to someone as they walk into the store. We did this for Christmas once. We bought a $50 Walmart gift card and then handed it to a mom as she was walking inside the door.
- Have a lemonade stand, cookie stand, slushy stand (be creative), and give the money earned to a local charity.
- Call your local school or your child’s teacher and ask if they need any school supplies or snacks.
- Say thank you to the people who have helped you through life by leaving a gift and a thank you note on their front door.
- Leave a quarter on the parking meter. Add a little note to the bag explaining this Random Act of Kindness.
Printable Random Acts of Kindness Notes are included in the free downloadable RAK planner here.
- Leave an extra big tip at a restaurant.
- Donate some of your clothes and toys.
- Give water to people on a hot day.
- Fill a book bag with school supplies and donate it to “Back the Pack.”
- Give away your umbrella to a stranger on a rainy day.
- Leave a little money and a note in random places. Trust God will help the right person find it.
Printable Random Acts of Kindness Notes are included in the free downloadable RAK planner here.
- Donate to a cause online.
- Donate to a hospital: Give toys and craft supplies that kids can play with while sitting in bed.
“Giving your Time” Ideas
- Make a Random Acts of Kindness planner and include local nonprofit agencies and their contacts in your list. Call and email your local agenices and ask if they need volunteers. Examples of local agencies include soup kitchens, nursing homes, hospice, food pantries, homeless shelters, foster care, children’s homes, adult day cares, etc
Printable Random Acts of Kindness Agency Contacts Organization form is included in the free downloadable RAK planner here.
- Make Valentine’s, Christmas, Easter, or Spring Cards and hand deliver then to residence in nursing homes or adult day cares.
(We did this with Valentine’s Cards and the residence loved getting notes handmade and hand delivered from my children.)
- Pick up litter in a park (I recommend using gloves and/or a trash grabber.)
- Buy flowers and hand them out on the street.
- Visit your older or sick family members. They have so much to share!
- Using chalk, write encouraging words on the sidewalk.
- Do your siblings chores without them asking.
- Send care packages to soldiers.
- Give blood.
- Color a picture for a friend of family member.
- Read books about social skills and kindness to your children.
- Help someone who is carrying lots of stuff.
- Stop at a child’s lemonade stand.
- Stop at a car wash fundraiser.
- Participate in a charity walk/run.
Random Acts of Kindness or RAK Planner: free printable download; includes a Random Acts of Kindness Ideas List and RAK notes
“Giving Your Time” Ideas Continued
- Make a meal for someone who has just had a baby, recently had surgery, or is recovering from an illness. Food is a gift from God. Food gives us energy, food comforts, food sustains us, and food nourishes our bodies. That is why I think giving someone food is the ultimate sign of our love for them.
- Pay for the person behind you in a fast food drive-through.
- Participate in a local angel tree.
- Participate in your churches donation collection drives. For example, our church has the “Helping Hands” box located in the lobby. This makes donating super simple. We just look in the announcement to see what agency we are helping and what items are being requested, then we add the requested donations to the box! One month, we may be collecting cans, the next month the church might be asking for winter coats.
- Start your own neighborhood or friends “Helping Hands” box! Leave your box on the porch and get the word out that you are collecting donations. My neighbor’s child did this once, and I was amazed by her and the amount of donations she collected. People simply dropped of kids toys at her house, and they took the toys to a children’s hospital.
- Babysit for free.
- After eating at a restaurant, stack your plates and wipe the tables. Now the waiter has less to do. This could be super helpful on a busy night!
- If you notice someone with less groceries that you, let them go first.
- Give someone you love an unexpected hug.
- Call family members and loved ones just to say hi.
- Invite friends over for dinner and games.
- Take a trash pick-up walk in your neighborhood.
- Ride a bike or walk whenever possible.
Volunteering Ideas
- Volunteer at an animal shelter.
- Tutor or read to kids at a local school.
- Volunteer at church.
- Help out in your child’s school. Email their teacher and ask if they need any help.
- Volunteer with Family Promise. Not all towns have this program, but it is an amazing program! For this program, homeless families stay in local churches while they are working on finding a place to stay. Local churches take turns hosting these families. The host church provides dinner for the families and volunteers spend the night at the church while the families are staying there. Each family has their own room in the church. My family tries to spend the night whenever our church is a host. After we share a meal with these amazing families, my kids love to play with the children in the gym. We usually bring board game and a movie to watch right before bed.
Just a Kind Word or Gesture Ideas
- Have a Compliments Day: make this a game to see how many compliments you can give out during a day.
- Fill out comment cards or do a quick survey for a restaurant, hotel, or other businesses. Find out the name of the person who helped you and mention them in your comments. I just recently learned what a big deal this is. Not only does doing this brighten the day of the employee who receives the praise, but also could potentially help someone get a raise or promotion. Management often looks at these comment cards/surveys when making decisions about an employee.
- Send a card to a loved one or friend to say why you love them.
- Have an “Ask and Listen” day: Most of us need to listen better and sometimes all someone wants is to be heard. Make an effort to focus on the other person in conversation. Instead of trying to figure out your response to their comment, try to truly listen to what they are saying. Ask questions about them instead of bringing the conversation back to you. Make an effort to talk about the other person’s interest.
Social Media RAK Ideas (You don’t even have to leave your house!)
These are so easy and yet so impactful. You don’t even have to leave your house to spread love and kindness!
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If a positive thought pops in your head about a post or picture you see as you scroll through your Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram feeds, share it with the person!
If we keep the compliment to ourselves, we will miss a chance to lift someone’s spirits. Take it a step further and spend some time giving multiple compliments to friends, acquaintances, and strangers.
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Leave a positive and encouraging comment on a blogger’s blog post, Facebook page, or instagram.
Even just hitting the like button can help a blogger’s business. I had no idea how much this meant to bloggers until I became a blogger. Bloggers often spend hours perfecting a post. I never realized how much heart, sweat, and soul a blogger puts into a post. Postively engaging in a bloggers post does so much more than lift up their spirits. Every like, pin, share, comment, or interaction improves that blog’s rankings on google search, Pinterest, and Social media. So when you engage with someone’s post, you are having a huge impact on someone’s business without having to purchase a thing!
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Leave a fantastic review! If you love a store, restaurant, business, handmade product, or book, go to one of their social media pages or review page and leave a nice review or comment.
Positive reviews can not only lift someone’s spirits, but also impact someone financially. Think about it… When we buy a product or book, we love to read the reviews first. The more positive reviews we read, the more likely we will buy that product! If you are reviewing a business, make sure to mention by name any employees who were particularly helpful. This will not only put a smile on the employees face, but could also potentially improve their chances of getting a raise or promotion.
Just Plain Fun
- Leave a bag of quarters on a kid’s riding machine, an arcade game, a vending machine, or a wishing fountain. Add a little note to the bag explaining this Random Act of Kindness.
Printable Random Acts of Kindness Notes are included in the free downloadable RAK planner here.
- Keep stickers in your pocket or purse. When a child (or mom) looks like they need a little fun distraction, offer a sticker. (I always ask the parent for permission before offering the sticker to the child.)
- Smile at strangers.
And there you have it! 64 Random Acts of Kindness Ideas. I hope you have a blast spreadniing kindness! Let me know which Random Acts of Kindness yuo have done! I would love to hear from you!
Related Posts
How to Make Random Acts of Kindess a Priority in Your Family’s Life
Why You Should Start a Random Acts of Kindness Project
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