33 Simple Ways to Share Random Acts of Kindness

Random Acts of Kindness Day is February 17, but why not spread kindness year-round? Here are some inspiring ideas!

Throw kindness around like confetti🎊

Looking for ways to give back or bless someone with a random act of kindness? We’ve come up with a list of easy ways to spread kindness so you can fill your community with positivity!

People could always use a little extra kindness, so this will be a great way to involve the whole family, focus your attention on helping others, and pay it forward!

Read on to feel inspired and grab our FREE printable before you get started!

We all know that giving is so much more rewarding than receiving, so feel free to use our ideas as a helpful tool to start thinking about how your family can come together and model selflessness. I even made a free printable for inspiration plus a blank one if you’d rather come up with a unique list all your own!

It’s worth noting that your ideas can be simple acts of kindness that don’t cost a thing or they can be bigger projects where you go all out! Regardless, any act of kindness will make a difference – no matter how big or small.

There’s no timeline for kindness, so you and your family can go at your own pace or set a goal date to accomplish your list.

1. Collect & donate unused household items and clothing.

This is something the whole family can easily participate in, and it’s also a great way to make room and declutter your home. Have the kids go through their toy boxes for unused toys, gather clothes that no longer fit, and don’t forget to check that game closet for anything collecting dust!

Make sure to also check out our 4-week clean-out challenge if you’re looking to do a serious detox in every room (don’t worry, we have a printable for that too). Then, donate to your favorite charity, or host a garage sale and donate proceeds.

2. Deliver food to people in need.

There are a plethora of food banks needing your help right now, or you could also consider calling your local shelter to see what food items are needed most. Better yet, if you’ve been stockpiling groceries in your pantry, this idea might not cost you anything if you can shop your own pantry.

You could also turn this idea into your very own food drive! Food banks can always use extra hands with organizing so get the family together, make some posters, and count and sort donations from loved ones to deliver the donations to the local food pantry.

3. Make a difference for an animal.

Sometimes those in need have four legs and a furry tail! You can help dogs and cats in many ways including fostering, adopting, or even volunteering for a couple of hours at an animal shelter near you. You can also consider donating other needed items to your local animal shelters such as blankets, food, and dog toys.

4. Lead a book drive.

Make sure everyone has books to read! Encourage literacy by collecting new and gently used books from your home, friends, neighbors, and family, and then donate them to your local school, library, or women’s shelter.

Better yet, you can put fliers out for a community pick-up and set a date to gather all the book donations.

5. Curate care packages for those affected by homelessness. 

Consider collecting small personal care items and making “Blessing Bags” for those experiencing homelessness. Your family can help put them together by filling freezer bags with items like travel-sized shampoo, a toothbrush, soap, granola bars, clean socks, gift cards for food, and more!

6. Visit a nursing home.

Any surprise visit to a nursing home will brighten someone’s day. You can show up with a little care package or bless them with your time – either way, it’ll be sure to delight them. The gift of your time will mean so much to someone in a nursing home.

7. Adopt or help a family in need. 

Maybe there’s a family you know that is struggling or a parent who could use a little extra help. You could volunteer to babysit, tutor kids, help with housework, walk their dog, or even help with their yard work.

As another idea (and if your budget allows), consider surprising a family or person in need with some basic groceries or a grocery store gift card to help lighten the load! If you’ll be buying the groceries yourself, you can even plan for them to be delivered directly to their door!

8. Plan ways of surprise giving and acts of kindness.

Surprising random strangers unexpectedly feels so good! For ideas, you can grab some cash and leave it in unexpected places like a gas station or vending machine, pay for the person behind you in the fast food or Starbucks drive-through line, or you could even grab some 5 or 10-dollar gift cards and hand them to strangers as you walk down the street!

Don’t have a budget for this? Surprise someone with a nice compliment, or a friendly smile – as those are totally FREE and can still turn someone’s whole day around. 🙂

9. Lift a soldier’s spirits by saying “Thank You.”

Looking to spread a little kindness to some very deserving individuals? Write letters of gratitude or put together a simple care package to send to the troops. Check out websites like OperationGratitude.com or TheUSO.org for information on how to donate. Plus, this is even a great activity for kids to practice their writing skills! Win, win!

10. Run or walk for a cause. 

Get the whole family moving together to benefit a great cause! Participate in a local run or walk that raises money for a charity that’s important to you and your family. Participants usually pay a registration fee and collect pledges, and in return enjoy a fun run or walk outdoors that’s likely to become a tradition year after year.

You can find upcoming events by searching on Facebook, or visit Active.com to search in your area and narrow it down by date.

Looking for more ideas? The random acts of kindness don’t stop there!

11. Leave a kind note for someone.

12. Introduce yourself to a new neighbor or coworker.

13. Share words of encouragement on social media.

14. Return someone’s shopping cart for them.

15. Surprise a friend or neighbor by delivering homemade baked goods to them.

16. Thank your child’s teacher. They could probably use a little morale boost right now.

17. Give someone – anyone! – a compliment.

18. Donate blood if you’re able to do so.

19. Pick up litter around your neighborhood.

20. Leave a coupon on the matching product at the store.

21. Allow someone to go ahead of you in line.

22. Ask your child’s school if you can donate gently used children’s books to the school library.

23. If you notice an employee doing a great job, let their supervisor know.

24. Thank your delivery drivers with this free printable and some refreshments!

25. Insert coins into someone else’s parking meter.

26. Volunteer in your local community. Not sure where to start? This service can help you connect with worthy organizations near you.

27. Put your skills to work for a person in need. Help someone polish their résumé, assist a neighbor with a technology issue, etc.

28. Call or text someone who hasn’t heard from you in a while. Send a physical “thinking of you” card if you really want to blow their mind!

29. Paint kindness rocks with your kids and hide them on your next walk.

30. Send a thank-you note to a local fire department, police department, healthcare facility, or school.

31. Bring in your neighbor’s empty garbage cans on trash day.

32. Write a glowing online review for a business you love.

33. Smile at people as you go about your day! 😊

Have some more ideas to add to this list? Leave them in the comments below!