“Be kind whenever possible. It is always possible.”
-Dalai Llama
What is World Kindness Day?
Each year, World Kindness Day celebrates the power of kindness to the health and happiness of ourselves and others. It is a reminder and opportunity to promote kindness in all forms, such as compassion, acceptance and diversity. It is celebrated every November 13th all across the world.
How did World Kindness Day start?
World Kindness Day began in 1998 by the non-profit organization World Kindness Movement (WKM) to inspire people to show kindness to one another. The WKM does not have any religious, commercial or political motivations. It just aims to make the world a fairer, better, kinder place for everyone.
Why is celebrating World Kindness Day important?
In our daily lives, many things pull at our attention, and we don’t always stop to think about how we can be kind to ourselves and others. But being kind to spreads happiness and actually makes us happy, too! That’s because when we do something kind for someone, it releases feel-good chemicals in our brains that help us feel happier! Being kind also lowers our stress hormones, is good for the heart, and lowers the chemicals in our bodies that cause aging! Kindness is also contagious, spreading endless good vibes to everyone.
How can we celebrate World Kindness Day at school?
Here are some ideas to celebrate at school or home:
- Challenge students to do five acts of kindness! Kind acts can be anything from giving a compliment, to helping someone with a favour, or surprising them with a small handmade note or card. See these Random Acts of Kindness Challenge Cards for many simple, good ideas.
- Share some love with our planet. Plant some flowers or a tree, or pick up litter in your neighbourhood.
- Host a fundraising day for a local charity. World Kindness Day is a good opportunity to support others in need, and spread kindness and compassion to our community. Have students collect donations or donate to a fun dress day like PJ day.
- Help students practice “self-kindness.” Have students write out “Things I Love About Me” - what they like about themselves, what they're good at, and people in their lives they are grateful for. Being kind to ourselves helps us be more caring to ourselves and others, and builds positive self-esteem.
Curriculum Resources for Educators:
World Kindness Day Teaching Resources – 52 Lives
Grades K-6
Classroom activities, posters, and lesson plans to promote kindness, and the science behind how it improves our mental and physical health.
Random Acts of Kindness Lesson Plans - Random Acts of Kindness Foundation
Grades K-12
Evidence-based, social emotional learning curriculum with focuses on equity, teacher self-care, digital citizenship and kindness.