We are on the brink of fall break and are wrapping up Kindness by sharing a recap of this month and a few NEW activities that target social, emotional and spiritual learning! The boys and I got a front row seat to how radical kindness can be as we took Banks to get his haircut this week. In that moment, I learned that while random acts of kindness are fun, in order to live a life of kindness we must be ready to show kindness always…when others have treated us warmly, but especially when they have not. I am thankful my boys showed me what it looks like to not be easily offended and how to respond with kindness. How has your family experienced or shown kindness this month?
Our kid friendly and faith focused definition- Kindness means treating others like they are valuable (because they are!) by helping, including and being friendly to all. In the book Love Kindness, Barry Corey gives the perfect description of kindness. He says,
“Kindness is a life with a firm center and soft edges!”
We also have created this Bible verse in a decoding format for older children. Click here to print that version.
After sharing the Bible Story, “Healed Through the Roof” from Mark 2:1-12, ask your little one these wonder questions:
- I wonder if you’ve ever done something kind for your friends?
- I wonder how the paralyzed man felt when his friends told him they were taking him to Jesus?
- I wonder how Jesus still shows kindness to us today?
Click on the picture above to check out our blog post and find out WHY these books have a spot on our Kindness Booklist!
Last week, the boys and I also discovered a delightful book for very young children called Cookie Kindness.
Bubble Art
This was all FOUR boy’s favorite activity this month! After reading, Because Amelia Smiled, we realized that a quick and easy way to spread kindness is simply by smiling. So, we used bubble art to paint a smiley face card that read, “If you see someone without a smile, give them one of yours.” Then, we passed these out to random people! Follow the directions below to do this activity at your house. If you notice that you don’t have enough bubbles or that they are not colorful enough, experiment by adding more dish soap and/or paint to the mixture!
Directions:
In a small cup add a generous Tablespoon of tempera paint, 2 teaspoons of dishwashing soap, and 1 (or a little more) Tablespoons of water. Stir thoroughly. Then, use a push pin to make a hole in the top section of the straw (to prevent kids from swallowing paint.) After the mixture is created, it’s time for the bubbles! Tell kids to blow into the straw like they would to blow bubbles in their milk.
Have them blow bubbles until they extend over the top of the cup, then place the smile card over the cup and watch as the bubbles cling to the card. Repeat this process for multiple cards. Allow to dry and experience the powerful effect of sharing a smile!
Kindness Cape
After reading SuperBuns-Kindness is Her Super Power by Diane Kredensor, we decided to make an actual Kindness Cape! When the boys were caught being kind, we reinforced these positive actions by giving them a turn to wear the cape!
Manners Suitcase
As you can tell by these smiles, our four year old LOVED this game.
Start by filling a suitcase with various items such as a restaurant menu, birthday hat/candles, ball, blocks, and Bible.
Then, I said something like this: I can’t remember why I have this suitcase! What do you do with a suitcase? Oh yeah, you take it when you go on a trip and fill it with clothes, shoes, and jammies! Don’t forget your toothbrush. And there is one more thing I always take with me wherever I go – good manners! Using manners is a way to show kindness wherever we are! Let’s see what’s in this suitcase.
Then, I let Justice pick one item at a time. We talked about it, then he had a chance to practice manners he could use.
The first item he chose was a menu. I wonder what good manners I could use at a restaurant?(Say please and thank you when talking to the server, chewing with your mouth closed, etc.) Then, give your child a turn to practice ordering an item at their favorite restaurant, remembering to say please and thank you.
Repeat these steps: select an item, identify good manners to use and then give your child an opportunity to practice.
*Application- Remember you can take your manners wherever you go, and always have an easy way to spread Kindness!
Looking for MORE Kindness ideas for your home or classroom? We have an entire monthly teacher’s guide that will be available soon. Send us an email or complete the form on our website to learn more!
Mr. Marc was our next door neighbor and often played songs on his guitar as the boys ran around in the backyard. As part of the Speer Family, he grew up singing gospel music and continues using his gifts to record hymns for CB&J today! These hymns are a timeless way to remind children about the character of Jesus, and we are grateful to be able to share these with you.