Treating others with love, respect, and kindness are skills that are always valuable in life. These skills are for all ages to practice each and every day. Love, respect, and kindness help us put our differences aside and work together to make the world a nicer place. Showing kindness doesn’t have to be a monumental activity; it can start small and spread between people in a “pay it forward” way. For example, one person or family completes an act of kindness, whether it is through volunteering, holding the door open for a stranger at a store, or writing cards for a local nursing home, and hopefully that act inspires others to do the same. These acts of kindness can have a lasting impact on the community and world.
To continue with spreading kindness, meet the 31 Days of Kindness Challenge. In this challenge, individuals and families are given an act of kindness to carry out each day for all 31 days in March. By the end of the month, 31 acts of kindness have been performed and lessons of love, respect, and kindness towards others have been instilled in many people. Below is a (socially-distanced, pandemic-appropriate) calendar full of ideas for you and your family to follow. All you have to do is set time aside each day and fulfill the act of kindness. It is that simple and worth giving a try.
March 1st – Start a spare change jar. At the end of the month, give the collected money to a person, family, or charity in need.
March 2nd – Give a compliment to a loved one or stranger if you are in public.
March 3rd – Write and send cards to spread love and cheer to a local nursing home.
March 4th – Do a favor without asking for anything in return.
March 5th – Donate food or a meal to a homeless shelter.
March 6th – Go device-less for the day and spend your time talking with your loved ones, giving them your undivided attention.
March 7th – Create and send care packages to military members local or abroad.
March 8th – Doing some spring cleaning? Donate clothes, blankets, and toys to those in need, including animal shelters.
March 9th – Pay for someone’s meal or groceries.
March 10th – Walk a neighbor’s or friend’s dog.
March 11th – Pay for a stranger’s library fees.
March 12th – Surprise a loved one with a homemade gift or meal.
March 13th – Host a virtual girls’ night out or family game night.
March 14th – Feed the birds in a park.
March 15th – Pick up trash and litter in a park or playground.
March 16th – Bake a treat for a family member or neighbor and leave it on their doorstep.
March 17th – Don’t complain or say anything negative for a day. Only think about the positives.
March 18th – Recycle bottles, cardboard, and plastic.
March 19th – Collect new or gently used books for a library.
March 20th – Paint kind words and messages on rocks and place them throughout the town.
March 21st – Make a bird feeder and place it outside your house.
March 22nd – Write thank-you notes for law enforcement, healthcare workers, and firefighters for their efforts in the community.
March 23rd – Help someone with a difficult task.
March 24th – Leave coupons you don’t need throughout a grocery store.
March 25th – Send a gift card to your church, school, or favorite charity.
March 26th – Hold the door open for people you see coming behind you in public places and at home.
March 27th – Let someone go in front of you in line.
March 28th – Buy school supplies and donate them to a teacher or school.
March 29th – Plant a tree in your yard to help the environment.
March 30th – Write positive chalk messages on sidewalks.
March 31st – Call a relative or friend you haven’t spoken with in a while just to check-in.
These ideas are only a few in a list of many. Be creative and have fun—the most important thing is not to limit your 31 Days of Kindness Challenge to just a month. Turn it into a 365 Days of Kindness Challenge and continue to extend love, respect, and kindness in everything you do.