These 20 service projects will help your kids learn that life isn't all about them.

20 Random Acts of Kindness for Kids and Families

In a culture of more give than take, kids can be used to having every whim indulged and every wish granted. Yet it’s important that we help children understand that God calls us to give more than we take. Doing random acts of kindness and family service projects are a great way to teach kids about serving others in Jesus’ name.

Come see practical ways to get the whole family involved in loving others like Jesus and the diligence of hard work.

PIN THIS RESOURCE:

What are random acts of kindness for kids?

These Christian random acts of kindness are simple service projects that kids and families can do together.  As followers of Jesus, we’re to give of our time and talents to help those in need. Doing small random acts of kindness helps spread the Good News of the Gospel and humbly serve like Jesus.

“Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in various forms.” 1 Peter 4:10

What are the benefits of kids doing random acts of kindness?

As Christian parents, we don’t have to settle for the ways of the world when raising our children. By doing acts of service together, we teach children the joy of serving others by rolling up our sleeves and doing hard work.  Hard work is a lost trait among modern kids, and doing random acts of kindness combats the teachings of a selfish culture.

Serving together will not only make wonderful memories and strengthen the family, it will enhance character and foster understanding in children that life is not centered around them.

How to create a random acts of kindness jar

First write down the service projects that would be suit your children. To make it easy, join our Proverbs 31 Mentor community and simply download our free Acts of Service Cards.

Then, use two containers and have your kids decorate the outside.

In one container, put the cut apart Acts of Service cards. We folded ours to make it more of a surprise which random act of kindness we were going to do.

Every time you do a Random Act of Kindness either together as a family or individually, add one cotton ball to the other jar.

Keep the jars in a visible place to remind everyone to regularly spread the love of Jesus through acts of service. Celebrate when your jar is full!!

Random Acts of Kindness for Kids of All Ages

This list will allow kids of all ages to participate and learn young the beauty of service.  Have fun!

1-4 years old

  • Assist in baking cookies for someone in need of cheer
  • Draw or color a card
  • Learn and sing a song for an elderly neighbor
  • Plant flowers or a plant to give away
  • Help assemble a gift basket
  • Choose toys and items to donate to those in need

5-10 years old

  • Read a story aloud to a neighbor in need of comfort
  • Help make and stuff lunches for the less fortunate
  • Make a meal for someone who’s sick or recovering from surgery
  • Clean a room in the home of someone else
  • Earn money to give to an organization or to someone in need
  • Create thank you gifts for local law enforcement officers or fire fighters

 

10+ years old

  • Yard work
  • Mentor young children
  • Volunteer for an organization, such as a homeless shelter or soup kitchen
  • Go on a mission trip {younger children can go with a parent}
  • Clean up parks
  • Volunteer time to sit with a neighbor and talk
  • Run errands for those who are unable to themselves
  • Adopt a family in need, and consistently do random acts of kindness to help
  • Wash cars

>> Grab your free Acts of Kindness Kit here! <<

Our random acts of kindness goal for this week is to bake cookies for our elderly neighbors and to have the kids make a card. They love to help!  What’s one way your family likes to serve together?

30 Comments

  1. What wonderful ideas. I think I’ll have my kids pick some of these to do throughout the summer. We have the children serve around the house and be part of what makes our family work. Just today my middle child was upset because he doesn’t have to do so many chores at his mom’s; he is my stepson. I told him how I was raised that we did much of the cleaning and were raised that was part of our job. Hard to have different standards for him because I want to raise him up in the way that he should go, but I only get to throw seeds at him and hope that God is creating a fertile heart inside him. Some acts of service might make a difference in teaching him to love outside of himself.

    1. What a practical and fabulous idea that serving doesn’t have to start with others. It’s a blessing to serve your family!

  2. These are some great ideas, I don’t have a family yet but this is something I will def keep in mind for when I do.

    1. Families come in all shapes and sizes, so just chip in where you can with the family size you have. 🙂

  3. My dad is a pastor and goes to India with a team from our church every other year or so. We plan on having our son go through his toys and give away many puzzles and other things that he rarely uses. He is 3 years old and watched a video of the little children there and I can already tell it touched his little heart!

    1. I LOVE this idea! Thank you so much for sharing and inspiring others to do the same!

  4. What a wonderful blog post on true Christian service, and starting from when kids are very young! And you give such great specific suggestions and thoughts on it! Thanks – I think this is really great!

    1. You are so sweet, Clare! May it encourage families to roll up their sleeves and start serving!

  5. These are great ideas. My girls are still young but they love helping bake cookies for others and making pictures for them too. I believe if our children see us act out kindness to others they will learn to be kind to others.

  6. Fun ideas! My boys are pre-k so sometimes it’s hard to find things they can be involved in, so I really appreciated your suggestions!

    1. I agree. Those little ones always want to help and finding a project for them can be tricky. 🙂

    1. I think it’s so important to teach our kids this concept at an early age. Thank you for stopping by!

  7. I LOVE this post, Sarah Ann! It is so important that we teach our children to serve as our Savior modeled for us.

    We enjoy helping our elderly neighbors and serving at the local retirement community. May the Lord bless our efforts for His kingdom.

    May He continue to fill your cup to overflowing!

    1. Wonderful, Heather! I think it’s such a forgotten population and so important that we minister to them. Many blessings to you and your sweet family for helping!

  8. What a fantastic idea. Young kids especially like activities like baking cookies and making cards, so I love the concept of having them know that they’re doing these activities to make someone else happy.

    1. I love it, too! It’s a great idea to get the kids involved at an early age, too!

  9. Many of these are on the list for my First Grade religion students; items I model after my own sons’ experiences. (My students decorated tissue boxes that I get at Oriental Trading and then my boys would deliver them to a local nursing home during the dreary winter months. Always a win-win!) I particularly appreciate that you include tasks for children 1-4 years of age. It is never too soon to start learning empathy!! Thank you so much for this fabulous post. #SITSBlogging I am also pinning to #PinItForward!

    1. Thank you so much for pinning and for offering your fabulous ideas! What a sweet thought to take the tissue boxes to nursing homes. I love it and am going to add it to my own list as well.

  10. We like to invite people over for coffee. It’s a simple way to serve, and everyone loves homemade baked goods. My kids pitch in (as much as a 1 and 3 year-old can) to bake and entertain, and we enjoy a good time of fellowship with friends. Thanks for the list, Sarah Ann. So glad I came across your site tonight from Mommy Monday.

    1. It’s so sweet that your littles love to help entertain! What a great skill to learn young!

  11. I have friends that do dog rescue, so I have offered up my kids to help wash dogs, since they are 12, 10, and 8. We also help at preschool at church, and helped set up for VBS and collect donations for a VBS missions project. Our scout troop also do community service on a regular basis. At home, we bake cookies for single moms, and offer to help with plumbing and repair problems. I hope we are instilling a love for others in our children.

    Just as an aside, my husband is out of work, and I have picked up 2 jobs to put food on the table. I’ve had one friend invite us over for dinner. It sure would be helpful if other friends would do the same. We are retired military, and we don’t live near family, and is been harder to transition than we ever thought it would be. Companies say they hire vets, but really only for entry level positions, for which my husband is very over qualified.

    1. Great idea for service projects for the family! I think you are so right about looking out for the needs of our friends and neighbors. So often we are not sensitive to what other families need, and it’s time to open our eyes. Many blessings to you and your family in your husband’s job search. I know personally just how hard that can be for a family and I will be praying that God provides soon!

  12. Our favorite way to serve has always been to take baked goods to our neighbors. Second to that is to take a full meal to friends and neighbors who need a lift.

Leave a Reply to Sarah Ann Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *