Remember those bumper stickers encouraging us to practice random acts of kindness? It’s a great idea – if we all spent more time being kind, for no real reason other than kindness itself, the world would be a better place. But easier said than done, right? It’s so important to teach kindness to children, starting at a very young age. Helping kids find ways to be kind can be tricky though.

Try this:

Make a magic wand from a stick, straw, or toy that the child can use as their magic kindness carrier. Any time he touches the wand to another child, the receiving child must say or do something kind for the first child. For example, Sophia taps Jose with the wand, and Jose says, “Sophia, I like the way you passed me the ball on the playground today at recess.” Then Jose can take the wand and tap another child.

Here are some kind things for the kids to say or do if they get stuck:

• Say one nice memory with the other person
• Help someone clean up a mess
• Hold the door open for someone
• Set the table for dinner
• Invite someone to play on the playground
• Make a get well card for someone

The possibilities are endless! Small random acts of kindness can transform a class or family into a thoughtful, considerate group. It’s worth spending time to make kindness an important part of your class or family’s routine.