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What is a Kindness Challenge?
A Kindness Challenge is a printable activity where kids complete 16 good deeds, like holding the door, giving a compliment, or sharing a snack, and color in a heart for each one. It’s a simple way to teach kids gratitude and kindness during November and Thanksgiving, and is perfect for at home, in classrooms, or in after-school programs.
November is the season of gratitude, and there's no better time to show kids that being thankful and being kind go hand in hand. One of the best ways to do that with kids is a Kindness Challenge. It turns small, everyday good deeds into a game kids can see and celebrate. Every kind act gets a colored-in heart, and every heart is a reminder that kindness adds up.
How should I use the Kindness Challenge?
This challenge is perfect for classroom parties, family gatherings, after-school programs, or a cozy Thanksgiving break at home. Below you'll find how the challenge works, all 16 kind acts from our printable sheet, 10 bonus ideas for the Thanksgiving season, and tips for kids from preschool through grade school.
How the Kindness Challenge Works
The Kindness Challenge sheet has 16 kind acts, each with its own heart. Kids complete an act, color in the heart, and see how many they can fill.
Here's the basic flow:
- Print the sheet. Have kids write their name and a start date at the top.
- Pick a time frame. Whatever works for you, whether it's one week, Thanksgiving break, or the whole month of November.
- Do the kind acts. Kids can go in order or pick whichever they feel like that day.
- Color in the hearts. Each finished act gets a heart colored in.
- Reflect and celebrate. At the end, review the kindest thing they did, how being kind made them feel
Hang the sheet on the fridge, a classroom bulletin board, or a bedroom door so kids can watch their hearts fill up.
The 16 Kind Acts on the Sheet
Each act is small enough for young kids to do on their own or with a little help. Here's what's on the printable:
- Hold the door open for someone
- Give someone a compliment
- Do a favor without being asked
- Say thank you to a helper, like a teacher or bus driver
- Share a snack or a toy
- Invite someone new to play with you
- Help clean up, even if it's not your mess
- Draw a picture for someone special
- Write a kind note and give it away
- Smile and say hi to 5 people
- Help with a chore at home
- Let someone go first in line
- Call or video chat a grandparent or relative
- Cheer on a friend who is trying something hard
- Pick up litter (with a grown-up)
- Say something nice about yourself!
That last one matters. Kindness starts with how we treat ourselves, too.
10 More Ways to Spread Joy This Thanksgiving Season
Finished all 16 hearts? Keep the kindness going with these November bonus acts:
- Donate a toy or book you've outgrown. Give it to a family or shelter that could use it.
- Pick out food for a food drive. Let kids choose a few cans or boxes at the store and drop them in the bin.
- Bake a pie or fall treats with a grown-up. Deliver a plate to a neighbor.
- Make a bird feeder to help birds get ready for winter. A pinecone rolled in seed or an orange half filled with birdseed both work.
- Start a family gratitude jar and add one thing you're thankful for each day.
- Help rake leaves or tidy the yard for a neighbor (with a grown-up).
- Give warm mittens, hats or a coat to a winter clothing drive.
- Read a Thanksgiving story to a younger kid, like a sibling, cousin or buddy.
- Teach someone a favorite fall game or craft, like a handprint turkey or a family card game.
- Put part of your allowance in a charity bucket or donation jar.
Kindness Challenge Variations
You can tailor the challenge to your group or setting:
- At home with little ones
- Read each act out loud and act it out together first. Let kids color the heart right after each act so the reward feels immediate.
- Family challenge
- Give everyone their own sheet, grown-ups included. Compare hearts at dinner and share the kindest thing each person did.
- Classroom or program challenge
- Post a big class version on the wall. Each time a student completes an act, they add a sticker. Set a class goal, like 100 kind acts before Thanksgiving.
- Countdown to Thanksgiving
- Combine the 16 sheet acts with the 10 bonus ideas for 26 days of kindness, one per day from November 1 through Thanksgiving on November 26.
Ways to Celebrate Finishing the Challenge
When kids fill their hearts, celebrate the kindness itself. Ideas include:
- A "Kindness Star" certificate or badge
- Heart or fall-themed stickers
- Hot cider and a family movie night
- Letting them pick a family activity or class game
- A spot on a "Kindness Wall" displaying finished sheets
- A special mention at dinner or in morning meeting
Tips to Make Your Kindness Challenge a Hit
- Keep it age-appropriate: Younger kids can aim for a few hearts a week. Older kids can try to finish all 16 plus the bonus list.
- Model it: Kids copy what they see, so let them catch you doing kind acts too.
- Talk about feelings: Ask how being kind made them feel. It builds the connection between giving and joy.
- Team up: Pair younger kids with older siblings or classmates to tackle acts together.
- Focus on effort, not perfection: Every heart counts, whether it's 3 or 16.
A Kindness Challenge is an easy way to put gratitude into action this November. Whether you're at home or in the classroom, it's a chance to connect, give thanks, and give back together. Print the sheet, color in those hearts, and watch kids light up as their kindness spreads.
Kindness is free — sprinkle it everywhere!
