Kids' kindness jar for December: twenty-four easy ideas

How a kindness jar works

There are two parts. First, the jar of slips: each slip has one kind act written on it, short enough for a child to read or hear once. Second, the shelf: a chart where each act is a jar you fill from 0 to 5 as it happens. The slips decide what to do today, and the shelf shows the month of kindness building up.

It works at home, in a classroom or in a group of cousins. Everyone can add an act of their own, which matters, because a child who thought of the idea does it with pride.

Twenty-four ideas, one for each day

• At home (8): set the table, tidy a shared room without being asked, make someone's bed, pour a drink for a sibling, give up the best seat, thank whoever cooked, help carry the shopping, sort toys to donate.
• With friends (8): invite someone to play, share a snack, write a kind note for a classmate, include the quiet one, say sorry kindly, give a compliment, hold a door open, clap for someone's effort.
• For neighbours and the world (8): a card for a neighbour, feed the birds, donate a book, draw a picture for a care home, pick up litter on a walk, make a handmade gift, read to a younger child, bake for someone who lives alone.

Match the act to the age. Very young children do well with acts that take a minute and have a clear result, such as sharing a snack. Older children can take on a longer one, such as a bake for a neighbour.

Set it up in ten minutes

Open the kindness preset. It starts with twelve acts for children. Swap in your family's own, then let each child add one jar. Tap a jar each time the act is done and watch it fill.

To make the slips, print them. Choose the large size for little hands and the Done on line for a date, or small slips if you want a jar full of tiny folded ones. Ink-saver prints in outline, handy for classrooms where every child gets a copy to colour in.

Make it a December habit

• Draw at breakfast. A child picks a slip, reads it out and the day has a job.
• Share one at supper. Everyone says one kind thing they saw. It does not need to be their own.
• Colour the jar before bed. The fill level is the child's own: how much did it feel like kindness today?
• Leave space for rest. Some days are for tired, and the jar can wait. Two slips tomorrow is fine.

After the 24th

Take a photo of the shelf and keep it with the decorations. In January, move the three fullest jars into a regular routine, such as thank-you notes on Fridays. For a gentler family countdown, see the twelve days of cosy jar, or the advent activity jar.