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Blog » Truly Happy » 101 Random Acts of Kindness – Simple Ideas to Make A Difference
Man hugging dog as act of kindness

101 Random Acts of Kindness – Simple Ideas to Make A Difference

“No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted.” – Aesop

When’s the last time you did something for the greater good? Not because someone told you to, or because you felt compelled out of a feeling of guilt. Not because you wanted to share it on your Instagram and feel validated by getting over 100 likes. When’s the last time you did a random act of kindness, just because?

The science-based benefits of being kind have been proven time and time again – it stimulates the production of serotonin, reduces anxiety and even makes you live longer. Paying it forward with a charitable act is also one of the easiest things to do, yet not that many people do it.

While a lot of people think of good deeds as grandiose gestures like spending weeks at a Sudanese refugee camp or donating a portion of your salary to save the turtles, it’s those small everyday acts that have just as much power. Viral stories like people helping strangers pay for groceries are responsible for inspiring other acts of kindness. So much so that kindness has been likened to some sort of contagious virus by scientists- one you’d actually want to get.

As part of a powerful initiative to teach kids the value of compassion and empathy, a school in Ireland assigned daily acts of kindness in lieu of December homework. For a month, students did things like reach out to an elderly individual or take care of their own mental and physical well-being. The result is reportedly overwhelmingly positive and deemed to be a huge success.

Though it’s great to get kids started with the habit of paying it forward from an early age, it’s really never too late to start spreading the kindness contagion. Here are 101 creative random acts of kindness ideas to show to someone else – anywhere, anytime.

Free Acts of Kindness

Positive Notes Acts of Kindness

1. Have an afternoon visit with the elderly

2. Bake cookies or cake for a neighbour

3. Put together care packages with toiletries for the homeless

4. Stick notes with encouraging words all over town

5. Participate in a charity run or walk

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6. Collect old clothes and make parcels to distribute to the needy

7. Help a new mom — babysit so that she can get some sleep or pamper time

8. Distribute a box of chocolates as an appreciation gift to those in service to your community (police, nurses, postman, firefighters, etc.)

9. Take a neighbour’s dog(s) for a walk

10. Help an elderly neighbour do some household or gardening chores

11. Read a story at a children’s shelter

12. Write positive affirmations and quotes on paper and hand them out

13. Make encouraging bookmarks to leave in random books at the library

14. Make activity packs for the local hospital’s children’s ward

15. Donate books or puzzle books to the adult wards

16. Clean the house for someone who needs help

17. Donate gifts to children in foster care

18. Share some online love by giving a review to a random business or author

19. Dedicate a few hours to only saying something kind or encouraging to strangers

20. Help a stranger load groceries in their car

21. Spend time with a lonely family member

22. Make a coupon book for elderly family members who may need help

23. Help the elderly with some grocery shopping

24. Donate old toys and blankets to a children’s shelter

25. Offer to tutor a struggling student

26. Join a mentoring program for troubled children

27. Donate your hair to charity after a haircut

28. Make contact with a friend, just to say Hi

29. Donate food to a food drive

30. Volunteer to serve at a soup kitchen

31. Hand your family members each a list of things you love about them

32. Instead of birthday gifts, request donations to a chosen charity

33. Spread positivity – for a whole day, refrain from saying anything negative

34. Sacrifice something you love in exchange for sponsorship and donate all collected funds to charity

35. Support local small businesses by leaving an online recommendation

36. Compliment a parent about what a good job they’re doing. They need to hear those words

37. Donate used books to schools and libraries

38. Listen to stories the elderly have to tell. Even if you’ve listened to them before

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39. Help someone declutter their home

40. Instead of buying new clothes, arrange a swap night. Walk away with new clothes while getting rid of the old. What’s left can be donated

41. Cut out coupons, leave them in envelopes at random homes

42. Volunteer at an elderly care facility

43. Be there for a friend who is having a tough time

44. Practice patience by refraining from road rage

45. Start a friendly conversation with 10 strangers

46. Leave old books on buses or trains with an encouraging note for whoever finds each one

47. Help someone find a job

48. Cook a meal for a family with a new baby

49. Have a “tech detox” day — focus on genuine relationships with people around you

50. Make sandwich packs to hand out to the homeless around town

51. If you are musically inclined, play some music or sing at a nursing home

52. On trash day, bring your neighbours’ bins in

53. Offer to run errands for a busy friend

54. Wash a neighbour’s car

Environmental Acts of Kindness

Girl planting tree act of kindness

55. Pick up litter

56. Plant a tree

57. Collect recyclables

58. Pick up dog poop on the streets

59. Remove the weeds for your community garden

60. Feed the birds in your local park

61. Plant flowers for the bees

62. Start a community vegetable garden

63. Opt to walk, cycle, or carpool to economize your car use

64. Build or buy a compost bin for use in gardens

65. Assist in a drive to get abandoned animals adopted

66. Visit an animal shelter

67. Volunteer to help treat or clean at an animal hospital

68. Help save water by closing any open faucets or fixing leaky taps

69. Buy some canvas grocery bags and hand them out to fellow shoppers

70. Reduce the amount of meat you eat

71. Buy someone a plant

Monetary Acts of Kindness

Woman holding change to make a change

72. Buy some doughnuts and deliver them to someone random

73. At the grocery store, pay a bit extra toward the next person’s bill

74. Buy vouchers at a coffee shop and hand them out

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75. If allowed, add change to someone’s parking meter

76. Leave coins on a couple of machines at your local laundromat

77. Buy a bouquet to hand out on the street

78. Buy or cook a meal for someone in need (individual or family)

79. Volunteer at a homeless shelter

80. Assist with a fundraiser

81. Plan a surprise birthday party for someone

82. Send a card, letter, or care package to deployed soldiers

83. Hire a housekeeper or nanny for someone

84. Pay the toll fees for the next car(s)

85. Buy extra school supplies for a child in need

86. Sponsor an underprivileged child’s school lunch for a week or month

87. When eating out, buy your waiter a meal

88. Hide money at random around town for strangers to find

89. Pay library fees upfront toward anyone who may need it

90. When purchasing a movie ticket, pay for the person behind you

91. Arrange a “welcome” party for a new family in the neighbourhood

92. Buy lunch for a police officer or nurse on duty

93. Buy dessert for a family at a restaurant

94. Take someone out for lunch or coffee

95. Ask friends to join you in sponsoring a day out for a children’s shelter

96. Sponsor an underprivileged senior for prom

97. Bring treats to the office for your co-workers

98. Surprise someone with event tickets

99. Have a bouquet or a gift delivered to someone anonymously

100. Pay for someone else’s gas

Last But Not Least

101. Share the most contagious thing – a smile

One of the biggest challenges that we face is to step out of our comfort zones; this list will help set that ball in motion. So, challenge yourself and those you know to pay it forward and carry out some random acts of kindness to someone else today. You’ll have some fun while doing it and we promise it’ll feel great. Which of these random acts of kindness are you carrying out today? Even if it’s just small acts of kindness, you can make a big difference!

Random Acts of Kindness

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  • Free Acts of Kindness
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  • Monetary Acts of Kindness
  • Last But Not Least

Rae Oliver November 4, 2020

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