100 Acts of Kindness

Wherever there is a human being, there is an opportunity for a kindness.

—Lucius Annaeus Seneca

Repairing the world, or tikkun olam, is a core value of our movement. Encourage your JCC participants and staff to share what they’re doing to make a difference in the world as they engage in gemilut hasadim, or acts of loving-kindness.

1. Hold the door open for someone.
2. Share your snack.
3. Do a chore for someone.
4. Tell a joke.
5. Leave kind note for someone.
6. Feed the birds.
7. Collect recycling.
8. Call your grandparents.
9. Pick up litter.
10. Let someone go ahead of you in line.
11. Compliment a friend.
12. Wash someone’s car.
13. Write a thank you note for your mail carrier.
14. Plant something.
15. Start a coin jar and pick a charity to donate to.
16. Walk dogs at the animal shelter.
17. Check in on an elderly neighbor.
18. Set up a lemonade stand and donate the profits.
19. Send a card to a service member.
20. Visit or write letters to a VA hospital.
21. Bury treasure at the playground.
22. Set the table for dinner.
23. Leave bubbles on someone’s doorstep.
24. Tell someone why they are special to you.
25. Donate outgrown clothes.
26. Buy a coffee for a stranger.
27. Pass out stickers to kids waiting in line.
28. Talk to someone new at camp.
29. Write chalk messages on the sidewalk.
30. Start a garden.
31. Donate food to the food pantry.
32. Bring flowers to your counselor.
33. Tell your unit head that you like them.
34. Make us kindness songs.
35. Thank your swim instructor.
36. Donate socks and supplies to the homeless shelter.
37. Call a friend you haven’t seen in a while to say hello.
38. Talk to someone you haven’t spoken to before.
39. Take treats to the fire station.
40. Read a book to someone.
41. Leave heads up pennies on the sidewalk.
42. Donate a book to a doctor’s office waiting room.
43. Tell someone how much you love them.
44. Say hello to everyone you see.
45. Make someone else’s bed.
46. Straighten up someone’s cubby/locker.
47. Hold the door open for someone.
48. Wave at kids on school buses.
49. Leave happy notes around camp.
50. Sing songs at a nursing home.
51. Invite someone to play on the playground.
52. Tell the camp director how great your counselor is.
53. Words are powerful tell someone what they want to (or need to) hear.
54. Turn off the water while brushing your teeth.
55. Say thank you when you see service members.
56. Fill a kindness jar with candy for another bunk/group.
57. Thank the custodians at you JCC/camp.
58. Make a busy bag for a family with young children.
59. Bring cookies to the custodian.
60. Help make dinner.
61. Make a get well card for someone.
62. Bring your neighbors’ garbage cans up for them.
63. Take care of someone’s pet while they’re away.
64. Share a special toy with a friend.
65. Clean up your room without being asked.
66. Tape a video message for faraway friends.
67. Paint kindness rocks.
68. Give a candy bar to the bus driver.
69. Send dessert to another family at a restaurant.
70. Give spare change to the food pantry.
71. Buy extra school/art supplies to the JCC/camp.
72. Thank the camp nurse.
73. Teach someone something new.
74. Reuse paper when you are drawing.
75. Thank the lifeguards.
76. Give someone a hug coupon.
77. Volunteer to do something you don’t usually do.
78. Write a note for someone’s lunch.
79. Collect money or items for your favorite charity.
80. Donate coloring books and crayons to the children’s hospital.
81. Write a poem for a friend.
82. Ask for donations instead of birthday gifts.
83. Help someone unload groceries at the store.
84. Write kindness notes to the police department.
85. Write a letter to a friend highlighting their strengths.
86. Decorate tissue boxes and hand sanitizer for nursing stations.
87. Make a homemade gift for someone.
88. Clean up your toys without being asked.
89. Deliver water bottles to the homeless shelter.
90. Create activity bags for families of deployed soldiers.
91. Give high fives to a friend.
92. Make a thank you card for your local librarian.
93. Dry the slides at the park with a towel after it rains.
94. Help the little kids.
95. Send a postcard to a friend.
96. Collect travel-size soaps and shampoos and donate to a homeless shelter.
97. Make up kindness cheers.
98. Tell someone they are special.
99. Create a calendar to do Acts of Kindness all year long.
100. Smile at everybody. It’s contagious.