Random Acts of Kindness Day is here! Whose life can you uplift today?

Photo above by Ditto Bowo used by permission via Unsplash.

Hey Kidsburgh readers: We’re glad to tell you that today, Feb. 17, is Random Acts of Kindness Day in the U.S.

The Random Acts of Kindness Foundation (RAK) was founded in 1995, and the first Random Acts of Kindness Day was celebrated in New Zealand in 2004. The idea behind it is simple but powerful, and so are the ways you can make someone’s day better: Just being kind to a server at a restaurant or an employee in a store is a random act of kindness. Offering to run errands for a neighbor or picking up some donuts for your office-mates while your out at lunch totally qualifies, too.

What might you do today?

RAK has lots of ideas and a whole curriculum available for teachers and other caregivers. They also offer printable coloring pages and posters to share kindness with your kids. And we can all find a ton of inspiration from the many Kidsburgh Kind Kids that you’ve all let us know about.

Meet Ariel Heywood, who made sure a new classmate at preschool didn’t sit alone at lunch:

Meet Aaban Mahmood, who used his quarters to help others at the grocery store (and stay tuned for more news about Aaban, who recently found more ways to help his community!)

Meet Laurel Liprando, who helped another child feel comfortable at the local park.

Meet Daisy Girl Scout Troup 28016, who got together to help rescue food and  Jeona Parson, who shared some of her own groceries to make sure others wouldn’t go hungry.

Meet Aaron Fisher and Ella Boyers, who both pick up trash to help make the Pittsburgh region a more beautiful place.

Meet Ellwood Paracat, who helped a younger boy at the bike park feel more confident riding.

We’ll be writing about more Kidsburgh Kind Kids in the months to come, and we encourage you to tell us about a child you know who has done a random act of kindness. We’d love to celebrate their effort and share it with the community.

And check out this month’s guest editor essay, co-written by a mother and daughter, about spreading kindness throughout the community.