Christmas is a time for giving and what better way to give than to perform random acts of kindness. The world could always benefit from more kindness, generosity, charity, and giving. We have put together a list of acts of kindness you could perform this season. Hopefully, this will inspire you to be more giving this year.
Donate toys to your local charity
Have a good clear out of all the toys the kiddies don’t play with anymore, or toys you seem to have accumulated over the years without realising, by donating them to your local charity. These will go to children you perhaps don’t have toys or get Christmas presents. Make a child smile this Christmas by donating toys to the charity of your choice.
Donate food to your local food bank
If you have non-perishable foods or food that you don’t want this Christmas, give it to your local food bank. The foods will be packaged up into care packages for people who can’t afford much this Christmas and can take food home to their families or for themselves so they have something this Christmas. It’ll make a big difference and help them this Christmas.
Even better, add a few extra items to your trolley when you do your supermarket shop this Christmas and add them to the food bank box when you leave.
- Find out what to donate at The Trussell Trust in the UK
- In the US look up Feeding America
Donate books to a children’s hospital
If you have any old children’s books you no longer read, make sure they’re clean, and donate them to a children’s hospital. Despite it being Christmas children sometimes have to spend their Christmas in hospital. Donate books this Christmas, Christmas related or not it is sure to make a child smile this Christmas by escaping into a fantasy world of books.
Take supplies to an animal shelter
This Christmas go to your local animal shelter to donate essentials they would need for their animals this winter season. Give them a call or email to see what they would need or like, make a day of it and take the donations to the shelter and spend time with the animals. Take essentials like:
- Take blankets
- Food
- Treats
- Toys
- Beds
- Food bowls
- Cleaning fluids and or sprays
- Old bedding sheets, etc.
- Plastic sacks
- Money
Help out at your local homeless shelter
Give your local homeless shelter a call to see if they need any volunteers this Christmas period. Help out in the kitchen or donate clothing, bedding, toiletries, arts and crafts supplies, board games and of course food, books and toys. Helping out this Christmas will give you a chance to talk to people this winter season and spread Christmas festivities, doing arts and crafts with them and playing games.
Bake treats for the neighbours
While making your cookies this Christmas make a few extra for your neighbours, friends and postman. It’ll be a sweet surprise for them all and a sweet thank you for them this season.
You could even enjoy a cup of tea or coffee with them while eating one of your delicious treats.
Make a thank you card for your postman
As another thank you to those delivering cards and presents around houses this Christmas. Give them a sentimental card thanking them for their reliable service all year round.
It could even be a homemade card that yourself or the kiddies made for everyone this Christmas.
Hold the door open for someone.
An everyday random act of kindness you can do every day. When out and about open the door for someone, hold it open for someone especially if you can see their hands are full or they’re in a rush.
It’s the same with keeping the lift door open for someone as well as a gate. Stand and wait a few extra seconds to make someone’s day.
Offer to wrap peoples presents
If you know someone’s busy or had a rather tough time lately, offer to wrap their presents for them, as long as they aren’t for you obviously.
This is a fun activity for you to do with that person who needs a helping hand this Christmas, you can listen to some Christmas tunes, eat some yummy treats whilst you wrap those presents for the big day.
Take your grandparents Christmas shopping
Christmas shopping can be quite stressful as we all know, and nowadays we often just do all our shopping online. We all know that perhaps shopping online can be a task for our grandparents, who would rather go out and buy the gifts to ensure that they are perfect for their family, especially their grandchildren!
Put together a shoebox for your local church
Put together a box of various activities, toys and treats for adults and children this Christmas and give them to your local Church. From there a Church service will be held where they pass out the boxes to the children and adults while food and drinks are served.
Write Christmas cards for family, friends and neighbours
Writing Christmas cards may be part of your Christmas tradition, if not make it one! That way you can make a tradition of making your own cards, as a family you can design and craft your own cards and send them to your family, friends and neighbours. Each one could be personalised for the person receiving the card, a kind and sentimental card for them to remember this Christmas.
Let someone go in front of you in a queue
Christmas is a busy time of year and we can all sometimes be in a rush to get somewhere. Even if it isn’t busy, why not let someone go in front of you in a queue, if it’s at a shop, a coffee shop or supermarket, this random act of kindness will surely make that persons day.
Call a family member just because
Christmas is a time for family, friends and companionship. It can also be a busy time where we may forget to thank people or just have a catch up with family and friends you haven’t spoken to in a fair while. This Christmas call that person you keep saying you ought to call to see how they are and wish them a happy Christmas and good health during this season when it can be cold, frantic and sometimes lonely for some.
Pay for someone’s coffee or drink
Pay for the person behind or in front of you’s drink, whether you’re at your local coffee shop or at a cafe. Christmas is a time for sharing spreading love and happiness and of course kindness. So this Christmas pay for someones coffee or drink, maybe even their muffin if they’re getting one, it is sure to brighten up their day if they are on their way to work or on their way back from work.
What random acts of kindness will you do today?
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