Spread the love this holiday season with simple acts of kindness to friends, strangers, neighbors, and classmates! For so many families, the beginning of winter is a time of joy when we gather with loved ones to give thanks and share laughter. Incorporate a few of these ideas into your family’s winter routine to spread cheer and brighten someone’s day! When children practice generosity, they build a sense of empathy. This helps them grow to become kind, compassionate adults. With these small gestures, you may even start a chain reaction of kindness and inspire others to pay it forward! Let’s fill this year with joy and celebrate the magic of kindness.

10 Ways for Families to Spread Love and Kindness

Make holiday cards for residents at a nursing home.

Get your kids involved in a creative project by coloring and delivering holiday cards to a local nursing home. Many seniors can’t get outside or see loved ones due to health problems. They will love receiving a card that puts a smile on their face and warms their heart.

Surprise a neighbor or a friend with a personalized gift.

Delight your neighbor or friend with a personalized gift that is uniquely made just for them! For a neighbor’s child, spark a love of reading with a custom kids’ book like The Magic in Me. Personalized with the child’s name, skin tone, hairstyle, and more this inspirational story celebrates every child’s unique differences that make up a colorful world! If your friend is having a baby, surprise them with a personalized children’s book to celebrate their baby’s first Christmas. A personalized gift like Our Family’s Night Before Christmas is a keepsake for the whole family that features their names. The matching, personalized ornament is a beautiful decoration for the tree to mark the occasion.

Hand out treats to friends or classmates at school.

Encourage your child to spread kindness at school by delivering sweet treats. Add a note with a compliment or kind message to spread happiness. And who knows, your child may even make more friends in the process!

Bring blankets, food, and toys to a local animal shelter.

A kind gesture has the power to make a big difference. Donate supplies to an animal shelter. By giving the animals food, warm blankets, and toys, you are improving their health and happiness.

Leave happy notes in mailboxes.

Spread love and cheer to neighborhoods with surprise happy mail. These simple notes will deliver smiles to so many families.

Learn about multicultural winter holidays.

One important way families can show love and kindness is to develop a greater awareness and understanding of people’s winter celebrations and cultures.

Call a grandparent and ask about their day.

Sometimes the simplest gesture can make the biggest impact. An unexpected phone call brightens someone’s day. Whether you live close or far away, call a grandparent and let them know you are thinking of them. When children express their love for a family member, they nurture that special bond and grow the relationship.

Pick up litter at a local park.

This act of kindness is a fun activity for the whole family. By keeping parks clean, you improve the park experience for visitors, wildlife, and the entire community.

Make a bird feeder to feed wildlife and put out warm water for birds.

Winter can be tough on animals. Give back to local wildlife by creating a homemade bird feeder. You can also put out warm water for the birds to drink and bathe. If the water is warm, it won’t freeze as quickly in colder temperatures.

Put a dollar inside piggy banks for sale at the store.

Imagine the delight of a small child who looks inside their newly purchased piggy bank to find money inside! This random act of kindness will put a smile on their face and make their day!

We hope these simple acts of kindness inspire your family to spread love and cheer all winter long!