33 Simple Ways to Share Random Acts of Kindness

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More Giving

Random Acts of Kindness Day is February 17, but why not spread kindness year-round? Here are some inspiring ideas!

holding a painted kindness rock

Throw kindness around like confetti🎊

Looking for ways to give back or bless someone with a random act of kindness? We’ve come up with a list of easy ways to spread kindness so you can fill your community with positivity!

People could always use a little extra kindness, so this will be a great way to involve the whole family, focus your attention on helping others, and pay it forward!

Read on to feel inspired and grab our FREE printable before you get started!


girl leaving surprise money on a gas tank random act of kindness

We all know that giving is so much more rewarding than receiving, so feel free to use our ideas as a helpful tool to start thinking about how your family can come together and model selflessness. I even made a free printable for inspiration plus a blank one if you’d rather come up with a unique list all your own!

Download my FREE Random Acts of Kindness printable now!

Or use the blank printable to create your own.

hand holding pay it forward printable

It’s worth noting that your ideas can be simple acts of kindness that don’t cost a thing or they can be bigger projects where you go all out! Regardless, any act of kindness will make a difference – no matter how big or small.

There’s no timeline for kindness, so you and your family can go at your own pace or set a goal date to accomplish your list.


clothes and household items to donate

1. Collect & donate unused household items and clothing.

This is something the whole family can easily participate in, and it’s also a great way to make room and declutter your home. Have the kids go through their toy boxes for unused toys, gather clothes that no longer fit, and don’t forget to check that game closet for anything collecting dust!

Make sure to also check out our 4-week clean-out challenge if you’re looking to do a serious detox in every room (don’t worry, we have a printable for that too). Then, donate to your favorite charity, or host a garage sale and donate proceeds.


groceries donated during COVID-19

2. Deliver food to people in need.

There are a plethora of food banks needing your help right now, or you could also consider calling your local shelter to see what food items are needed most. Better yet, if you’ve been stockpiling groceries in your pantry, this idea might not cost you anything if you can shop your own pantry.

You could also turn this idea into your very own food drive! Food banks can always use extra hands with organizing so get the family together, make some posters, and count and sort donations from loved ones to deliver the donations to the local food pantry.


woman on kitchen floor with two dogs

3. Make a difference for an animal.

Sometimes those in need have four legs and a furry tail! You can help dogs and cats in many ways including fostering, adopting, or even volunteering for a couple of hours at an animal shelter near you. You can also consider donating other needed items to your local animal shelters such as blankets, food, and dog toys.

Hip Tip: We often post awesome pet-related deals, so make sure to check them out before you purchase anything for your donation.


little girl reading a book

4. Lead a book drive.

Make sure everyone has books to read! Encourage literacy by collecting new and gently used books from your home, friends, neighbors, and family, and then donate them to your local school, library, or women’s shelter.

Better yet, you can put fliers out for a community pick-up and set a date to gather all the book donations.


blessings bag

5. Curate care packages for those affected by homelessness. 

Consider collecting small personal care items and making “Blessing Bags” for those experiencing homelessness. Your family can help put them together by filling freezer bags with items like travel-sized shampoo, a toothbrush, soap, granola bars, clean socks, gift cards for food, and more!


young woman reading a book to an older man

6. Visit a nursing home.

Any surprise visit to a nursing home will brighten someone’s day. You can show up with a little care package or bless them with your time – either way, it’ll be sure to delight them. The gift of your time will mean so much to someone in a nursing home.


man using a weed trimmer

7. Adopt or help a family in need. 

Maybe there’s a family you know that is struggling or a parent who could use a little extra help. You could volunteer to babysit, tutor kids, help with housework, walk their dog, or even help with their yard work.

As another idea (and if your budget allows), consider surprising a family or person in need with some basic groceries or a grocery store gift card to help lighten the load! If you’ll be buying the groceries yourself, you can even plan for them to be delivered directly to their door!


girl sticking money to a gas tank random acts of kindness

8. Plan ways of surprise giving and acts of kindness.

Surprising random strangers unexpectedly feels so good! For ideas, you can grab some cash and leave it in unexpected places like a gas station or vending machine, pay for the person behind you in the fast food or Starbucks drive-through line, or you could even grab some 5 or 10-dollar gift cards and hand them to strangers as you walk down the street!

Don’t have a budget for this? Surprise someone with a nice compliment, or a friendly smile – as those are totally FREE and can still turn someone’s whole day around. 🙂


writing a soldier a thank you letter as acts of kindness

9. Lift a soldier’s spirits by saying “Thank You.”

Looking to spread a little kindness to some very deserving individuals? Write letters of gratitude or put together a simple care package to send to the troops. Check out websites like OperationGratitude.com or TheUSO.org for information on how to donate. Plus, this is even a great activity for kids to practice their writing skills! Win, win!


man running in marathon next to woman

10. Run or walk for a cause. 

Get the whole family moving together to benefit a great cause! Participate in a local run or walk that raises money for a charity that’s important to you and your family. Participants usually pay a registration fee and collect pledges, and in return enjoy a fun run or walk outdoors that’s likely to become a tradition year after year.

You can find upcoming events by searching on Facebook, or visit Active.com to search in your area and narrow it down by date.


Looking for more ideas? The random acts of kindness don’t stop there!

notepad on tray with pen & glasses

11. Leave a kind note for someone.

12. Introduce yourself to a new neighbor or coworker.

13. Share words of encouragement on social media.

14. Return someone’s shopping cart for them.

woman holding plate of sugar free chocolate chip cookies

15. Surprise a friend or neighbor by delivering homemade baked goods to them.

16. Thank your child’s teacher. They could probably use a little morale boost right now.

17. Give someone – anyone! – a compliment.

18. Donate blood if you’re able to do so.

19. Pick up litter around your neighborhood.

man holding up 50% off jcp mystery coupon

20. Leave a coupon on the matching product at the store.

21. Allow someone to go ahead of you in line.

22. Ask your child’s school if you can donate gently used children’s books to the school library.

23. If you notice an employee doing a great job, let their supervisor know.

basket of snacks

24. Thank your delivery drivers with this free printable and some refreshments!

25. Insert coins into someone else’s parking meter.

26. Volunteer in your local community. Not sure where to start? This service can help you connect with worthy organizations near you.

27. Put your skills to work for a person in need. Help someone polish their résumé, assist a neighbor with a technology issue, etc.

28. Call or text someone who hasn’t heard from you in a while. Send a physical “thinking of you” card if you really want to blow their mind!

girl painting kindness rocks

29. Paint kindness rocks with your kids and hide them on your next walk.

30. Send a thank-you note to a local fire department, police department, healthcare facility, or school.

31. Bring in your neighbor’s empty garbage cans on trash day.

32. Write a glowing online review for a business you love.

33. Smile at people as you go about your day! 😊


Have some more ideas to add to this list? Leave them in the comments below!


About the writer:

Lina has a Bachelor's Degree from Northern Arizona University with 11 years of blogging and photography experience having work featured in Today.com, Martha Stewart, Country Living, Fox News, Buzzfeed, and HGTV.


Join The Discussion

Comments 24

    • BobbyAnn34

      There are many things on this that I never thought of, like mac and cheese is great, but it needs milk and butter, stuff like that. I will put more thought into my donations. Thanks!!

    • Christine

      Thanks. This was really helpful.

    • breanna-2

      You know I never wanted to give cold items because I didn’t know they had places to store them. Good to know.

  1. Amy

    Great ideas! Thanks!

    • Lina D (Hip2Save Sidekick)

      Thanks Amy!

  2. Momof3superkids

    Some very good ideas🌟Thanks! There’s something everyone in the family can do👍

    • Lina D (Hip2Save Sidekick)

      Yes! Agree and thanks for stopping by!

  3. Shoppingfan

    Thanks for these ideas. We already do several but it doesn’t hurt to always have additional ideas. Thanks 🙏🏾

    • Lina D (Hip2Save Sidekick)

      You’re so welcome!

  4. Carissa Parr

    Another idea is to volunteer for Lasagna Love. You bake as many or as few as your schedule will allow, for anyone who wants one. I’ve delivered to vets, cancer patients, young moms. All on my schedule. They’ve got a great system set up and my local leader is really organized.

    • Lina D (Hip2Save Sidekick)

      Wow this sounds very awesome – thanks for sharing!

  5. sturgissaver

    I made up a random Acts of Kindness Ament calendar this year. Many items you already have on the list, but a couple more I had.
    Tell a stranger a (clean) joke
    Ding dong dash (leave a treat on a porch, right the doorbell and RUN!!)
    Volunteer to babysit for a neighbor or friend

    • sturgissaver

      That should say Advent…

    • Lina D (Hip2Save Sidekick)

      That is so awesome!

  6. Beth

    Love all these ideas. We are gonna make some kindness rocks today! Now, will someone please link where Collin’s cute pink v-neck tee is from in the above picture? Thanks

    • Jessica (Hip Sidekick)

      Have fun painting your rocks today, Beth! 🪨🤗 I’ll check with Collin and get back with you with details on the shirt. 💗

    • Jessica (Hip Sidekick)

      Hi again! Collin’s shirt is from Walmart, linked here! 💕

  7. Kay

    Awesome post. Thanks for highlighting how wonderful (and easy) it is to show kindness.

    • Lina D (Hip2Save Sidekick)

      Oh thanks so much Kay!

  8. Ursolina

    Lina, thank you for sharing your loving heart ♥️ 🙂

    • Lina D (Hip2Save Sidekick)

      Oh thank you for your sweet comment Ursolina! ❤️❤️❤️

  9. SavingsMama

    ♡♡♡ Love these ideas! We need sooooo much more kindness in the world. Let’s make sure we especially encourage our kiddos! Young, teens and teens to be kind to all their classmates, not just close friends. Thank you H2S 😊

    • Collin (Mrs. Hip)

      You’re very welcome! 🥰

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