“Be kind whenever possible. It is always possible.” -- Dalai Lama
Nobody knows who started Do Something Nice Day, but we can be glad that someone thought of it! It may seem unusual to have a special day to tell us to be nice to others, since it should be something that comes naturally to all of us. But as with many “special days,” it’s worthwhile to take an opportunity to remind ourselves how important this idea is.
A kind word, a kind deed, or a smile – these are things that benefit all of us. Some people say the best part of doing something nice for someone is noticing how you feel after doing it.
Let’s share a smile! Provide students with pre-cut circles in all shapes, colours, and sizes. Have them add happy faces and talk about what makes them happy. Explain that some people need a smile to remind them how special they are every day. Tell students to take their smiles and pass them out to other people in the school. Don’t forget the office people, the custodian, the bus driver, and the parent volunteers. As they pass out the smiles, they can say, “Have a great day!”
After the smiles have been distributed, ask students how people reacted. How did they feel themselves about doing something nice? Who else could they give smiles to?
Ask students how they feel when someone does something nice for them. Brainstorm or make a mind map of small things that they might do to make someone else feel good. Share ideas. Invite each student to make a plan to celebrate Do Something Nice Day by doing 5 nice things for others. At the end of the day, share the good deeds and ask students how it felt to do something nice for someone else. Remind them that doing something nice every day makes everyone feel good!
Ask students to use emotion words to describe how they feel when someone does something nice for them. As a class, brainstorm ways that the students could do something nice for their school. Could they plant or weed a school garden? Could they clean up the school yard? Could they write thank-you notes to the Principal, the office staff, the custodian, the teachers, or parent volunteers? Maybe they could reach out to the kids they see during outdoor breaks that seem to be alone or sad.
The possibilities are endless. The important thing is to make doing something nice for somebody else an important part of today and every day!