40 Valentine’s Day Random Acts of Kindness
I love doing random acts of kindness! I think the best part is to see the reactions of the unsuspecting people that are on the receiving end. I’m not sure when I first heard about RAKs, as we call them, but I get the biggest blessing out of doing them. It’s even better when you can do them anonymously, and sit back and watch! We always take a day and do some at Christmas time, but I feel like people sometimes expect nice gestures at that time of year, that is why I love to do them all year round!
Share some love this Valentine’s Day!
Valentine’s Day is one of the days we usually do some RAKs. I like to either do them anonymously or let my kids hand them out. You can get really extravagant with the gifts and treats or you can make it really simple. We usually keep it simple so we can do more. When I say treats I mean, a candy bar or homemade cookies. As far as gifts, I mean the travel size lotion or a small candle. It doesn’t have to be fancy to make someone feel loved. We usually attach a small card (which I attached below if you want to copy or print it) and you are done! I promise, it’s simple and such a fun family activity!
Why not jump on board and share the love this Valentine’s Day?!
Here’s some random acts of kindness ideas to get you started:
*Some have links for ideas or extra information!
- Leave treats for the mail carrier
- Visit a nursing home (take chapstick or tissues or make cards if you want)
- Leave cookies or cold drink (in the hot weather) for garbage man
- Give out treats or small gifts to cashiers (gas station, Walmart, grocery store)
- Donate diapers and wipes to a crisis pregnancy center
- Donate food to a food pantry or shelter
- Leave dollars (in the dollar section) toy isle
- Leave snacks and drinks in the maternity wing of the hospital
- Tape quarters to the vending machines in the ER
- Pay for someone’s meal
- Give the waiter/waitress an extra big tip
- Donate a bag of dog food at an animal shelter
- Take food to a shut-in elderly person
- Leave small detergent bottles in the laundry mat
- Give treats to a drive thru worker
- Leave a quarter on the gum ball machine
- Give treats to the bank tellers
- Tape a package of wipes to the changing table at a public bathroom or play place
- Print a coupon for a free Redbox movie and leave it on the machine
- Tape a bag of microwave popcorn to the Redbox machine.
- Pay school lunch balances
- Make a care package for a missionary/military member
- Volunteer at an after school program
- Clean headstones
- Pick up litter on a section of road
- Secretly mow someone’s yard (or rake/ clean up bushes/etc)
- Give treats to (school) bus drivers
- Order pizza and have it delivered to someone (anonymously)
- Donate old coats/clothes
- Make a sunshine basket for a stranger
- Take food to a new mom
- Buy gift cards and hand them out to people shopping/eating in that store
- Pay a bill for someone anonymously
- Donate to a charity in someone honor/memory
- “Candy cane bomb” a parking lot (hang candy canes and an encouraging note on all the cars) You could change this a little for another day of the year.
- Pay for someone’s groceries
- Send flowers to someone anonymously (and randomly)
- Send thank you notes to teachers, coaches, people who have made a difference in your life
- Leave a basket of treats in the teacher’s/nurse’s lounge
- Donate a backpack and luggage for kids in foster care
