366 Random Acts of Kindness (& Link-Up)

Happy New Year, y’all!

After last week’s post about our Random Acts of Christmas Kindness project, I got so many awesome emails and comments from readers, friends, and family telling me how much they enjoyed the post and how they felt inspired to do something similar in 2016! I LOVED it!

And that got me thinking… there’s so much sadness and negativity and ugliness in this world – ESPECIALLY on the internet. But honestly, there’s so much beauty and joy and MORE – why don’t we focus on THAT and do what we can to spread kindness as much as we can? What if instead of just performing random acts of kindness around Christmastime, what if we did random acts of kindness ALL year long?

So, I got to brainstorming, crowdsourcing, and I got to writing. I decided to come up with a list of “366 Random Acts of Kindness” – one for every day in 2016 (you know, since it’s a leap year and there are 366 days this year! haha!). These acts could be done yourself, they could be done with kids, they could be done with your spouse / significant other, etc. These are not just limited to random acts of kindness with children or families.

This list of ideas is meant to inspire you to look for the ways you can serve others every day of the year. Some of the acts of kindness are big ideas and might be a little more “involved” or labor intensive, but there are others that are really simple and could be done any day of the week with very little planning!

And yes, there are some ideas that might be a little similar to each other (cut me SOME slack… I had to come up with 366! haha :)), but I tried to create some diversity in the ideas to really give you a wide range of things to do. Also, the list is not in any particular order – I may go back and “organize” it some at a later date, but for now, it’s just a list.

Now, of course, don’t feel like you HAVE to do each of these and don’t even feel like you have to do one every day in 2016 – this is just to get the ball rolling and get you thinking! It’s also to give you PLENTY of material to work with.

I really hope you love the ideas and I hope it inspires you, even a little, to spread some kindness this year! I know it will bless you! 🙂

366 Random Acts of Kindness

1. 1. 1. Clean up / put back shopping carts in a store parking lot
      2. Pay for someone’s gas
      3. Take new toys to the children’s hospital
      4. Leave a treat on someone’s car for them to find
      5. Write a thank you note “just because” for your mail carrier
      6. Donate food to a local food pantry
      7. Tape change to a vending machine
      8. Take a gift to a local nursing home
      9. Take a thank you card to your local librarians
      10. Take new and / or gently used books to the children’s hospital
      11. Visit a local nursing home and spend some time with the residents
      12. Buy lunch for the person behind you in line
      13. Take needed supplies to a local animal shelter
      14. Make and send a care package to a soldier stationed overseas
      15. Call a dear friend and tell them why you’re thankful for them
      16. Take some baked goods to the local fire station
      17. Hand out “hot hands” to homeless people
      18. Take a meal to a family who could use a blessing
      19. Pick up trash at the park
      20. By someone’s groceries for them
      21. Bring the neighbor’s trash cans up from the street for them
      22. Leave a box of popcorn in a DVD rental machine
      23. Rake your neighbor’s yard for them
      24. Host a fundraiser for a local non-profit or charity you’re passionate about
      25. Leave a note and / or treats for the UPS or FedEx delivery person
      26. Write a thank you note “just because” to your kid’s teachers (if you don’t have kids, consider maybe writing a thank you note to a teacher than you know)
      27. Carry extra umbrellas in your car and hand one out to someone who needs one on a rainy day
      28. Write some encouraging notes and leave them on random cars in a parking lot to cheer people up
      29. Get a handful of balloons and walk around a busy mall or shopping center and hand them out to kids or people who could use a smile
      30. Buy a dozen donuts and hand them out to people on the street
      31. Hand out socks and gloves to homeless people
      32. Take a treat or meal to your neighbors
      33. Offer to babysit (for free!) for a family who could use a night out
      34. Buy a gift card for a friend, show up at their house, watch their kids and make them take an afternoon for themselves
      35. Make an anonymous donation to an organization in honor of someone else
      36. Visit a new mom and/or dad and offer to hold the baby so they can take a nap
      37. Pay for the check of another table at a restaurant
      38. The next time you see a panhandler, ask them what they need. Talk to them. Meet them where they are. Instead of walking past them and not making eye contact, look them in the eye and treat them like a human.
      39. When the painter, handyman, electrician, service person is at your house, offer them some water, give them a snack, etc.
      40. Go leave extra time in the parking meter for other cars
      41. Leave quarters in a place for someone to find
      42. Send a care package anonymously to a sick child
      43. Next time you see a mom or dad in a store with a screaming child, walk up to them and tell the parent they are doing a great job and offer to help them with their cart, bags, or even buy their items for them
      44. Drop a favorite beverage of choice off at a friend’s house… for no reason other than you know they love it
      45. Donate some books to your local library
      46. Leave a thank you note and small gift for recycling and trash collectors
      47. Find some way to honor a personal hero
      48. Stop and help someone replace their flat tire
      49. Intentionally be kind or find a way to compliment someone who is unkind to you or to someone who might bug you
      50. Go to a local laundromat and leave change on the machines
      51. Offer to help jumpstart someone’s car if their car battery is dead
      52. Give up your seat in a public place for another person (not just the elderly or pregnant!)
      53. Recommend a competitor to a potential client if you think that they’ll do the best job
      54. Call and tell ALL of your family members, individually, how much you mean to them
      55. Write a letter of forgiveness to someone from your past
      56. Pack extra snacks and offer them to your co-workers or people nearby you
      57. Pay for the movie ticket for the person behind you
      58. Go to a nearby store and anonymously pay off (or pay down) someone’s layaway item(s)
      59. Take a gift or token of appreciation to your doctor’s office
      60. Make a welcome package for a new neighbor (or someone you know who has just recently moved)
      61. Offer to buy someone’s groceries
      62. Go to an Emergency Room at a hospital and spend 30 minutes there… do one random act of kindness that presents itself (could be helping someone up, getting someone water, pushing a wheelchair, entertaining a child, making someone smile, etc.)
      63. Offer to help someone cross the street safely (the blind, a senior citizen, children, family)
      64. Call a family member you haven’t spoken to in awhile to catch up
      65. Write a note to your spouse / significant other telling them why you love them. Leave it in a place for them to find!
      66. Take a friend to lunch
      67. Plant a tree in your neighborhood
      68. Pray for those who have hurt you in the past
      69. Donate your time and talents to someone who could use them
      70. Spend time volunteering at a local soup kitchen
      71. Make a mix CD for someone of songs that you think they’ll love
      72. Selflessly promote someone else in your life that deserves some promotion or extra support
      73. Clean up a mess you didn’t make
      74. Do a chore for another family member that they usually take care of
      75. Make a handmade gift for someone, just because
      76. Cut someone’s grass for them
      77. Clean someone’s house for them (or feel free to hire a cleaning service to do it!)
      78. Write a poem or a song about someone you love and send it to them or sing it to them (bonus points if you play an instrument!)
      79. Write a thank you note to your parent(s) (If you no longer have any living parents, write a thank you note to an adult in your life who has mentored you)
      80. Go to a dry cleaner and pay for someone’s dry cleaning
      81. Go to a restaurant or store and hold the door open for a bunch of people
      82. If you know someone is having a bad day, send them a care package or do something to make them smile
      83. Instead of asking someone, “How are you?” ask them how they really are… and be prepared to listen… get them talking and really find out what’s going on with that person
      84. Ask someone “Can I help you with anything?” and mean it… really go out of your way to help them
      85. Make a new friend
      86. Go around giving people high-fives
      87. Text 10 people in your phone and let them know you’re thinking about them or ask how you can pray for them
      88. Take a “get well soon” gift to a friend or family member who is sick
      89. Coordinate a “meal train” for someone who needs meals after having a new baby, surgery, illness, or loss of a family member
      90. Whatever you are doing, let other’s go ahead of you
      91. Offer to babysit for a single parent
      92. Donate to Toys for Tots
      93. Anytime someone says “Thank you” respond with “It’s my pleasure!”
      94. Stand outside a grocery store handing out cookies to people as they walk in and out
      95. Take clothes you’ve out grown to a friend who needs them
      96. Pick up a funny card and mail it to someone who you think would appreciate it… just because
      97. Find a way to thank someone who always helps you
      98. Write a hand written note to a friend about WHY you like them and mail to to them
      99. Smile at everyone you walk by and look them in the eye saying, “Hello!”
      100. Give something of meaning to someone who needs it more than you
      101. Tell someone why you love them
      102. If sarcasm is something you speak fluently, try going a whole day or even a whole week without being sarcastic and just being genuine to those around you
      103. Take the time to leave a positive and encouraging comment on a blog you enjoy
      104. Help someone move (if it’s a friend, offer to help pack, etc. If someone is moving into your neighborhood, offer to help them unload their truck!)
      105. Start a neighborhood garden
      106. Tell someone, even if they’re a stranger, if they have something in their teeth (I realize this seems silly, but people would rather know than not know!!)
      107. Start a neighborhood “library” (you can build some sort of structure in a public area in your neighborhood for people to take and receive books)
      108. Loan money on Kiva.com
      109. Start a gratitude journal and carry it around with you everywhere. Anytime you think of something you’re grateful for, write it down. You’ll really start to notice the little things that make life wonderful.
      110. Hide inspirational messages on sticky notes in random public places
      111. Reach out to the family of a deployed service person and offer to watch the kids, take them a meal, or help them out in some other way
      112. Go to a local cemetery and leave flowers or some type of wreath on the graves of people who haven’t been visited in awhile
      113. Go to a department store or clothing store and walk around and clean up the clothes that are strewn about (rehang on hangers, refold, etc.)
      114. Throw someone a surprise party, just because!
      115. Go over to the home of a new parent and offer to do the dishes
      116. Go to a park and plant a tree or shrub in an area that could use some sprucing
      117. Pay the toll for the car behind you
      118. Have a shirt, scarf, piece of jewelry a friend always compliments you on? Get him or her one… just because!
      119. Make an encouraging sign and post it to someone’s front door, bedroom door, car window, desk, etc. – anywhere you know they’ll see it
      120. Forgive someone of a debt… and never bring it up again
      121. Make a scrapbook of memories for a dear friend
      122. Send an encouraging email to a local news anchor and thank them for keeping your community updated
      123. Donate your talents. Offer your photography, writing or sewing skills to a charity.
      124. Join a local charity run / walk for a cause and spearhead the fundraising for it
      125. Offer to do laundry for a new parent
      126. Thank people just for being awesome
      127. Spend quality time, unplugged from ALL technology with your spouse, significant other, child, or other family member
      128. Make a concerted effort to purchase only fair trade / ethical / made in the USA products or clothing
      129. Genuinely compliment a stranger you see in a store
      130. Put money in a tip jar – especially at a place that you don’t normally put money in a tip jar
      131. Send a card to someone stationed overseas
      132. Shovel snow for your neighbors (live somewhere it doesn’t snow? Do some sort of yard chore for them!)
      133. Notice a child being well behaved? Tell their mom or dad and give them a praise report!
      134. Bring a treat or package of donuts to the office to share with your co-workers
      135. Bake a cake or cupcakes for someone’s birthday
      136. Leave an encouraging comment for someone on social media
      137. Let someone have your seat on a crowded bus, subway car, train, etc.
      138. Take on the task that no one else wants to do
      139. The next time someone speaks to you, listen intently and deeply without expecting anything
      140. Offer to buy lunch for your co-worker(s)
      141. Instead of getting mad or frustrated with a telemarketer, be kind to them. They’re just doing their job.
      142. Leave a generous tip for your server at a restaurant
      143. Tweet or Facebook message a genuine compliment to at least three people. Right now.
      144. When you witness someone or a group of people gossiping, butt-in with a compliment or something nice about the person being talked about
      145. Give up complaining for a whole day
      146. Call or text a friend and tell them all the things they’ve done for you that have impacted you in a positive way
      147. Put your phone away when you’re spending time with a friend or family member
      148. For every new piece of clothing you acquire, get rid of an old one
      149. Buy a meal for a homeless person
      150. Compliment someone to their boss
      151. Leave a newspaper or magazine behind for someone else to read at a coffee shop or doctor’s office
      152. Help a parent carry groceries to their car
      153. Help someone with a child carry a stroller up stairs, etc.
      154. Become a mentor
      155. Let the person behind you in the checkout line at the grocery store go ahead of you
      156. Give someone the gift of a book that you think they’d like
      157. Compliment or encourage someone above you (like your boss!) at work (self-employed? Compliment a client or someone you’ve worked with)
      158. Help drive someone to a doctor’s appointment, somewhere they need to go, etc.
      159. Leave sticky notes with positive words of encouragement in public restrooms
      160. Bring someone their favorite beverage as a surprise
      161. Spend time volunteering at your local school or church
      162. Buy a giant box of candy at the movie theater, take one, and pass it around the theater to share with others
      163. Purchase a gift certificate – for anywhere you like – and find a creative way to give the gift card to someone who you know could use it
      164. If you have kids, have them go through their toys and put aside ones that they would like to give to others who are less fortunate (if you don’t have kids, go through your own stuff and find something to give away!)
      165. Adopt a pet. Already have a pet or don’t want another one? Make a donation to a local animal shelter.
      166. Hold the elevator for someone
      167. Find a janitor in your local mall, hospital, store, etc. and thank them for all they do
      168. Help an elderly neighbor run an errand or do a chore around the house
      169. Make it a point to get to know or at least introduce yourself to one new neighbor until you’ve met everyone that lives around you
      170. Spend some time on FreeRice.com
      171. Bring a hot cup of coffee or tea to a security guard
      172. Next time you go out for ice cream, pay for a few free cones to be given to the next kids to come in
      173. If there’s a garden, yard, or home you drive by regularly and you really love and admire it… write a note for the person that tends it and let them know how much you appreciate it
      174. Make a dedication (old school, style!) on a local radio station to all the people who smiled at a stranger today
      175. Make two lunches and give one away
      176. Say “YES” at the store when the cashier asks if you want to donate $1 to whatever cause they’re promoting
      177. Buy lemonade from a kid’s lemonade stand. And leave extra money!
      178. Be extra kind to the customer service rep on the phone… in fact, encourage them in some way
      179. Do the dishes… even if it’s the other person’s turn or “chore”
      180. Offer to take the shopping cart back for someone else
      181. Participate in a beach cleanup
      182. Take a beautiful bouquet of flowers or a plant and drop it off at a local police station, fire station, or other place where they might need something bright and cheerful
      183. Help an elderly person or parent cross the street
      184. If you’re the boss at work (or if you have people underneath you at work), bring them something that they love as a thank you
      185. Help to fix up someone’s home in your community (Look at volunteering with Habitat for Humanity or a similar organization)
      186. Send a care package to someone serving in the Peace Corps
      187. Next time you see a homeless person panhandling… take their order for a restaurant and go pick up a meal of their choice for them!
      188. Praise the work or attitude of a person you work with to someone else in the office – spread POSITIVE “gossip”
      189. When someone is trying to merge into your lane on the highway… let them in and then smile and wave at them!
      190. Put your own shopping cart back where it belongs.
      191. Set up a bird feeder outside an older person’s window at his or her home or retirement community. Stop by often to refill.
      192. Answer the phone when someone calls instead of letting it go to voicemail
      193. Support a local farm by shopping at a farmer’s market
      194. Buy a toy for a kid in your life… just because
      195. Donate blood to a blood bank
      196. Donate platelets to a platelet bank (a lot of cancer hospitals need platelets!)
      197. Donate shoes to a local homeless shelter or organization
      198. If you see a family out to eat (bonus if it’s a family with young children or a new baby!) offer to pay for their meal or even pay for their kid’s meal
      199. Wash someone’s car for them
      200. Fulfill an Angel Tree request at Christmastime
      201. Donate a turkey to a family in need at Thanksgiving
      202. Start a piggy bank for a cause – put all your change in it every day and at the end of the year, take the money and donate it to your cause of choice
      203. Anytime you interact with someone that is wearing a nametag, intentionally state their name and tell them thank you while looking them in the eye. People are surprised when you address them by name, but it really makes an impact on them!
      204. As you go about your day, intentionally clean up any trash you see or clean up any messes you see in public
      205. Send a meaningful photo in a frame to a family member
      206. Call up an older person in your life and ask them to tell you a story about his / her youth
      207. Let the person behind you in line at the store go in front of you
      208. When you stay in a hotel, leave a handwritten thank you note and a nice tip for the housekeeper thanking them for all they do
      209. Leave a stack of coupons for someone to use at the grocery store
      210. Offer to help a friend wrap gifts during the holidays or around birthdays
      211. Have a technology-free weekend with your family and friends – totally unplug and just spend quality time together undistracted
      212. Donate your hair to a worthy organization like Wigs for Kids, Beautiful Lengths, or Children with Hair Loss
      213. Anonymously pay for someone else’s haircut at a salon
      214. Buy a cherry pie and leave it on someone’s doorstep with an encouraging note
      215. When you’re out at a restaurant and you see a couple out on a date, anonymously send their table a bottle of wine or sparkling cider (find out from their waiter / waitress what they prefer!)
      216. Slip a $20 bill into someone’s bag
      217. Find a random baby registry and send a gift to an expecting parent
      218. Buy groceries for a single parent
      219. Sign up to volunteer at a community event
      220. Bring a healthy treat or snack to work or to someone else
      221. When someone posts a “selfie” online, leave a comment with a genuine compliment for that person
      222. Find a donate to a random Kickstarter project
      223. If someone in your neighborhood is out of town traveling, pick up their newspaper or mail and bring it in for them
      224. Next time you’re at the movies, pick out someone behind you in line and tell the ticket seller that you want to pay for their ticket as well (make sure they don’t know who done it! :))
      225. Send a care package to someone you know who’s having a tough time
      226. Leave a nice, encouraging note to your waiter or waitress along with a big tip 🙂
      227. Send flowers to someone who has lost a loved one
      228. Write a note to the boss of someone who has helped you, thanking him / her for having such a great employee on their team
      229. Take a bouquet of flowers to a neighbor for no reason at all
      230. Stop by a hospice ward or cancer ward at a hospital and find out what you can do to help someone
      231. Send a letter to a teacher or mentor from your past telling them something that had a lasting impact on you
      232. Buy a cold drink for your entire row at a sporting event
      233. Make up a basket of fragrant soaps, hand creams and bath salts for an older woman. Every woman, at any age, loves to feel beautiful.
      234. Cook your friend, spouse, or significant other’s favorite meal
      235. When it snows, go around your neighborhood and clean the snow and ice off every car parked outside
      236. Have a “buy local” week and only patronize small, locally owned businesses in your community (get your food from farmer’s markets, eat at small family owned restaurants, support a small business)
      237. Surprise your spouse or significant other with an elaborate date night that you’ve planned totally out
      238. Buy a roll of bright and fun stickers and pass them out to kids as you see them
      239. Open a phone book (if you can find one!) or go to the White Pages online, find a random person’s address and send that person an encouraging greeting card
      240. Start a fundraising drive for a local charity or non-profit
      241. Sponsor a child through Brightpoint for Children, Compassion International, or the 410 Bridge.
      242. Write a letter to someone from your past who has made a lasting impact on you and tell them what they’ve done for you
      243. Offer a little help around the house to an elderly neighbor, friend, or family member by vacuuming, sweeping and mopping floors. Or, help make a bed with fresh linens or fold laundry.
      244. Sign up to be a bone marrow donor
      245. Contact a local Ronald McDonald house and find out how you can help a family that is staying there
      246. Order a mail-order gift, anonymously, for a friend, family member, or colleague who you know could use a smile
      247. Support a friend’s kid at a recital or game
      248. Offer to pet sit for a friend for free when you know they’re headed out of town
      249. Offer to pick up a friend’s kid(s) from school and keep them for the afternoon
      250. Leave a bouquet of flowers at the hospital and tell the nurses to give it to someone who needs it
      251. Buy a family a season pass to the local pool
      252. Take out an ad in a local paper, magazine, or even on Facebook with just some sort of positive or encouraging message
      253. Take some toiletries to a local homeless shelter
      254. Go to a park on a hot day and hand out popsicles to people
      255. Put together a “note kit” with stationery, envelopes and stamps, pen and give to hospital or nursing home
      256. Buy some gift cards to a fast food restaurant and give them to homeless people you see
      257. Hang a sign on a bulletin board at a coffee shop or library that says, “Take what you need.” and have tabs that have words of encouragement
      258. Leave an encouraging note for a neighbor
      259. If you’re a nursing mom, text a fellow nursing mom during night feedings to encourage and support them
      260. Donate diapers to a family in need (check out Diaper Bank Network!)
      261. Bring a pack of mini-hand sanitizers, pens, notepads, etc. to your local Animal Control officers
      262. Take canned dog food, canned cat food, treats, etc. to your local Animal Control office
      263. Buy a public transportation pass for someone
      264. Send a thank you note or offer to order pizza for your local police officers
      265. Donate old professional clothes to an organization like Dress for Success
      266. Donate food to a local group home
      267. Leave a nice letter or encouraging note in a library book
      268. Set up a lemonade stand with some kids (could be yours, a friend’s, a neighbor’s, etc.) and donate all the profits to a local charity or cause
      269. Ask older relatives or neighbors to share their life stories. Offer to record the memories on video or tape to preserve for other family members.
      270. Actively pray for the people in your life – and tell them you’re praying for them when they pop into your head
      271. Next time you see someone you haven’t seen in awhile, give them a compliment that isn’t just something about what they’re wearing
      272. Introduce yourself and strike up a conversation to someone standing by themselves at a party or event
      273. Leave a positive online review for your favorite local restaurant (everyone is quick to share the negative)
      274. Share a positive experience online about a local store you frequent
      275. Instead of selling your old cell phone when you upgrade, consider donating it to a worthy organization like National Coalition Against Domestic Violence
      276. Send a dessert to another table at a restaurant
      277. Tape change to all the parking meters on a street
      278. Give a high five to everyone you see or walk past
      279. Get some sidewalk chalk and walk around writing funny, encouraging, or sweet messages for people to see
      280. Weed or shovel for a neighbor
      281. Tell a manager at a restaurant how awesome the service was
      282. Take an old purse you don’t want anymore and fill it up with toiletries, snacks, feminine products, etc. Next time you see a female homeless person, give it to them.
      283. Buy a lottery ticket for a stranger
      284. When the ice cream truck comes to your neighborhood, offer to buy a treat for all the kids who come running
      285. Leave heads up pennies on the sidewalk
      286. When you see service members, police officers, fire fighters, etc. out in public… walk up to them and say THANK YOU for their service
      287. Ask for donations instead of birthday gifts / presents
      288. Decorate hand sanitizers, tissue boxes, etc. and take them to doctor’s offices, nurses stations at hospitals, etc.
      289. Purchase extra school supplies for a teacher
      290. Send Valentines… in August!
      291. Help someone on ModestNeeds.com.
      292. Do a chore for someone else without them knowing
      293. Spend an entire day refraining from negative self-talk. It’s important to be kind to yourself, too!
      294. Find someone’s random wishlist on Amazon.com and buy something for them from it! Just search a name…
      295. Treat a friend to a manicure or pedicure
      296. Get a big bunch of balloons and walk around handing them out to strangers as you see them
      297. Leave an extra large tip for the pizza or Chinese food or other food delivery person (regardless of service!)
      298. Sponsor a “food drive” and serve as a collection station for people to donate food and then take to your local food pantry
      299. Attend an event important to a loved one. Even if it is something you are not remotely interested in, go out of your way to support your friend, spouse, child, brother, sister, or parent.
      300. Offer to check and install new batteries in an older neighbor’s smoke alarms. While there, maybe change some light bulbs too.
      301. Write letters of appreciation to groups or organizations who are helping the community, the environment, etc. and let them know how much you appreciate what they are doing
      302. Purchase a gift card for a store and leave it, along with a note, on a shelf somewhere in that store for someone to find
      303. If you know of a family dealing with a sick child (I’m talking chronically ill, dealing with a long-term illness or disorder, not a cold or the sniffles…) reach out to them and offer to support them in some way shape or form. Do something for the child. Pray for them.
      304. Drop off gently used magazines, books, puzzles and games to a local senior center.
      305. Leave a package of diapers and wipes on a changing table in a bathroom
      306. If you know someone who is having a hard time financially, send a $5, $10 or $20 bill in an envelope, disguise your writing or type the envelope, and send it to them.
      307. Strike up a conversation with someone walking his or her dog in the park. Ask about the pet and share any pet stories of your own.
      308. Smile at LITERALLY everyone you see and say hello!
      309. Offer to take your neighbor’s dog for a walk
      310. Make some homemade dog / cat treats and take them to a friend or neighbor with a dog or a cat
      311. Make an anonymous donation to a local charity
      312. Volunteer to help walk dogs at a local animal shelter
      313. Make a homemade gift for someone just because
      314. Make a “coupon” book for a friend or loved one that has coupons for things like dates, a shoulder rub, lunch out, etc.
      315. Surprise an elderly neighbor with a home-cooked meal or baked item.
      316. Visit a local school and offer to volunteer in a classroom
      317. If you have kids, at pickup, offer to stay and help the teacher clean up his / her classroom
      318. Take “Get Well Soon” balloons to a hospital and leave them with a nurse to give to someone who is alone
      319. Leave bus / taxi / public transportation fare for a stranger
      320. Have a picture of you and a friend or family member printed, put it in a frame, mail it to them along with a note about a memory you have together
      321. Bring someone a souvenir! Next time you go on a trip, pick up a souvenir for someone that wouldn’t expect one and bring it to them.
      322. Contact a local prison and find out what books or resources the inmates might need
      323. Go Christmas caroling (or, why not just go in public with a group of people and sing some songs!)
      324. Put together toiletry packages for a local prison (I would call ahead of time to find out what specific toiletries they will accept)
      325. Go to a place like Chuck E Cheese, Dave and Busters, etc., and leave a big bucket of tokens somewhere for someone to find and use
      326. If you go to a place like Chuck E Cheese or Dave and Busters, give all your tickets from the games you win to a kid or someone who looks like they would enjoy a big prize
      327. Go to the State Fair or other local fair and give a big prize to someone else
      328. Offer to edit / look over someone’s resume if they’re looking for a job
      329. Donate to or volunteer with the Red Cross
      330. Become a PenPal!
      331. Give stuffed animals to the police station or fire station for kids who are going through tough situations or who might need them
      332. Leave a giant pile of pennies at a fountain and leave a note about making wishes
      333. Nominate a deserving individual for a local community award, find some way to publicly recognize them
      334. If you hear about some sort of natural disaster (flood, hurricane, tornado, etc.) find a way to donate or send help
      335. Donate a copy of your favorite book to a waiting room
      336. Leave a book of stamps and a note by a mailbox at the post office
      337. Find a random Tilt campaign and donate to it
      338. Put together a “salon kit” with things like non-toxic nail polish, a hair brush, lip gloss etc. and send it to a girl or woman who’s sick
      339. Arrange to have kids art work and flowers to be delivered with a Meals on Wheels volunteer
      340. Volunteer to do read to someone at a nursing home
      341. Leave some pretty bookmarks (they could be hand made or purchased) in some books at the library
      342. Leave a gift card to the book store in a book at a book store
      343. Organize a “clothing swap” with your friends – everyone brings clothing they’ve outgrown or don’t wear and you swap with your friends… whatever is leftover, find a worthy cause or place to donate it
      344. Find a random wedding registry and send an anonymous gift to a couple
      345. Put together little care packages with coloring books and crayons for kids in the hospital
      346. Go to the toy section of a store and hide a bunch of dollar bills in random places
      347. Give candy TO the teller at the bank (instead of asking for a lollipop!)
      348. Take a moment to direct someone who is lost, even if you’re in a rush
      349. Film a funny or encouraging video and send it to someone who could use a smile
      350. Bury treasure at a local playground and leave a “treasure map” somewhere for a kid to find so they can have a fun adventure finding the treasure
      351. Make a point of introducing yourself to someone you see all of the time but never say hello to.
      352. Find coupons and go to the store and tape those coupons to their corresponding items on the shelves… that way you know that they’ll be used!
      353. Hold a “Random Acts of Kindness” party – instead of a traditional birthday party or other celebration, organize your friends and get together and go perform some sort of charitable activity or service
      354. Get a Polaroid camera, head to a public place and offer to take pictures for couples, friends, or families, and give them the copy of the picture right away! It will make them smile.
      355. Invite someone over to your house for dinner (bonus points if they are a new friend or new to the area)
      356. Go old school and dedicate a song on the radio to someone you know would be listening during his / her commute
      357. Find a GoFundMe page and donate to a stranger’s cause or need
      358. Find an opportunity to give a compliment to someone who needs it
      359. Create a “holiday” to celebrate someone you love
      360. At Christmastime, fill a Operation Christmas Child shoebox and drop off at a donation center
      361. On a really hot day during the summer, pass out cold water bottles to people on the street
      362. Also on a hot day during the summer, drive around and pass out cold water or cold drinks to construction workers, landscapers, etc. (people working outside)
      363. Thank a veteran. Send a thank-you note to a local veterans’ housing or retirement community or VA hospital – and ask that the note be shared with all the residents.
      364. Buy a big box of donuts, chocolates, or some sort of treat for the office NEXT to yours… drop it off and tell them to have a great day!
      365. If you live near an Aldi grocery store, go to the shopping carts and leave a bunch of quarters in them for people!
      366. Pay it forward (if someone does something nice for you, do that same nice thing for someone else)

   

   So there you have it! 366, yes THREE HUNDRED AND SIXTY SIX, random acts of kindness. What do you think? Will you try any of these out? Any ideas that you would add to the list? What’s a random act of kindness someone else has done for you? I’d love for you to share your ideas and experiences in the comments!

   Welcome to Let it Shine…..the new, revamped Funday Monday! After two years….we decided to rename our link up to something we felt would be a better fit.  Thus, Let it Shine! Why the name? Because we want this link up to be just that…..your chance to let it shine.  We’ll be sharing our favs here each week and on social media……

   / staying warm / statement shoes /

   Another place we will be showcasing our favs?  The Let It Shine Pinterest Board