Make kindness jars | Activities (2024)

You’ll need

  • A4 paper
  • Coloured pens or pencils
  • Sticky tape
  • Craft materials (for example, tissue paper, pipe cleaners, stickers)
  • Clean glass jars with lids (enough for one per person)
  • Things to fill kindness jars
  • Paint (optional)
  • Paint brushes (optional)

Before you begin

  • Use the safety checklistto help you plan and risk assess your activity. Additional help to carry out yourrisk assessment, including examples can be found here. Don’t forget to make sure all young people and adults involved in the activity know how to take part safely.
  • Make sure you’ll have enough adult helpers. You may need some parents and carers to help if you’re short on helpers.

Planning this activity

  • Ask everyone to bring in a clean empty jar with a lid from home. You may want to bring some spares in case anyone forgets or is unable to bring one.
  • You should aim to put in things that you can make at Scouts, such as things that are paper based (such as drawings, poems and letters), but remind people they could put in more items into their jar at home.

To watch in full screen, double click the video

Running this activity

  1. Gather everyone in a circle and explain that you’re going to make kindness jars.
  2. Everyone should get their jars ready. Make sure the jar is empty and clean, and remove any labels.
  3. Everyone should decide who they are making a kindness jar for. It could be a family member, friend, teacher, or neighbour. What memories do you share? How do you want them to feel when they open the jar? Be creative with your kindness - you could write a poem or letter or create a picture.
  4. Everyone should fill their kindness jar. Try putting in jokes, pictures, drawings, letters, or anything else you can think of. You should aim to put in things that you can make at Scouts, but you could put in more items at home.
  5. Now, decorate the kindness jar. You could draw pictures to stick on the outside or paint the jars and let them dry.
  6. At home, people could add in some objects they might like, photos of you both together, their favourite snack, or even put in some wrapped homemade biscuits.

Reflection

This activity was about improving the wellbeing of the people around us, and helping your community by doing kind things for other people. This activity made you think about what makes another person happy, and how we can remind of how much they mean to us with a simple act of kindness.

Story time

  • What is your favourite thing to wear?
  • How could you help someone enjoy something that you enjoy?

Kindness in a jar

  • What does kindness mean to you?
  • How does it feel to be kind?
  • How can you show your kindness?

Safety

All activities must be safely managed. You must complete a thorough risk assessmentand take appropriate steps to reduce risk. Use the safety checklist to help you plan and risk assess your activity. Always getapproval for the activity, and have suitablesupervisionand an InTouchprocess.

Some people may need support to write messages for their jars.

Offer lots of different ideas for putting in the jars and decorating, so there is something suitable for everyone.

All Scout activities should be inclusive and accessible.

Help everyone to give their jars to the person it was made for.

Discover more at https://www.redcross.org.uk/

Encourage everyone to think about who their jar is for and choose things personal to the recipient.

Make kindness jars | Activities (2024)

FAQs

Make kindness jars | Activities? ›

Be creative with your kindness - you could write a poem or letter or create a picture. Everyone should fill their kindness jar. Try putting in jokes, pictures, drawings, letters, or anything else you can think of. You should aim to put in things that you can make at Scouts, but you could put in more items at home.

How to create a kindness jar? ›

Find an old jar and decorate it if you like. Have each child write down a random act of kindness on a strip of paper and add it to the kindness jar. Kids can add more than one strip at a time if they are inspired, or you can go more slowly and have kids contribute one idea each day, until the jar is filled up.

How does a kindness jar work? ›

The beans/items are added to the jar for each kind act that someone notices someone else doing. Share with each other when an “act of kindness” is noticed. The sharing can happen when the family is together, such as during a meal.

What are the rewards of the kindness jar? ›

When a child does or sees a kind act, they can add one pompom/piece of candy/stone/gem to the jar. When the jar is full, offer a reward: a trip to a playground, a delicious treat or a surprise adventure! Label the jar. Start filling the jar when kind acts are done!

What do you write in a kindness jar? ›

Be creative with your kindness - you could write a poem or letter or create a picture. Everyone should fill their kindness jar. Try putting in jokes, pictures, drawings, letters, or anything else you can think of. You should aim to put in things that you can make at Scouts, but you could put in more items at home.

What do you put in a positivity jar? ›

This jar can be filled with positive words, comments or affirmations. The purpose of the jar is to use it whenever you are feeling sad and need to remember all the positive things about yourself. A number of example slips have already been made that you can put in your jar.

How can I make a gratitude jar? ›

Use a favorite glass jar, container or even a colorful bowl or box. Cut small pieces of paper to record your gratitude statements on. Decorate your container with ribbon, yarn, or tissue paper.

How do you make an encouragement jar? ›

Make a label for your jar using the paper and permanent marker. Glue it to the outside of your jar. Fill the jar with the encouragement cards. Every morning, or whenever your child needs a boost, pull an encouragement card from the jar!

What does Wendy's kindness jar exemplify? ›

Explanation: Wendy's 'kindness jar' is an example of a token economy.

What do you put in a blessing jar? ›

Tied around the neck were a sparkling pink bow and a tag that read, “treasure each blessing.” Tucked inside the little blessing jar were paper strips and a tiny pencil. The suggested use is to write down blessings as they occur in the coming year.

What do you put in a reward jar? ›

With the Marble Jar, teachers can frequently and easily reward desired behavior. Each time students exhibit a desired behavior, the teacher places a marble in the jar. Use marbles to support the behaviors that need the most attention. Once the jar is filled, the class earns a group reward.

How do you make a self care jar? ›

Self Care Jar
  1. Step 1: Gather Materials. We use a variety of containers, mostly from $1 store, but I like see through jars the best. ...
  2. Step 2: Ideas. When I do this activity with students, we brain storm ideas as a group and I write them down on the board. ...
  3. Step 3: Decorate. To make things fun, we decorate the sticks.

What do you put in a kindness box? ›

First of all - find a suitable gift box or bag - decorate it and make it your own. From fidget spinners, feathers, and sparkly glitter cubes to therapy putty, bubble wrap and smooth stones... add in something fun to fiddle with!

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