Random Acts of Kindness: 12 Fun Ideas For Families

12 Random acts of kindness ideas for families to do together, to discover the blessings of serving others.

Redeeming the Time

I don’t believe there will ever be such a thing as too much family time. There are far too many precious hours sucked away each day by things of little value.

I know that I am guilty of wasting precious time that I will never get back. And in this crazy, distracting, fast paced world I’m inclined to think that maybe you are too. Will I really look back one day and wish that I had spent more time cleaning my home, browsing the internet, obsessing over feeding my family the absolute most healthy meals, or allowing my perfectionist tendencies to overwhelm me?

I’m 100% certain that the answer is no, and if I’m honest I’m embarrassed that I would even need to ask myself these questions in the first place.

Friends, we aren’t guaranteed another single day of life. Let’s redeem the time we have left and not only be there for our families, but use it all for God’s glory!

Serve One Another

I want to spend time serving, laughing and cuddling with my husband. Time teaching, loving on, playing and giggling with my children. But I also want to spend time serving others with my family. Even though the world around us likes to make us believe the opposite, we were actually created to serve one another.

Not ourselves.

There is so much joy that comes from the simple act of placing others first, or going out of our way to meet a need and show kindness. My husband and I desperately want to instill the character traits of a servant’s heart into our children. Serving together as a couple or as a family is a genuine joy!

I do realize that the list below is not exactly a list of random acts of kindness, more like planned acts of service. However, the impact and results are just the same. There’s no better way to teach our children the importance of gratitude and serving others than leading by example.

Random Acts of Kindness For Families

1. Bake a bunch of cookies together and deliver them to your neighbors. This is such a simple way to get to know your neighbors better, and show that you care. It’ so easy to pull into the garage, shut the door behind us, and never make much of an effort to interact with our neighbors. Let’s break that habit, get out of our comfort zones, and be friendly!

2. Rake leaves, shovel snow, pull weeds, mow grass for an elderly or disabled person. Kiddos of all ages can easily help rake, shovel, and pull weeds. Keep an eye out for homes in your neighborhood that you could reach out too. It could be that they’re physically unable to do the work themselves, or other circumstances prevent them from being able to get around to it as often as they’d like to. Please give them the benefit of the doubt and offer a helping hand.

3. Make homemade cards and prepare goody bags to hand out to nursing home residents. This is one that we have yet to do, but I’m hoping to be able to around Christmastime! I imagine that many of the residents at nursing homes and assisted living facilities don’t get as many visitors as they once did. They need to know that they are still a valuable member of society. Offering them a smile and short and sweet card or little bag of goodies is a sure way to make them feel appreciated!

4. Prepare food or serve at a soup kitchen. It is such a humbling eye opener to go and serve those who are struggling in this way. Friends, if you are reading this post today, you are blessed. God has given you resources, wealth, and gifts so that you will use them for His glory. Please take time to serve those in need.

Some soup kitchens do have age limits on actually serving the food, but children of any age can easily help cook and prepare meals that are brought to the kitchen.

5. “Adopt” a deployed soldier. Write them letters. Send photos and care packages to thank them for their service and let them know that they are not forgotten. Taking a few minutes out of your day to send a hand written letter every couple of weeks could make a world of difference to these men and women.

6. Go to a local dog shelter to mingle with the pups and pass out dog treats. We did this last year and although it was heartbreaking to not be able to rescue them all, it definitely put a smile on our faces to see their little tails wagging in excitement from the attention and treats. These sweet creatures just need some love <3

7. Support a local bakery by purchasing a dozen goodies. Then drop them off for the employees of a favorite business of yours (bank, general store, hair salon, library, etc.)

8. Go out to dinner as a family. Pay for the meal of a couple or family dining in the restaurant. Then bless the waiter with a nice tip! Make it memorable, have fun choosing the family together. What an exciting way to brighten someone’s day!

9. Prepare and deliver some freezer meals for an expectant mother. This simple act can be such a huge help and unexpected blessing to an expectant or new mother whose days are often filled with exhaustion.

10. Go shopping for a family in need. Gather your family together to go Christmas shopping for a family who can’t afford gifts this year or simply pick up some groceries for a family who is barely making ends meet. There are needs all around us!

11. Visit an elderly person at their home for no other reason than to offer them companionship. Make them feel valued and cherished. When I was a teenager my mom took my younger brothers and I to visit an elderly man that she met through a friend. He wasn’t able to get out much anymore and his wife had already passed away. I’m certain that my mom’s kindness did his heart a world of good.

At one time these men and women were active, social, capable members of society. Many of them were young parents raising little ones just like you and me. And although they may not have as much energy as they once did, they can offer us a world of wisdom if we’re willing to lend an ear. Please seek opportunities to lift them up.

 12. Serve the homeless men and women on the streets. This is another one that may be best for families with older children, as some homeless areas in the inner city may be in more dangerous parts of town. Make them a bagged meal (soft foods are best- sandwiches, fruit, cookies etc.). Hand out water if it’s hot, warm hats, gloves, blankets in the colder months. Start a conversation with them. Pray with them. Be Jesus to them.

I hope that this list of random acts of kindness ideas is helpful to you! If you have any additional ideas that you’d like to share please do!

Bible Verses On Serving Others

For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” (Galations 5:13-14)

Even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” (Matthew 20:28)

In all things I have shown you that by working hard in this way we must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’ (Acts 20:35)

For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’ (Matthew 25:35-40)

Whoever is generous to the poor lends to the Lord, and he will repay him for his deed. (Proverbs 19:17)

Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth. (1 John 3:18)

What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. (James 2:14-17)

Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. (Galations 6:2)

Only fear the Lord and serve him faithfully with all your heart. For consider what great things he has done for you (1 Samuel 12:24)

For there will never cease to be poor in the land. Therefore I command you, ‘You shall open wide your hand to your brother, to the needy and to the poor, in your land.’ (Deuteronomy 15:11)

Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality. (Romans 12:9-13)

Showing Kindness is Not Equal to Sharing the Gospel

And one last tiny tip =) For those of us who are Christians- although it is a joy to serve others and should be a natural response of our decision to follow Christ…I pray that we would never look at our acts of kindness as being the same thing as sharing the gospel with someone.

The idea of the “social gospel” is not a Biblical one. Yes, we should be thrilled when the opportunity arises for us to show kindness to someone. However, that act of kindness doesn’t have the power to save a soul. And if we truly believe what we claim to believe then it would be most unloving for us to meet a physical need, while habitually neglecting a much greater spiritual need.

I know that not every opportunity we have will be one to actually share the gospel, but please be aware of those precious opportunities and pray that God will give you the words to share His gift of grace with those you cross paths with.