Make the World a Better Place

20 Quick and Easy Random Acts of Kindness to Brighten Someone’s Day

Did you know there’s actually a day set aside for Random Acts of Kindness? How cool is that? It was officially on February 17 (in 2020, that is), but I say any ol’ day will do. Unnecessary kindness is the BEST, isn’t it?

Sometimes it’s the littlest things that make the biggest difference. God uses His people every day to love on and encourage our fellow humans, so let’s explore some easy, inexpensive ways to unexpectedly brighten someone else’s day! Let’s make the world a better place one random act of kindness at a time.

1. Pay for the person’s order behind you in the drive-thru. I love doing this and I love it when someone does this for me! 
2. Take your kids’ teachers a drink from Sonic. Ask them what their favorites are and surprise them from time to time. 
3. Take dinner to your neighbor. Just bring him or her a serving of what you’re having! Bonus points for taking dessert, too. 
4. Call your grandma. She’d love to hear from you.
5. Send a card just because. (To an old friend, a former teacher, or someone who made a difference in your life)
6. Leave an encouraging note for your boss or coworker. How unexpected and kind! 
7. When out to eat with a group, everyone tip a little (or a lot) extra, adding up to a huge deal for the waiter. I saw this idea on Facebook. How cool is that?! 
8. Pray for someone you don’t know. (A stressed-out mom, a sad-looking person you see, the person in the ambulance driving by)
9. Anonymously pay for an elderly couple’s meal (or someone eating alone) at a restaurant. 
10. Tell someone they’re doing a great job (a waiter, cashier, grocery stocker, teacher, hostess). Let’s get real: they probably never ever hear those words from anyone. 
11. On trash day, take your neighbor’s trash can back up to their house for them.
12. Pick up trash from a neighbor’s yard, a common area, or a neighborhood park. 
13. Visit a nursing home or rehabilitation center. If you plan ahead, call and let them know you’ll host a game of bingo and bring prizes for the residents! (My son’s student council does this, and it’s simply fantastic.)
14. Give a $5 or $10 gift card for lunch to the sanitation crew who picks up your garbage each week to let them know you appreciate them.
15. Leave out snacks and drinks for delivery people who come to your door. 
16. Take a rose (or a bouquet of flowers) to a single mom or widow, just so she knows you’re thinking of her.
17.  Keep stickers in your purse with encouraging words like, “Way to Go!/You’re Awesome!/Keep it Up!” to hand out randomly to cashiers, waiters, drive-thru workers, baristas, stressed-out mamas in Target, their kids…you get the idea.
18. Offer to bring your hairstylist a coffee, drink, or lunch when on your way to your next hair appointment. 
19. Let someone go in front of you in the check-out line at the grocery store. (You know…if your basket is overflowing and they only have six items.)
20.  Offer to take a single (or busy) mom’s kid to practice, to a movie, or for a playdate at your house. You never know how helpful and life-saving that could be for her.

Here’s the gist: Be unnecessarily kind. If you notice something good, SAY IT! If you know of someone who needs help, DO IT! If you see a need you can meet, GO FOR IT! Those little things really do make a big difference. Research shows the quickest way to get out of our own funk is to serve other people. It really IS better to give than to receive. Happy RAOKing!