Mental Health Awareness Month: Teaching Children Kindness

May is Mental Health Awareness Month, a time dedicated to breaking mental health stigma and promoting emotional well-being for people of all ages. In 2025, as conversations about mental health grow more inclusive and proactive, one thing is clear: nurturing mental health must begin early. One powerful way to do this is by teaching children kindness. When children learn to show compassion, empathy, and respect for others, they also build resilience, self-esteem, and stronger social connections — all vital to emotional wellness. Instilling kindness early helps create a foundation for lifelong mental health and a more connected, caring community.

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The Importance of Teaching Children Kindness

Kindness plays a crucial role in promoting children’s mental well-being. Teaching children kindness helps them build strong, positive relationships and creates a supportive environment where everyone can thrive. When kids learn to be kind, they develop empathy, which allows them to understand and care about the feelings of others.

 Engaging in kind acts can:

• Boost Mood and Reduce Anxiety: Performing acts of kindness releases “feel-good” brain chemicals like dopamine and serotonin, leading to feelings of happiness and calmness. 
• Enhance Social Connections: Kind behaviors foster empathy and help children build and maintain healthy relationships, creating a sense of community and belonging. 
• Improve Overall Well-being: Regular acts of kindness can boost self-esteem, encourage compassion, and enhance mood while reducing stress levels.

Listed below are sample activities to help teach kindness.

Activity 1: A Kindness Scavenger Hunt: Fun With a Purpose

A kindness scavenger hunt is a playful and meaningful way to help kids think about others and spread joy. It turns simple acts of kindness into an exciting game that builds empathy, thoughtfulness, and connection.

Start by creating a list of kind actions for kids to complete. Then, send them off to brighten someone’s day!

This activity works beautifully in many settings — from after-school programs and camps to community centers and weekend family time — and can complement broader learning efforts around inclusion and social-emotional development.

Kindness Hunt Ideas:

• Share a game, toy, or snack with someone
• Give someone a hug, if they want one!
• Draw a picture or create something for someone 
• Give someone a compliment 
• Tell a joke or a funny story to make someone laugh
• Hold the door open for someone
• Help clean up after an activity or meal without being asked
• Leave a kind or encouraging note for someone to find
• Give someone a high five
• Ask someone how their day is going
• Invite someone new to join your game or group

After the hunt, gather everyone together and talk about their experiences. Ask questions like:

• Which act of kindness was your favorite?
• How did people react to your kindness?
• How did it make you feel?

These conversations help reinforce the emotional rewards of generosity and show kids that small actions can make a big difference. Download and print our Kindness Hunt to use in your own program.

Activity 2: Make Kindness a Daily Ritual With a Gratitude Wall 

Encouraging and acknowledging kindness becomes easier when you give it a visible, creative focus — like a gratitude Wall.

Hang a large sheet of paper in a central area and invite kids to write or draw about the people and things for which they are grateful. Model it for them first: “ I’m grateful that Jaxson helped me pick up the toys I dropped. It helps children recognize and value everyday moments of kindness, inspiring them to create more.

Discussing observations (Jaxson was helpful), rather than simply actions (for picking up a dropped toy), sparks curiosity and bolsters awareness. Over time, these small gestures make a strong “kindness muscle.” 

Fun Variations to Keep It Fresh

• Kindness Bowl: Leave a bowl with paper and markers nearby. Have kids add one kind act they saw each day, then read them together at the end of the day or week.
• Gratitude Box: Decorate a shoebox to collect daily thank-you notes.
• Painted Rocks or Shells: Write kind words on found rocks or shells and leave them in public places as surprise gifts to others.
• Kindness Tree: Create a mural or cardboard tree. Kids can write acts of kindness on paper leaves and add them to the branches.
• Kindness Chain: Add a paper link for every kind act, forming a growing chain around the room.
• Compliment Circle: Sit together and have everyone compliment another person. Keep track of who receives compliments to ensure no one is left out.

By making kindness visible, fun, and part of everyday life, you help kids grow into thoughtful, caring individuals — one kind word at a time.

Activity 3: Read Stories About Kindness

Reading offers children a safe space to explore kindness and other social-emotional skills. As you read together, ask children what the characters might feel and what clues help them know — can they find hints in the illustrations, relate to the experiences, or recognize emotions they’ve felt before? These conversations can help build vocabulary for kindness.

Some favorite kindness-themed books include:

• Last Stop on Market Street by Matt de la Peña and Christian Robinson
• Let’s Be Kind by Ekaterina Trukhan and Amy Pixon
• A Good Deed Can Grow by Jennifer Chambliss Bertman and Holly Hatam
• How Can We Be Kind by Janet Halfmann and Darla Okada
• The Kindest Red by Ibtihaj Muhammad, S.K. Ali, and Hatem Aly
• Speak Up by Miranda Paul and Ebony Glenn
• The ABCs of Kindness by Samantha Berger
• You, Me, and Empathy by Jayneen Sanders

These stories are perfect for repeat readings and inspire meaningful conversation and imaginative play. Reading stories about kindness to children can help them understand the concept of kindness in different contexts, learn about the positive effects of kind acts, and inspire them to be kind in their daily lives.

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Teaching children kindness through activities strengthens bonds, reminding each person that they are part of a larger, encouraging community. It helps create a welcoming space where social connections can thrive and a true sense of community can flourish. By integrating the above activities, you’re setting the stage to teach kindness in your program.