Random Acts of Kindness Week for Kids: A 7-Day Family Plan

Random Acts of Kindness Week 2027 runs February 14 to 20, with Random Acts of Kindness Day on Wednesday, February 17, according to the Random Acts of Kindness Foundation. Here is a seven-day family plan with one act a day for family, neighbors, school, your community, animals, the planet and yourself. Each act takes 10 to 30 minutes, uses things you already have, and keeps your child safe. It builds on the ideas in our guide to kindness activities for kids, by age, so use that list when you want more options.

Quick answer: how do we do Random Acts of Kindness Week with kids?

• When: Sunday, February 14 through Saturday, February 20, 2027. RAK Day is Wednesday, February 17.
• What: One small act a day, following the seven themes in the table below.
• How long: Ten to thirty minutes per act, with a grown-up for anything that involves people outside your family.
• Keep it kind, not competitive: No scoreboards, no prizes, and no pressure to post.

When is Random Acts of Kindness Week 2027?

The Random Acts of Kindness Foundation lists RAK Week 2027 as February 14 to 20 and RAK Day as February 17. Valentine's Day falls on the first day of the week, which makes Day 1 a natural place to start with the people at home. Monday, February 15 is Washington's Birthday, also called Presidents' Day, a federal holiday, so many schools will be closed. That makes Monday a good day for a neighborhood walk.

The Foundation's website also lists free resources for families, including kindness-at-home lesson plans, challenge booklets, coloring pages, Kindness Bingo and a 2027 kindness calendar you can download. You do not need to buy anything to take part.

What is the 7-day plan?

Day	Date	Theme	Act	Time
1	Sun, Feb. 14	Family	Everyone writes one specific thank-you to each person in the house and leaves it somewhere surprising.	15 min
2	Mon, Feb. 15	Neighbors	Take a walk and deliver a drawing to a neighbor, with a grown-up knocking and doing the talking.	20 min
3	Tue, Feb. 16	School and friends	Invite someone new to join your game or lunch table, and thank one adult at school with a note.	All day
4	Wed, Feb. 17	RAK Day: community	With a grown-up, leave a kind chalk message where allowed, tuck a kind-note bookmark into a library book (ask the librarian first), or thank a local worker.	20 to 30 min
5	Thu, Feb. 18	Animals	Refill the bird feeder, wash the pet bowls, or draw a thank-you card for an animal shelter.	20 min
6	Fri, Feb. 19	The planet	Pick up litter with gloves and a grown-up, avoiding anything sharp or unknown, or plant seeds in a cup.	20 min
7	Sat, Feb. 20	Yourself	Rest, do a favorite activity, and say one kind thing to yourself the way you would to a friend. Hang up the week's notes.	15 min

What supplies do we need?

Most of it is already in your house. Gather a few things on Saturday, February 13 so the week starts smoothly:

• Paper, washable markers and tape for notes and drawings
• Sticky notes for the "surprising places" note on Day 1
• Sidewalk chalk (if your street or park allows it)
• Gloves and a bag for litter pickup
• Birdseed or a clean pet bowl
• A cup, soil and seeds for the planet day
• A calendar or sheet of paper to mark each day with a heart

How do I adapt the week by age?

Age	What it looks like
3 to 4	A grown-up writes while your child draws. Pick the shortest act each day and do it side by side.
5 to 7	Your child writes a few words, chooses the recipient and helps with the delivery.
8 to 10	Your child plans the act, gathers the supplies and leads the reflection at bedtime.

How do we keep kindness toward strangers safe?

Acts that reach beyond your family are wonderful, and they work best when a grown-up is in charge of the safety piece.

• Stay together. Do any act involving people outside your family in a public place, with a grown-up doing the talking and handing-over.
• No food or gifts for people you do not know. Allergies and safety make this a firm rule. Kind notes, chalk messages and thank-yous are better choices.
• Do not enter anyone's home. Deliver at the door, together.
• Ask first. Check rules before you chalk, post notes or leave anything in a shared space, and ask the librarian before tucking notes into library books.
• Think before you post. If you share on social media, consider leaving children's faces and names out.

Does it have to be "random"?

Not really. A little planning makes more kindness happen. The plan above gives each day a theme, and the details stay up to your child. Let them choose which neighbor gets the drawing, what the chalk message says or which animal gets the card. To keep some surprise, try a "kindness radar" walk: spot three things someone could use help with, then choose one to do.

What if we miss a day?

Then you missed a day, and that is all. Kindness does not have a streak to protect. Pick up wherever you are, double up on a calmer day, or skip a theme that does not fit your week. If someone is sick, the "Yourself" day can happen first, with a cozy blanket and a drawing for a family member. The week is a frame for noticing kindness, not a test.

How do we share kindness without bragging?

Teach your child to tell the story from the other person's point of view: "She smiled when she opened it" instead of "Look what I did." A family kindness log, with one line a day, is a quieter keepsake than a photo. If your child wants to share, let them choose, and keep the focus on the cause or the person helped. Nightly, ask three questions: What did you do? Who did it help? How did it feel? If your child enjoys drawing or writing the answers, our kids feelings journal guide offers ways to start.

Does practicing kindness actually help?

One study offers a hopeful sign. In research published in PLOS ONE, 415 students ages 9 to 11 in 19 Vancouver classrooms either did three kind acts a week for four weeks or visited three places a week. Both groups improved in well-being, but the kindness group gained more peer acceptance. It is a single study, so treat it as an encouragement, not a guarantee. A seven-day week is a good start, and the four-week stretch in that study is a nice goal to aim for afterward.

Is there a classroom version?

Yes. Because Monday, February 15 is a federal holiday, many schools can run a four-day version from Tuesday to Friday: friends on Tuesday, a community note on RAK Day (Wednesday), animals on Thursday and the planet on Friday. The Foundation's website lists free K-8 lesson plans, which can save teachers planning time. Keep participation optional and unscored.

What comes after the week?

Keep the momentum going with the daily habit of a small mission. Our free daily mission tool offers a surprise act any day. If your child enjoyed the week and wants a longer adventure, The Kindness Quest has six double-sided mission cards (home, friends, animals, our world, secret kindness and yourself), a map, a Kindness Keeper ID and a certificate. It runs one mission at a time over several weeks, so it is a follow-up rather than a seven-day plan. Browse the kindness and gratitude collection for more.

Related reading: our 14-day Valentine's kindness countdown leads right into this week, and our Giving Tuesday plan for kids is a good way to bring kindness back in the fall.

Make it magical with Wonderkin

Wonderkin Adventures is a small shop run by a working mom and veterinarian who loves her daughter. Our kindness quests turn everyday good deeds into screen-free adventures with maps, mission cards and certificates, so kindness feels like an expedition. Explore the full kindness and gratitude collection.