There’s much that school cultures can take from these two upcoming national days dedicated to thinking of others.
We all know that 14th February is Valentine’s Day – but did you also know that Monday 17th February is Random Acts of Kindness Day? It seems like a great time to celebrate gratitude and kindness!
Valentine’s Day is changing
In the UK, Valentine’s Day is largely about romance, but it’s increasingly extending into non-romantic territory, with cards to show appreciation for friends and family now being widely available.
This wider definition applies in some other parts of the world too. For example, in Latin America, it’s called ‘Love and Friendship Day’ (Día del amor y la amistad), and in Guatemala, it’s ‘Affection Day’ (Día del Cariño). In Finland and Estonia, it’s strictly ‘Friends’ Day’ (Ystävänpäivä/Sõbrapäev), with people giving small gifts to their friends to show how much they are valued.
What is Random Acts of Kindness Day?
This lesser-known day doesn’t share Valentine’s Day’s high profile but is important nonetheless. It’s a day when individuals perform acts of kindness without expecting anything in return. These gestures can have a far-reaching effect, transforming someone’s day from grim to great with just one little thoughtful deed – and reminding us all that kindness and compassion can be so powerful.
How can we celebrate these in schools?
It’s important for students to know about their country’s culture and traditions – and learning about appreciation and kindness is never wasted time. Teachers and students can use this opportunity to build a culture of kindness while the world around them does the same thing!
Classroom activities could include the following…
- Instead of Valentine’s cards (or as well as!), students could make cards for family members or classmates with messages of appreciation for something good they have done.
- Showing gratitude needn’t be hard. A Post-It wall of notes thanking teachers or classmates for their kindness is easy (and cheap) to do.
- Students could pair up to become ‘Kindness buddies’ for a few days, prompting them to think about being kind and thoughtful.
- Students could also keep a secret kindness diary for a week, detailing all the times they’ve helped others and what the impact was.
Boost your school’s kindness culture
Celebrating affection, gratitude and friendship over these two dedicated days can go a long way to boosting your school’s kindness culture. It reminds students that being considerate and appreciative of others creates stronger social bonds and is something they can do all year round!
Resources
Valentine’s Day literacy resources from Twinkl
Random Acts of Kindness assembly resource (age 7-11) from TES
How did your school or class celebrate?
Share your Valentine’s Day and/or Random Acts of Kindness Day activities with us on social media!
