25 Random Acts of Kindness – Christmas Advent Calendar

Count down to Christmas this year with 25 Christmas Acts of Kindness! If you’ve been looking for simple ways to slow down and focus on the joys of giving during the holiday season, we’re here to help with ideas for random acts of kindness that cost little to no money.

Use the link below for a free printable list – you can use it as a starting point to plan a few random acts of kindness ideas for kids, or use it as a 25 Days of Christmas Kindness Advent Calendar and try to cross off one act of kindness each day.

Do you find this list overwhelming? You don’t need to do them all, just pick one and you can make a difference in the day of a friend, family member, or even a stranger. Or just plan on 5 to start with and then pick 5 more when those are complete.

This list is family-friendly, meaning your kids can participate in almost all of the random acts of kindness to help make a difference this Christmas season. Let’s teach our kids that small acts of kindness can change the world as we spread cheer in our community!

1. Donate to your favorite charity or local non-profit organization (Giving Tuesday is the Tuesday after Thanksgiving)

2. Leave a positive note somewhere for a stranger to find later

3. Buy toys to donate to a local non-profit organization or donate food (find places collecting Christmas gift donations in the Lakeland area)

4. Leave a generous tip for a good waiter or waitress at your favorite local restaurant

5. Let someone go ahead of you in the checkout line

6. Show your appreciation with a random card, email, text, or call to friends or family

7. Babysit for a single parent so they can get some Christmas shopping or wrapping done

9. Clean out closets & donate gently used toys and clothes where they can be reused (see a list of donation locations in the Lakeland area).

10. Send a treat and/or thank you note to the janitors or support staff at your school

11. Volunteer for a food bank, community organization or sign up to ring the bell for Salvation Army

12. Put wrapped candy canes on cars in a parking lot with a cheery note

13. Make or write a thank you card for someone who deserves a big thanks

14. Donate items to a homeless shelter – blankets, socks, underwear, or toiletries (Shelters for the homeless in Polk County include Salvation Army, Lighthouse Ministries, Talbot House, and The Mission of Winter Haven)

15. Tell a manager about a great employee you encounter at a local business

16. Do yard work for an elderly neighbor or friend working overtime

17. Set out water and snacks for the mail carrier, UPS, and Amazon drivers

18. Purchase dog or cat food or pet supplies and drop it off at an animal shelter like the SPCA or Polk County Animal Shelter

19. Make Christmas Cards and mail or drop off at a local assisted living facility (see below for places to send Christmas cards to the elderly in the Lakeland area)

20. Pay for the coffee or lunch of the person behind you {or a cheaper option for a money surprise is to leave quarters in a vending machine}

21. Offer to return someone’s shopping cart to the grocery store

22. Hide $1 bills with an anonymous Merry Christmas note in a Dollar Store

23. Give Blood – find a Big Red Bus or donor center near you

24. Smile and give compliments to random strangers

25. Drop off cookies at a local fire or police station – be sure they are store-bought (Find your nearest fire station or police station in Lakeland)

Send handmade Christmas Cards to seniors in the Lakeland area

If you’re local, these organizations that serve seniors – assisted living facilities, nursing homes, veterans centers, and senior caretakers – would love to receive cards from you! Either send in the mail or drop off (call first to check for drop off options).

• Cornerstone Hospice – 2140 E CR 540 A, Lakeland, FL 33813
• Beacon Hill Colony – 1112 W. Beacon Rd. Lakeland, FL 33803
• VISTE – 1232 E. Magnolia St. Lakeland, FL 33801
• MORE COMING SOON!
• If you would like to be included on this list, please Contact Us.