The Badge Archive

Kindness Jar or Box

Fulfills Step 1 of GSUSA Daisy Petal – Considerate and Caring badge requirements.

Items Needed

  • Mason jars (or clean, empty baby food jars), box, or other container
  • Printed list of acts of kindness or blank paper to write acts of kindness on them. (We recommend using the Kindness Scavenger Hunt printouts and cutting up the squares to use as slips.)
  • Art supplies (stickers, markers, paint, etc.)
  • Scissors
  • Pens or pencils
  • (Optional for Variation) Pony beads, fuzz balls, or other small items

Instructions

  1. Decorate a jar or box. Share art supplies and encourage them to decorate their jars or boxes while practicing kindness by sharing materials and helping each other.
  2. Use a printed list or have each child write down a few acts of kindness they can do (e.g., helping a sibling, saying something nice). Once written, cut out the strips and place them inside the jar or box.
  3. Explain that each day, they can pull out a slip from their jar or box and complete the act of kindness written on it.

Variations

  • Use Items: Instead of slips, use pony beads or little fuzz balls. Scouts add one item to their jar or box each time they complete an act of kindness, watching it fill up as they spread kindness every day.
  • Bags of Kindness: Scouts brainstorm six kind phrases to say to others, write them on scraps of paper, and place them in their jar or box or bag. Over the week, they can hand out these phrases to family, friends, or others they encounter as a way to spread kindness. (Help scouts think of kind messages for their family, like “I love you,” “Thank you for helping me,” or “You are the best.” Share a few examples to inspire them.)

References:

Tia Kennard