Random Acts of Kindness Day, celebrated on February 17th, is a wonderful opportunity to inspire children to spread kindness—not just to each other, but to the natural world around them. This year we are focused on connection. By engaging in simple, thoughtful actions that benefit local flora and fauna, we can foster a sense of connection, empathy, and stewardship for our environment. Here are some meaningful outdoor activities that promote kindness toward nature while helping children build a deeper relationship with the local ecosystem.
1. Create a Wildlife Haven
Encourage children to show kindness to local wildlife by creating habitats in the school grounds or nearby green spaces. This is so simple and can even be free to do! It can involve building bug hotels using natural materials like sticks, leaves, and stones, setting up bird feeders, or adding bird baths. You could even create a small wildflower patch to attract pollinators like bees and butterflies. These activities provide essential shelter and food for local wildlife, help children understand the importance of biodiversity, and promote teamwork through hands-on learning. To keep the wildlife haven thriving, have the children take turns refilling bird feeders and checking on the bug hotel, fostering a sense of responsibility and care. We have popped a lesson at the end of this blog to help you!
2. Seed Bombing for Native Plants
Seed bombing is a fun and impactful way to spread kindness to the local flora. Help children make seed bombs using a mix of native wildflower seeds, soil, and clay. Once prepared, they can throw or gently place the seed bombs in neglected areas to encourage the growth of native plants. This is brilliant as it helps enhance local biodiversity and promotes native plant growth. If there is an area in your local neigbourhood or even your school grounds that is neglected it can help beautify it and turn it into a useful space. It can also help spark curiosity about plant life and ecosystems.
At the tail end of 2024 there was a news article about a woodland children planted 20 years ago and a big multinational company wanted to tarmac over it. The biggest campaigners against this were some of the adults, who, as children, had planted that woodland. Planting seems such a little thing but really can build strong connections.
I also love to explore how local plants can help us. Daisy can make a brilliant bruise balm, nettle is brilliant in teas and soups and helps with my hay fever. Cleavers (aka goose grass or sticky willies) is jam packed with chemicals that calms a sting and is tasty if left in a jug of water overnight. We can talk about all these gifts the plants give us. And yes, the gift of beauty also counts. But, if they are giving us gifts then we have a responsibility to them as well. What does that look like? How can we gift back? Reciprocity is important in sustainability.
Oh, and you can access a seed bomb how to on our free resources page.
3. Nature-Themed Litter Pick
Turn a simple litter-picking session into an act of kindness for nature. Provide gloves and bags, and take the children on a walk through a local park, woodland, or beach. While picking up litter, encourage them to observe and appreciate the plants and animals they encounter. You can even extend this and invite parents, local councillors and the media along to support. It helps everyone develop a sense of pride in their community while teaching responsibility and environmental stewardship.
4. Adopt a Tree
I often see schools who make use of the Free Trees for Schools programme at The Woodland Trust.
But then, so often, I hear that the trees have been stolen, destroyed or simply not survived. One way to help combat this is to invite children to each “adopt” a tree in the school grounds or local area. They can decorate their tree with eco-friendly items, such as biodegradable ribbons or homemade signs, and take responsibility for observing and caring for it throughout the seasons. They can learn about their tree, what type of tree is it? What folklore surrounds this tree? If their tree could talk, what stories would it tell? They can pull in their math and measure it each year, how tall and wide is their tree. They can create art showing their tree through the seasons. There is so much they can do to develop their connection with their tree. It really does lead to a long term engagement with their environment.
5. Write Kindness Notes for Nature
Encourage children to write short kindness notes or wishes for the environment on biodegradable paper. These notes can include messages like “Thank you, trees, for giving us oxygen” or “We hope the bees find lots of flowers today.” The notes can then be tied to branches or placed in a special nature corner. t sounds so simple but learning what the trees, plants and animals give to us can help develop the reciprocal relationship where we care for nature.
Why Kindness to Nature Matters
Acts of kindness aren’t just about making others feel good—they also help build a sense of connection and responsibility. By encouraging children to be kind to the natural world, we help them develop empathy for living things and an understanding of their role in protecting the environment. In a time when many species are under threat and habitats are disappearing, small actions can add up to make a big difference.
Random Acts of Kindness Day is a perfect opportunity to inspire children to care for their local environment through simple yet meaningful actions. By participating in these activities, they can build a stronger connection to the flora and fauna around them while learning that kindness extends beyond people—it includes all living things. Together, let’s cultivate a generation that understands the value of kindness to nature and the joy it brings.
