Here are 25 ideas for the Kindness Elves to use together as a family tradition in the run up to Christmas this year! Acts of kindness for children to show to friends, family, people who help us and strangers and hopefully encourage some character development, thoughtfulness and kindness at the same time. 
Click here to read the full introduction to our lovely Kindness Elves tradition! In the article I spoke about how we hoped to start a new family tradition each Christmas, using Kindness Elves as an Elf on the Shelf alternative. The feedback was immense and SO many people all around the world said they were going to join in with us and start a kindness revolution! We have grown our very own Kindness Elves Facebook community (please hop on over and join us there too) as well as our own Instagram page too. We now have a dedicated Kindness Elves website and shop too, where you can finally purchase your very own, beautiful Kindness Elves in their gorgeous little house, with stunning interior design and working mail box! Who will you give one to as a gift this year?! [Top tip: buy yours as EARLY as you can before the end of November as they all sold out within a few hours last year when we first launched our initial stock! We have plenty ready for you this year but we know how popular they will be so get in there quickly! We ship worldwide.] 
To get you started and to help us all plan ahead, here are 25 ideas for the Kindness Elves for you to use in the run up to Christmas, and indeed all year around. Where possible I have included a photo from our little set ups last year. I will add more photos and ideas to the FB page this year as we go along. You will find many more ideas over there in our community! 25 Ideas for the Kindness Elves 1. Give your Kindness Elves some names, and write a wish list together of all the kind things you can do for others this month, including at home, with family, friends, teachers, local charities, animals, service workers and those in need. (This list, generated by the children, should obviously influence what you choose to do next. The following are simply some ideas to get you started!) 
2. Choose, wrap and donate some new toys to a nearby charity for giving Christmas gifts to local children. 3. Fill a jar with 20 things I love about you and give it as the ultimate gift to cheer someone up. (The girls did this for their grandpa last year and he still pulls out the little papers to read all the time to make him happy!) 4. Collect toys that are no longer played with and donate them to a charity shop or find a local toy drive for needy kids to share them with. Our Kindness Elves set a very good example by donating some of their tiny elf toys too! 
5. Make a meal for somebody who is poorly or a new mother, and help deliver it to them. 6. Take a home-baked gift to the neighbours. 
7. Donate old shoes to a children’s shoe charity. [We have found and LOVE the UK charity Sal’s Shoes which collets old children’s shoes and ships them directly to orphanages and schools in Africa. They even photograph the children wearing their new shoes as a lovely update after they have arrived!] 8. Make a list of everything you’re grateful for and stick it onto a happy/ thankful tree. 9. Visit the local home for the elderly with some drawings and/ or flowers. Spend some time chatting with the folk there and cheer them up. 
10. Create a care kit to give out to the homeless. This could include a toothbrush and paste, flannel, gift card for a coffee shop, new socks and a scarf etc. 11. Enjoy some brand new toothbrushes and toothpaste from the Kindness Elves! Then brush your teeth until they’re shiny and go out and SMILE at everyone you see today. You could make their day very special! 
12. Sort through outgrown clothes to take to a charity shop for less fortunate children. 
13. Make or buy a bird feeder and start to feed to birds in the garden each day. There are some great DIY bird feeders using pine cones and other ingredients on Pinterest. 14. Sort through books that you no longer need and donate them either to a younger child or to the doctor’s waiting room or local women’s refuge. 
15. Make some gingerbread play dough and package it into little gift jars with a cookie cutter attached to hand out to friends at school, youth group or church [here’s our 4 minute gingerbread play dough recipe you could use!] 16. Put together a craft and activity kit for sick children at the children’s hospital. Include card, papers, scissors, glue, stickers, sequins, pipe cleaners, pom poms and googly eyes, along with a favourite craft book. Even a colouring book and crayons would be a great gift! 
17. Paint some beautiful pictures and add decorations, collage materials and other additions to turn into cards, wrapping paper and gift tags for all the presents we are giving away. 
18. Make a DIY gift together for a favourite teacher or sports instructor e.g. bath salts, soap, decorated coffee cup etc. Take a look at my Homemade Gifts Pinterest board to get you started on ideas. Follow Anna @ The Imagination Tree’s board Homemade Gift Ideas on Pinterest.
19. Pack up a box of food to the local food bank and go and donate it together. You can do a quick google search to find the one closest to you for donations. 20. Give a homemade thank you card or cookies to the post man or delivery office. They’re very busy this time of year! 
21. Make a token book full of free gifts for Mum and Dad e.g. washing up, tidying toys away, putting away the laundry etc. 22. Bring some kids magazines to the kids waiting area at the doctor’s surgery or hospital. 23. Make a bookmark and hide it inside a library book for the next reader to find and keep! 
24. Make some hand-crafted thank you cards ready to use after Christmas to say a real thank you for gifts. 25. Give out free hugs to all friends and family today! Hugs release endorphins and make everyone feel so good! 
We also did some set ups where the Kindness Elves brought chocolate coins or little gifts to the kids as a thank you for all that they have done. Those could be ad hoc and whenever you feel the kids need thanking for all of their generosity over the month. The favourite gift came just before Christmas and was a tiny nativity set for the tree. 
Straight after Christmas our Kindness Elves disappeared back home, leaving behind a tiny letter for each child saying how much they had loved watching them grow in kindness, generosity and thankfulness over the past month. They promised to return soon and to answer any letters sent to them, as long as they were small enough to fit in the post box! 
There are SO many other simple and meaningful ways to show kindness and thoughtfulness to those around us. What else have you done that you would add to this list? Inspire us with more ideas for the Kindness Elves in the comments please! Until then “Sprinkle kindness wherever you go!’ This is the Kindness Elves’ favourite saying! 
If you love these 25 ideas for the Kindness Elves then please share this post and new family tradition with your friends too! Thank you 🙂
I love this idea thank you. Where did you get your wonderful elves from?
Loved this idea so much when you shared it last year. Thank you for sharing more ideas. Such a beautiful way to spread joy during the holidays.
Anna, you always have such lovely ideas. I share many of them with the families who come to my public library. I will share this one with the children at my church. I teach “children’s church,” and this is a lovely way to share the true message of Christmas with the students. Best regards, Mary, Lexington, Kentucky, USA.
I love these little elves where did you buy them?
I love these kindness elves and all they represent. I live in Australia. Just wondering if these are purchasable anywhere. Love to hear from you. Love the site. Wish I had come across it earlier.
Tks Meg
This list is amazing. I was looking for ideas for daily “gratitude” activities and this is more proactive than just merely being thankful. Thank you!
I love this idea! Is it all right if I use some of your ideas for a “Friendly Frosty” snowman that my husband has made? We’re selling them at our local craft fair, so I thought I’d check with you. Thanks for the kindness revolution! I’m excited to do this with my kids this year.
I vaguely remember last year’s post but this year that my son is a bit olderI feel ready to give it a go! Thank you so much for the idea.
I love this! My favourite part….how the elves departed though the fairy door!!!! And how they will return oneday/answer letters! How cool 🙂
Hi Anna,
I am so glad I’ve stumbled upon your blog. I’m a grade 6 geography teacher with my first little boy at home. I’m always looking for Christian alternatives to mainstream ideas that have spiraled out of control. The Kindness Elves are just that. My babe is too little for the elves this year, but next year we will be joining in the fun. I can’t wait to use some more of your ideas for play and art too. Thank you for sharing!
These ideas are absolutely fabulous. I love how you use such a cute idea to teach children kindness and service in such a fun way. My children are grown but I would love to use them for my grandchildren. How may I contact you personally to request permission to use this idea for my Etsy shop?
This will be our second year doing this. I am so happy I came across it last year because it is a wonderful alternative to that other naughty elf 🙂 Last year I had a baby that I was busy with (born late oct) and didn’t stumble upon this until last minute, so every night was a scramble to come up with an idea and placement! This year I’m using this list and others and preparing it all in advance.
Hi, We we have Kindness Elves and love them , thanks to you. We will be visiting family the week before Christmas and they do not do kindness elves. Do I take them? What do I tell my kids.
Thank you!
Hello! I read about the Kindness Elves a while ago and decided to bring the idea into my first-grade classroom. Instead of an elf, we have an Olaf that hides and gives us ideas for our Kindness Project. Each day my students find Olaf and write down the task he gives us in their notebooks. This is exactly the kind of emotional education I like to promote in my class so I thank you warmly for the idea.
Our project even came with a happy surprise! When I was out buying the Olaf doll and notebooks, a stranger came to ask me why I was buying so many mini notebooks. I told her about the project and, after talking for a few minutes in line, she told me she would like to contribute to our project and paid for my entire purchase! What a way to show the holiday spirit and set a good example for my kids 🙂