90 Random Acts of Kindness That You Do For Family, Friends, or Strangers

Last Updated on September 2, 2024

We have all heard the saying “It’s nice to be nice” but often, many people think that being nice means doing grand acts. However, the nicest and kindest acts are often the ones that are the smallest. The beauty of a random act of kindness is that it can be done in seconds but can really make somebodies day. What this article looks to do is highlight 90 of the nicest random acts that you can choose to do each day to make someone feel good. Random Acts of Kindness Day might be February 17^th, but you don’t need a specific day to tell you when to do something nice. Challenge yourself and look to perform one of these acts each day.

Things to note

• Try not to overthink your random acts. Try and keep them fun and innocent. If it feels like you have thought too much about the act, then it will be obvious.
• If you are afraid of talking to strangers, you can always practice your acts of kindness on your family or friends
• Coffee shops, supermarkets and the airport are three great places that you can do your random acts if you are unsure where to start

Random Acts of Kindness

1. Find opportunities to give compliments. It costs nothing, takes no time, and could make someone’s entire day. Don’t just think it. Say it!
2. Create a holiday to celebrate a person that you really like, so “Grace Appreciation Day” and on that day make the person their favorite meal etc.
3. Write someone a note saying that they mean a lot to you.
4. Buy flowers for your partner
5. Visit an old folks home with a gift for someone
6. Say Thank you to someone
7. Pay for someone’s coffee
8. Send a friend a positive message
9. Create a post-it with inspiring or encouraging messages on it and leave it for someone to find.
10. Smile more often at people
11. Set an alarm on your phone at two or three different stages in the day. During those times, do something nice for someone.
12. Send an email of gratitude
13. Donate to a charity
14. Surprise friends or family with baked goods
15. Pay the toll for the car behind you
16. Write your partner a list or a letter of things that you love about them
17. Purchase extra dog or cat food and bring it to an animal shelter.
18. Take muffins or cookies to your local librarians.
19. Put your phone away while in the company of others.
20. Email or write to a former teacher who made a difference in your life.
21. Rake leaves for a neighbor
22. Hide a kind note in a library book
23. Help an elderly person cross the road
24. Help someone with their groceries
25. Cut a neighbors grass
26. Make a cup of tea or coffee for your spouse
27. Let someone skip you in the supermarket queue
28. Pay for a person’s food while in a restaurant
29. Give a homeless person some money
30. Buy food for a homeless person
31. Offer to volunteer with friends for a charity
32. Buy a neighbor the daily newspaper
33. Pick up trash at your local park
34. Clean a friends house or garden
35. Bring emergency services some baked cookies
36. Surprise a partner with a date night
37. Plant a tree
38. Let someone else have the parking spot that you wanted
39. Give someone your parking ticket if you are leaving beforehand
40. Learn CPR or another life skill
41. Talk to a stranger that looks sad
42. Participate in a walk or a run for charity
43. Become an organ donor
44. Give blood or help to organize a blood drive where many people can sign up to give blood
45. Donate old glasses
46. Donate old clothes that you don’t need anymore
47. Donate books to a local library
48. Sign up to work with a local sports club
49. Tell a co-worker something that you appreciate about them
50. Decide to make friends with the new person in your job
51. Tell someone a joke
52. Compliment a neighbor on their home
53. Walk a neighbors dog for them while they are busy or away
54. Offer to babysit a friends child so that they can enjoy some time away
55. Call your parents and tell them how much they mean to you
56. Make food for a food drive
57. Donate to a friend’s favorite charity
58. Treat yourself to something nice, book in for a massage or a manicure or a spa day of some kind
59. Give someone a hug that you think might need one
60. Throw a surprise party for someone
61. Teach someone how to make a recipe that you know
62. Bring a friend donuts
63. Take a friend or a partner to the movies
64. Take someone out to lunch
65. Hold a door or an elevator door open for someone
66. Pay for a persons bus fare or taxi fare
67. Leave a large tip for someone that has served you
68. Help someone that is struggling with heavy bags
69. Help someone that is lost
70. Help someone take a photo
71. Make bird feeders for the birds in your area
72. Feed ducks or geese at your local beach or harbor
73. Donate time or money to your church
74. Volunteer to work at a senior citizens center
75. Give up your seat on a bus or train for an older or pregnant person
76. Tidy up graves that look messy or that have been left alone for a long time
77. Sign up to work with or deliver with meals on wheels
78. Foster a homeless animal
79. Find a pen pal and start writing to them
80. Make dinner for a friend having a hard time
81. Say please and thank you when speaking to someone
82. Take time to listen to someone that needs to talk
83. Tell a supervisor that the person who served you did a great job.
84. Write a nice review online
85. Offer to walk someone home
86. Offer to give someone a lift home
87. Suggest that you will be the designated driver
88. Offer to pay for someone’s fuel at a garage or truck stop
89. Buy a friend some alcohol
90. Book a holiday for you and someone you care about