Kindness Elves

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Traditions are EVERYTHING, especially during the holiday season.  Elf on the Shelf is fun and all, but I didn't want the pressure on me to be creative and move it every night.  I also wanted to do something a little more meaningful.

Enter the Kindness Elves!  They bring an activity card every morning for something we will do that day.  You can have it be from Santa, but my kids know it is just mom and love it just as much.

Why I Love Kindness Elves

1. They sit still.  You change a prompt card every night - that's it.  See below for where I got ours.
2. They still get my kids excited for something new each day, and it's a countdown to Christmas.
3. Kindness is a huge focus, and we get to involve our kids in all the ways we can show kindness during the holiday season.
4. We connect as a family through various activities on the card.

Everything you Need to Know to Start Your Tradition

I got my elves on Amazon.  They are plush, but can sit if leaning on something.  You can find them here.

You could also use your Elf on the Shelf, and have him bring kindness cards every day.

I actually just recently learned that there are wooden Kindness Elves that come with a book.  I had no idea this existed when I started my tradition, but it's a similar concept!

You can make your own prompt cards or purchase this bundle for $5 with 30 different kindness prompts.

Last Year's Fun

We have some great memories, and the kids have already started talking about how they can't wait for the Kindness Elves to come this year.

The kid's absolutely loved hiding their dollars at the Dollar Tree for someone else to find.

But some days are very simple and don't require much!  Things like give a compliment to a total stranger, smile at someone you see, do a task that someone else normally does are all ways kids can show kindness on their own.

We also made positive message bookmarks to stick in library books, baked treats for neighbors, went on a walk to pick up trash in the neighborhood, and cleaned out clothes and toys to donate.

So how about it?  Are you going to start a new tradition?  Pin this image if you want to save it for later!

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