Family 100 Acts of Kindness Challenge for Babies and Older Children

My family has participated in the 100 Acts of Kindness Challenge from Martin Luther King Day to Valentine’s Day since it started in 2011. Before having grandchildren, I was joined by my adult kids and kids-in-law in the 100 Acts of Kindness.

For the last few years, our challenge has included my now-5-year-old granddaughter, Zoey. This year, we added Zoey’s 14-month-old sister, Sophia, and their 11-month-old cousin, Caleb. Here’s what we did!

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Materials Used for a Family 100 Acts of Kindness Challenge for Babies and Older Children

100 Acts of Kindness chart
Small heart stickers (use whatever kind your child likes and will fit on the spaces on the 100 Acts of Kindness chart)
Kindness books

You don’t need to use the stickers as a reward. They can simply be a way to keep track of the numbers of acts of kindness. You can read more about how we’ve used the chart in my post on “Using Montessori Principles in the 100 Acts of Kindness Challenge.”

I didn’t want to use a small hundred chart with a baby and a toddler, so we used the free printable large hundred board that I’ve used for Montessori hundred board extensions, such as counting 100 ducks. It was so simple to prepare for the 100 Acts of Kindness Challenge. I just printed it on cardstock, cut it out, and taped it to our patio door. With a baby and toddler, it would probably be best to cover it with contact paper, but this was just super simple to do!

Zoey’s Acts of Kindness

Some of the things we focus on for Zoey are:

being extra gentle with Sophia and/or Caleb
not disturbing Sophia or Caleb’s “work” (sleeping, eating, or quietly watching activities)
sharing books or activities with Sophia and/or Caleb
doing something to help her parents with Sophia
playing nicely with Sophia and/or Caleb

Showing Her 13-Month-Old Sister How to Do Color Sorting Using Grimm’s Rainbow Peg Dolls and Bowls

The 100 Acts of Kindness Challenge is a great reminder for us to notice and thank Zoey for showing kindness to Sophia and Caleb. I love it when I see spontaneous sweet activities such as Zoey showing Sophia how to sort colors using Grimm’s Rainbow Peg Dolls and Bowls. (I had initially put out only the red, yellow, and blue colors, so that’s why you don’t see all the colors on the tray.)

Placing Hearts on Our 100 Acts of Kindness Chat

Zoey loves the large 100 chart on the patio door. When she first saw it, she couldn’t resist reading all the numbers from 1-100.

Zoey wanted to use different sizes and styles of hearts, which is fine. I like to give her as much say as possible in the activity. I just ask Zoey’s mom how many hearts Zoey and Sophia should put on the chart when they visit.

Sophia’s and Caleb’s Acts of Kindness

Admiring Their 100 Acts of Kindness Chart at Ages 5 and 14 Months

Obviously, this is for older babies (who are almost toddlers) and toddlers. Some of the things we focus on for Sophia and Caleb:

putting “work” away
following directions
doing something sweet or loving for someone

Sophia and Caleb are at the age where they’re able to follow directions and start learning to put things away. We don’t worry about consistency. The 100 Acts of Kindness Challenge is a fun reminder for us of all the things they’re learning.

Helping Put Stickers on 100 Acts of Kindness Chart at 11 Months

While the 100 Acts of Kindness Chart doesn’t mean anything to Caleb or Sophia yet, it’s a great opportunity for them to work on fine-motor skills and start learning how to use stickers.

100 Acts of Kindness has been a great family project through the years, and it’s becoming even more fun!

My Hundred Acts of Kindness Posts

Wishing you lots of love and kindness,

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