What does kindness look like?

Here at Bream Bay Kindergarten we work hard to create a strong social competency culture where we care about each other and we nurture these qualities in others.

"In order to be a good friend, a child needs to recognise and take into consideration the ideas, perspectives, and feelings of others"

This term we have extended this by embarking on a kindness curriculum. We have joined the #justiceforeli movement. If you have not heard of this movement it stemmed from a whanau within our wider community who has recently suffered at the hands of violence and together they are seeking to bring our communities across Aotearoa and beyond together to push back and say no to violence.

"We are asking you to join us in raising awareness of the effect violence has in our communities. Together, let's make people know that violence is never ok, that lives are valuable beyond measure, and that our babies deserve to live in a country that is safe" (Holtz whanau). 

Bringing this back to our kindergarten in a form which was uplifting for tamariki was simple. Initially we began by joining with the #justiceforeli campaign and we made Purple Hearts of Aroha which will be sent on to the Holtz whanau to show our love and aroha for the journey they are on and others within our community. 

Sharing our knowledge together and helping others to learn how to make purple hearts 

It also lead us on to think and develop our kindness curriculum..... How do we extend children's understandings of the world around them?  How do we create and develop their understandings of the impact they can have on others.......and of course we want to focus on the positives!

We asked some of the children "what does kindness look like?"

I love my family and I love my friends

Kindness is like a heart.
And when my friends all play with me.

My sister gets one egg from the Chicken house and
she say's 'Caden Caden' and she lets me get the other egg
 from the chicken house and we put the eggs in the egg basket

I give Mum a flower

Following on from these ideas we offered the tamariki an opportunity to participate in 'Thoughtful act's of kindness'.  Creating bouquets of flowers for strangers in the street.....

Whanau and tamariki supported the day by bringing in flowers and foliage and we made bouquets of flowers for strangers in our community (76 in total!).

 

Mathilda "I used some ribbon and some paper and used some flowers. I think the different people will take the, home and put them in the pot to feel happy"

Brooklyn "I gives a flowers to her and I said you're welcome. It made her happy"

Max "I got colourful flowers and those big leaves and all those things of our tree. Put them in the ribbon and made them beautiful. I think it will make the people happy"

Aotea "I putted purple in it and yellow in it. It looked nice. I think it made people happy"

Georgia "I liked the flowers in it and I liked the bow. I liked the whole thing. It went to somebody's house, I think they'll put it on the table in a jar, that's what my mum has. It will make the people happy"

 

Caden "it was fun because the people were getting the flowers and I wonder if mum and dad got them. I was happy making the flowers cause some people are sad cause they don't have any friends, I think the flowers will make them smile"

Zach "I made some flowers, the lady took it. She will be happy, she will put it by her bed"

Violet "I did two, some took them and put them at their home. Put them in the pot. Happy"

Ruby "The lady took my flowers. She will say yes"

Sophia "I made them ones with some pink on it, and then some yellow and some green. They got given away cause it's love day today. They'll be happy to take the flowers home"

 

Rose "I made a bunch of flowers it went to the families, they put it up" 

Kahu "I just got a little bit but I wrap it up for the people cause the people likes it. Cause they like it for they get it out and put it in the glass to be happy"

Ella "um they'll get happy the flowers will go to the people cause they like gifts it was from us from the kindergarten because it makes them happy and their heart glow"

Trelise "we are doing the flowers to give them away so people feel happy. It makes me happy cause if people love my flowers I feel happy if they do. I cuddle people and make funny faces. Silly faces are really funny"

Jacob "I just put yellow flowers on tiny little flowers and pink flowers and orange flowers and I putted red paper on it. I let Tania give them to a lady outside, cause she likes them cause them a ladies flowers and I always pick flowers for my mum at my house. I love flowers" 

As Dr. Suess once said 

"I know it may seem small and insignificant, but it's not about what it is, 

it's about what it can become"

Making a difference in our community, we were blown away by the response from people in our community who loved receiving flowers form our children. We achieved what we set out to do which was to support and help children understand how acts of kindness can make others feel good but also ourselves, in the act of giving.