I Am Kind: Kindness Coloring Page

Sharing and caring are probably some of the first things you think of when it comes
to kindness. In I Am Kind, the kids demonstrate these thoughtful behaviors by
sharing an umbrella in the rain or a sweater in cold weather, spending time with
grandparents, comforting hurting friends, and patiently waiting for a turn to ride the
pony. They’ll also be encouraged to show kindness to themselves, too!

Sharing and caring can be especially challenging for young children because the
parts of the brain that manage this behavior don’t begin developing until later in
life. That means that kids don’t always automatically think of sharing or caring and
need to be shown how and when to do it. Until their brain catches up, we can
encourage kind behavior through education, including using kindness coloring and
other types of worksheets or activities. They will quickly see how sharing and caring
makes their friends feel, and how they feel when others share and care about them.
These feelings will help keep the behavior going in a positive reinforcement cycle of
kindness.

When a situation presents itself that calls for sharing and caring, it’s prime time to
pull out these coloring pages. Kids can see the I Am Kind children performing
sharing and caring acts on the coloring pages and directly relate it to an experience
they just had. Maybe they or a friend hurt themselves in the classroom or on the
playground. That’s a great opportunity to pull out the coloring page showing Angie
comforting Annie with her scraped knee. Kids will see that it’s the kind thing to do to
stop playing and check on their friend to make sure they are okay.

Being a good helper and including others in play are also important components of kindness that kids may need a little assistance to remember. In I Am Kind printable coloring sheets, they’ll see Andy, Angie and friends in social settings helping carry bags of groceries, inviting others to play with them, holding open doors for each other, donating food, and listening without interrupting.

Kids can get very focused and may not always realize when others need help or if other kids are not being included during play time. By showing them opportunities to be helpful and inclusive as shown in the I Am Kind coloring pages, we can help them see that it’s easy to do. Be sure to follow up with these ideas after the coloring pages are done by including kids in your own volunteer, donation, or other charitable works. They will emulate your behavior and contribute to more kindness in the world.

We’ve all had the experience of being left out. As adults, we’ve learned to deal with that kind of disappointment, but for kids it can be truly devastating. Let’s encourage our kids to be kind and include others in their play. Show them the coloring page with Angie inviting Arjun to come play with the other kids on the beach. Ask them how they think he feels when Angie includes him. Also ask them to think about how Angie feels when she includes Arjun so he doesn’t have to play alone.

If you’ve got a volunteer event coming up or are about to deliver donations for a food drive, that’s also the perfect time to have your kids work on these coloring pages. Have a discussion about the importance of giving. Include examples from your own life where you were in need and someone showed kindness by helping. Ask the kids to think of times when they needed help and received it, and how they may have felt in a situation where someone wouldn’t help. This helps kids develop a sense of doing right and cultivates compassion. Speaking of compassion…

Showing appreciation and compassion is something the world can use a lot more of, so let’s be sure to emphasize these values in our kids. The I Am Kind children are seen appreciating their teacher, being gentle with animals, clearing the path for a crossing family of ducks, cheering on a friend in a race, being polite, and giving the mailman a kind and appreciative greeting. These printable coloring sheets get children thinking of kindness while they are being creative and entertained.

A little appreciation and compassion can really go a long way. People are often underappreciated for all the effort they put in and a simple thank you note or flowers can make their whole day. When children see how their simple drawing or coloring page lights up the faces of teachers, parents, or other caregivers, they will feel a sense of accomplishment and those good feelings that keep them going back for more. This cycle of compassion and appreciation is critical to creating healthy, friendly, and kind environments.

Compassion is a feeling that kids may or may not express automatically. They may be concerned about another child but are not sure how to show it, or they may need encouragement to think about others more. Activities like coloring pages can help kids understand compassion and how to better express it. Raising compassionate children will help craft a kinder world in the future.