Random act of kindness generator

Want to do something kind today but cannot think what? Tap the button. One small idea, chosen at random, for no reason.

All 50 ideas

At home

Make someone’s morning drink exactly the way they like it.
Do a chore that is usually someone else’s, without being asked.
Leave a handwritten note in someone’s bag or lunch box.
Put your phone away for a whole meal and really listen.
Tell a family member one specific thing you admire about them.
Call a grandparent or older relative just to hear their news.
Let someone else choose the film, the music or the meal tonight.
Apologise for something you have been avoiding.
Cook someone’s favourite meal. (costs a little)
Print a photo of a happy memory and give it to someone in it. (costs a little)

At work

Thank a colleague by name for something specific, and copy their manager.
Invite the newest person to lunch.
Give credit in a meeting to the person who did the work.
Offer to help someone who is clearly overloaded.
Thank the cleaners, caretakers or security staff by name.
Write a recommendation for a colleague on a professional network.
Share your notes or know-how with someone who is struggling.
Bring fruit or snacks for the team. (costs a little)
Make tea or coffee for everyone in the room.
Send a short "you handled that well" message after a hard meeting.

Neighbours

Check on an older or isolated neighbour.
Take in a neighbour’s bins or sweep their path.
Leave a thank-you note for your postal or delivery worker.
Offer to walk a neighbour’s dog or water their plants.
Say a proper hello to someone you pass every day but never speak to.
Pick up litter on your street for 15 minutes.
Return a lost item, or post about it locally.
Donate tins and toiletries to a food bank. (costs a little)
Bake or buy something small for the neighbours on either side. (costs a little)
Offer to do a shopping trip for someone who cannot get out easily.

Strangers

Pay for the coffee of the person behind you. (costs a little)
Give your seat on public transport.
Leave a generous tip with a kind note. (costs a little)
Give directions and walk part of the way.
Leave a book you loved on a bench with a note: "For you, for no reason." (costs a little)
Give a sincere compliment about something someone chose (not their body).
Let someone with fewer items go ahead of you at the checkout.
Hold the door and smile, really smile.
Put coins in an expired parking meter or leave change at a vending machine. (costs a little)
Offer to take a photo for a group trying to take a selfie.

Online

Write a five-star review for a small business that served you well.
Leave a kind comment for a creator whose work helped you.
Message an old friend: "I was thinking of you. How are you really?"
Share a job post for someone who is looking for work.
Thank a teacher, mentor or doctor who made a difference years ago.
Answer a beginner’s question in a forum with patience.
Scroll past an argument without adding fuel.
Post something encouraging instead of something clever.
Send a voice note to someone who lives alone.
Buy something small from an independent maker and tell them why. (costs a little)

More ideas, by person

Why bother?

Research suggests kindness does good both ways: a 2018 meta-analysis found a small-to-medium boost to the wellbeing of people who perform kind acts, and experiments show receivers feel better than givers expect. World Kindness Day is on 13 November every year. Read 40 World Kindness Day ideas, 50 random acts of kindness and the benefits of kindness.

Questions

What counts as a random act of kindness?

Any small, voluntary act that makes someone else’s day better, done for no reward: a thank-you note, a kind review, help with a task, a call to someone lonely.

Do I have to spend money?

No. Tick "Free ideas only" and every idea costs nothing.

Does kindness really make a difference?

A 2018 meta-analysis found a small-to-medium positive effect of performing kind acts on the wellbeing of the person being kind, and other studies suggest receivers feel better than givers expect.

Is anything stored?

No. The generator runs in your browser and nothing is sent or saved.

General wellbeing ideas, not medical, psychological or financial advice. If you are struggling, see crisis help. Nothing you do on this page is sent or stored.