Kids books about kindness are so important when it comes to teaching our children the importance of being kind and compassionate. And when you can bring books alive with interactive activities, learning takes flight and kindness flourishes. This is exactly what happened when we read The Story of the Kindness Elves and incorporated these adorable guys into our routine. Check it out!
A Kids Book About Kindness + The Kindness Elves = MAGIC!
If you have been following us for a while, you know we love highlighting kids books about kindness here on Happily Ever Elephants. Reading about random acts of kindness, touching acts of generosity, and ways in which we can brighten the days of those around us is, and forever will be, an important part of the story time tradition in our house.
I was thus delighted by a new-to-me book that offers not just an engaging story for little ones, but a fantastic way to practice kindness each and every day. Meet The Story of the Kindness Elves… and the precious Kindness Elves themselves!
The Story of The Kindness Elves, written by Anna Ranson and Benjamin Byrne and illustrated by Naomi Berry, is a sweet picture book that introduces The Kindness Elves to your children. The Kindness Elves live in the clouds, and they spend their days making special kindness potions. But they quickly realize they cannot spread kindness on their own – they need the help of some very special children down on the ground so they can all work on acts of kindness as one powerful team. The story journeys through the good deeds the Kindness Elves suggest the children do in their community, and the way the lives of the kids’ neighbors are made brighter by these random acts of kindness.
Move over, Elf on the Shelf! Once you read The Story of the Kindness Elves, your little ones will be totally intrigued — and utterly captivated .
“But Mommy, are they real?”
“Mommy, will they come to our house?”
“Mommy, will they pick me to help?”
These are just some of the questions that were asked at bedtime after we read the book. And lo and behold, when my boys woke up the next day, The Kindness Elves had come to play! Oh my goodness. When they saw the Elves on the kitchen table, sitting next to their special elf house and complete with a message in the mailbox and a “task” just for them, their excitement was palpable. First task? Pickle had to help a neighbor with the garbage! He was so excited to get his mission, and when he got home from school, he was bouncing off the walls when it was time to bring in a neighbor’s trash bins!
Pickle was SO excited to help bring our neighbor’s garbage bins back to their garages!
Every day, the boys run down to breakfast to see if the Elves have left them any other tasks. And while I don’t bring them out every day, I have begun to notice a big change in my big boy. He’s been doing sweet things around the house. He’s cleaning the table after dinner. He’s helping his little brother get dressed for school. He goes into the bathroom to brush his teeth before bed, and he also puts the toothpaste not just on his brother’s toothbrush, but mine too. And every time he makes one of these kind gestures, my heart melts, a little at a time.
Here’s how to start. First, read The Story of the Kindness Elves with your kids, and hint that maybe the elves will come to your home, too. Second, leave the elves and their magic house in random spots throughout your home when your children are sleeping. Make sure to place a kindness task right into the “mailbox” in the elves’ house! Your kids will be so excited to find the mail the elves leave them, and they will be eager to find out their new task. Third, watch how your kids take ownership of their task that day. If you really want to get them into it, you can even have them write a note back to the elves to tell them about the act they performed and what happened as a result.
Why go through the trouble? Because kindness rocks — and it is contagious!
I know – it’s not always easy to bring another “activity” into the house when you feel like there are already lunches to be made, dishes to clean, homework to check, laundry to fold, and so on and so on. But The Kindness Elves are easy to incorporate into your routine — and you will reap great benefits. Kindness has a proven link to happiness and contentment. Seeing your kids’ excitement when they complete a task and recognize how good they made another person feel is priceless. But there’s more.
When your kids practice kindness, they will be kind. When they perform random acts of kindness frequently, it will become instinctual. When they recognize the joy felt upon making another person feel special, they will feel special themselves. It is a total wi-win, and it is so easy to do at home.
So what are you waiting for? The Kindness Elves are an absolute must have – and I can’t recommend them enough. We hope you bring them into your home, too, and watch as they create a little bit of magic right under your own roof. Enjoy!!!
Could these guys be any cuter?!?
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Wow what a gorgeous review! Thank you so much. I’m so thrilled that you love our story and Kindness Elves tradition too. Kisses x