April 20, 2022 | 2 min read

This April, kids at Facing Forward are taking part in a month-long challenge to learn about kindness and practice new acts of kindness toward themselves and others.

The Kids Kindness Campaign is inspired by the book, Have You Filled a Bucket Today? - A Guide to Daily Happiness for Kids by Carol McCloud. In the book, McCloud, invites children to imagine they have an invisible bucket that, when filled by carrying out acts of kindness, can increase their happiness and the happiness of others.

McCloud’s “Bucket Fill-osophy” is informed by psychological and sociological research that suggests giving and receiving kindness is essential to a child’s cognitive, emotional, and social development.

After receiving their own buckets and signed copies of McCloud's book, children and parents in our programs participate in weekly activities and check-ins led by Facing Forward’s Family Empowerment Team where they can discuss, collaborate, and share their experiences.

 "Participating in the Kids Kindness Campaign allows families the opportunity to reflect on the ways that simple acts of kindness can impact a person's entire mood or day. It gives family members, big or small, a chance to exchange positive praise and experience much-needed appreciation and affection," said Olandrian Glasper, Program Manager and leader of the Family Empowerment Team.

The Kids Kindness Campaign is designed to help people of all ages grow in kindness, self-control, resilience, and forgiveness, ultimately leading to a happier life.

We invite you to join our residents this month by sharing this free read-along recording of McCloud’s story with a child in your life and asking yourself, “Have I filled a bucket today?”