The Power of a Smile: Simple Kindness Ideas for Every Girl Scout Troop

This idea is fun, fast, and highly visible! Grab a box of sidewalk chalk and head to a local park, community center, or even the sidewalks around your school (with permission, of course!).

• The Action: Write uplifting messages, positive affirmations, and cheerful drawings on the pavement. Think "You Are Awesome!" "Smile—It's Contagious!" or "Girl Scouts Care!"
  
  

• Troop Tip: Turn this into a Kindness Badge activity! Discuss the impact of positive public messages before you start. For a great, value-packed starter kit, check out this big box of washable sidewalk chalk on Amazon—it has enough colors for everyone to get creative and make a huge impact!

Loneliness can be a struggle for residents in nursing homes and assisted living facilities. A simple card from a Girl Scout can truly brighten their day.

• The Action: Contact a local nursing home to see if they can accept mail for their residents. Have your troop create cheerful, handwritten postcards or letters. Encourage them to draw pictures, share a favorite joke, or simply write, "Thinking of you."
  
  

• Troop Tip: Focus on cheer, not pity. The goal is to send a bit of sunshine. You can grab a pack of bulk blank postcards on Amazon to make this project easy and economical for the whole troop.

Kindness starts with a smile, and as the poet Spike Milligan said, "Smiling is infectious; you catch it like the flu." This game is a fantastic way to teach girls the power of a simple, cheerful expression.

• The Action: This is a fun, energy-releasing game that teaches kids how contagious a good mood can be!

  • Materials: You'll need tennis balls, a permanent marker, and some fun, upbeat music.

  • Preparation: Draw smiley faces on the tennis balls.

  • How to Play (Larger Groups): Form two circles—an inner and an outer. Partners across from each other toss a smiley-faced ball while music plays. When the music stops, the person holding the ball tries to get their partner to laugh or smile! They can tell a silly joke, make a funny face, or do something goofy. After a round, the circles rotate, and the fun starts again!
    
    

• Troop Tip: Ask your troop afterward: "How did you feel when you made someone else laugh?" and "Did it feel like the smiles were contagious?"

This is about spontaneous, anonymous acts of goodwill that teach the girls the joy of giving without expecting anything in return.

• The Action: Give each girl a small amount of money (e.g., $5) to complete a secret act of kindness in the community.
  
  

• Ideas:

  • Tape a dollar or a couple of quarters to a vending machine with a note that says, "Your snack is on me!"

  • Leave change taped to a parking meter that is almost expired.

  • Purchase and leave a hot chocolate or coffee for a stranger at a local coffee shop.
    
    

• Troop Tip: Keep it anonymous! The secret joy of the act is part of the fun. Have the girls share how they did their act in the next meeting, without revealing who they did it for.

Kindness should always extend to the people who keep our communities safe and running smoothly.

• The Action: Plan a visit, or simply drop off a treat, to a local community service spot.
  
  

• Ideas:

  • Take a batch of baked goods or a box of donuts to the firefighters at your local fire station.

  • Deliver a basket of individually packaged snacks and water bottles (perfect for quick breaks!) to the police station or sanitation workers in your area.

  • Make a large Thank You banner or card for your mail carrier or delivery drivers and place it on your front porch or near your mailbox.
    
    

• Troop Tip: Consider purchasing a pack of pre-packaged granola bars and cookies from Amazon to make this an easy and hygienic treat drop-off. Always call ahead to ask about the best time to stop by.

This is a beautiful, creative, and lasting way to spread good cheer in your neighborhood.

• The Action: Gather small, smooth rocks and acrylic paint or permanent markers. Have the girls paint colorful pictures, write simple words like "Hope," "Joy," "Be Kind," or "Smile," or decorate them with fun designs.
  
  

• Troop Tip: Once the paint is dry, seal it with an outdoor-safe sealant. Then, take the troop to a local park, library, or trail and leave the Kindness Stones for others to find! These little surprises can truly brighten someone’s day.