“Have you ever played ding-dong ditch?” Standing in front of a group of children on a Sunday, most hands rise. I see some nodding faces. I also raise my hand as I raise the question. Because I certainly have. Despite my parent’s best efforts to raise me as a good catholic girl.
But what if, instead of just running away, you would leave something nice on someone’s doorstep? A happy surprise? A kind note?
You can feel the giddy excitement in the room. In little less than 3 hours, we will split into small groups, come up with a street art idea or random act of kindness (RAK), do the preparations, and make it happen.
‘Petje af Breda‘ invited me as a guest lecturer to share a bit about my happy projects. The weekend school provides children ages 10 to 14 with new experiences, ideas, and helps them develop their talents. This month’s theme is ‘positivity’. I explain how they can make a positive difference using their talents, ideas and any materials they have on hands.
It was a good day, filled with awesome things.
Guerrilla Kindness Heroes plotting evil plans to take over the world and make it awesome.
Careful styling considerations about what hat goes best with what eyes and mouth.
Making happy hanging surprise messages for strangers.
And crafting colourful envelopes to go with them.
Clear instructions in case you don’t know what to do: “open the package and read what it says”.
Measuring green yarn spaghetti.
Girls who are so skilled at flower arrangement they could teach a course.
Calmly picking wild flowers.
Going into the streets to bring ‘the message to the people’.
Glue that needs a little care and affection to stick (and a very patient 11-year old).
Enough flowers to make sure you wouldn’t miss a few.
Garbage monsters that eat your trash.
Green Guerrilla in action.
Ringing a doorbell, and then running for your life and hide to see what happens, because you are super curious about the reaction.
Ohh, the suspense…
And the best evidence that you made someone’s day: unexpectedly receiving delicious surprise popsicles in return.
PS. If you’re interested in hiring me as a guest lecturer for your school or do a workshop RAK with children, you can email me for more information.
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4 Comments
Kezzie
May 29, 2019 at 23:12
Ah, that’s lovely!!!! I think it is really important to encourage children in this way! Well done!
It’s really nice they were rewarded for their kindness but I’m kind of torn- I am glad because positivity is shared but in some ways, I wish they could have just had the joy of knowing they made someone happy without a tangible reward!
magicaldaydream
June 3, 2019 at 12:10
Yes you make a very good point. I think it’s important to be kind without expecting any reward. That being said, I have experienced encouragement from such actions as well. For example, when I handed out 1000 paper cranes, a girl bought a flower for me as a thanks (when I was handing them out at the train station). With 99,9% of that action I had no idea how it was perceived, I just hoped it would make a positive difference. I can start to doubt the effect I’m having when I don’t always see the effect immediately. So I have experienced a boost in motivation when a single person showed so much gratitude (a flower) that you have reassurance that others also were positively effected by your action, even if you didn’t get to experience the abundance of their reaction.
Beatrice
November 24, 2021 at 03:44
I love that, it’s so sweet! I was inspired by your 1000 paper cranes and hid some around my school throughout the week. It was very fun and I felt like a detective trying not to be seen, I just never knew what someone’s reaction would be
magicaldaydream
November 26, 2021 at 13:34
That’s amazing! Haha and I can totally imagine you sneaking around with bright motives ;) I recognise that feeling from many of my ‘magical missions’ as I called them