A box of crayons can open a useful conversation: What does kindness look like when someone needs a turn, feels left out, or makes a mistake? Coloring gives children something familiar to do while you talk together.
These five activities work at the kitchen table, during a visit with a grandparent or godparent, in a homeschool lesson, or around a Sunday school table. Choose one idea and keep it short. There is no need to finish a whole page or turn quiet time into a test.
1. Give kindness a real-life example
Start with the BE KIND page. Ask, “What could you do if someone wanted to join your game?” If your child needs help, offer two choices: make room or explain the rules. Let them add their own idea.
As you color the garden, take turns naming small acts of kindness: greeting someone, waiting for a turn, or inviting a child to sit nearby. Finish by choosing one action to try today.
2. Practice caring by asking what someone needs
Use the BE CARING page to talk about feelings. Ask, “If a friend looked sad, what could we say?” Practice a simple question: “Would you like some company?”
Explain that caring can mean listening, offering help, or giving someone space. Children do not have to hug or touch someone to show care. For younger children, name the feelings together; older children can invent a short story about the scene.
3. Make sharing specific and manageable
While coloring BE GENEROUS, place a few crayons between you. Practice asking for a color, waiting while someone finishes a small part, and offering it afterward.
Try saying, “I’m finishing this flower, then you can have the purple.” Generosity can include sharing time, attention, or an idea. It does not require giving away a treasured possession. Ask your child which kind of sharing feels possible today.
4. Connect honesty with making things right
On the BE HONEST page, tell a small, familiar story: someone borrows a crayon and accidentally breaks it. Ask, “What could they say next?”
Practice: “I broke it. I’m sorry. How can I help?” Keep your response calm when children admit a mistake. Thank them for telling you, then work out a reasonable next step together. The goal is to practice truthfulness and repair, not to label a child as good or bad.
5. Turn the finished page into one caring action
Invite your child to choose someone who might enjoy their picture. They could give it to a grandparent, share it with a friend, or display it at home as a reminder of the action they chose.
Ask, “What would you like to say when you give this to them?” Write down their words if they want help. A Sunday school group could make pictures for members of its own community; a homeschool family could include a short note. Ask before sharing a child’s picture or personal details online.
A gentle faith connection
For a faith-based activity, close with a short prayer in your own words: “God, help us notice someone we can care for today.” You can also invite each child to name one way they want to practice kindness. Keep participation gentle and age-appropriate.
Make coloring time easy
- Set out crayons or colored pencils and let children choose their colors.
- Read the message aloud if your child is not reading yet.
- Allow breaks, unfinished pictures, and coloring outside the lines.
- For detailed scenes, invite younger children to choose just one flower or character.
- In a group, offer enough supplies and practice taking turns together.
Download the free Tiny Psalms coloring book
The five-page printable brings Bear, Bunny, Lamb, and Sun/Lion into gentle garden scenes with reminders to be kind, caring, generous, and honest.
Get the free Tiny Psalms coloring book and choose one small kindness activity to try together.
For more ways to bring these reminders into everyday life, explore Tiny Psalms.