Written by mom and daughter duo Sophia and Carrie Fox, Adventures in Kindness is a book filled with 52 ideas on how to improve the world around us. Adventures in Kindness contains a series of activities that will help kids and their parents meet new people, experience new places, and learn about new cultures.
Hi Sophia and Carrie! Will you please let our readers know the inspiration behind Adventures in Kindness and how they can get started on their own adventures?
We didn’t set out to write a book about kindness. Actually, we had been taking notes in a journal we share, and talking about what it feels like to experience mean acts. We both agreed and we didn’t like the way “mean” felt, so we thought it would be a good, healthy exercise to put as much of the opposite (kindness!) into the world as possible. Once we had developed some Adventures in Kindness and started going on them as a family, we thought other kids and their families might enjoy them too. Hence, the book was born! Adventures in Kindness is our love letter to the world— a fun, practical resource for kids who care about doing good in the world, and who might enjoy connecting with and learning from other kind kids, too.
Which one of the 52 adventures has been your favorite to do together?
We love making kindness rocks and leaving them on the front steps of neighbors who live alone or who are experiencing social isolation. We do this a lot in our neighborhood, and have loved seeing how much a little gesture can brighten someone’s day!
Tell us more about the Adventures in Kindness Kids Club and Reading Club! How can kids sign up or get involved?
The Kids Club is free and open to all kids. Members receive quarterly letters from Sophia, additional adventures, and access to free and fun stickers and badges to wear kindness proudly. You can learn more and register your kind kids at adventuresinkindness.com. As for the Reading Club, we love reading because of how much it opens our minds to new ideas and different cultures.
But we also know how many books default to white-dominant culture, and outdated stereotypes such as the white knight or the princess who needs saving. The reading club was launched this summer, in response to the current racial unrest in the U.S. We believe it is ever more important to find outlets to foster healthy and productive conversations between kids, and kids and their families about race, so we compiled two book lists (one for older kids, and one for younger), along with discussion guides, all of which are free for download on our site.
How does Adventures in Kindness make intentional acts of kindness?
Our book includes 52 fun, practical, and world-changing adventures and experiments that let kids feel like kindness scientists—reflecting on and dissecting their good works, and the impact that each good work can have in the world around them. Each adventure is complemented with a “field notes” page so kids can reflect on their kind acts, and remember over time how each act made them feel. With big ideas, little ideas, and everything-in-between ideas, this action/adventure book has a lot of ways to keep you kind and busy—and nearly all adventures can be completed even while our communities are social distancing.
At Be Kind & Co, we see kindness as our greatest strength. What does kindness mean to you two?
Kindness is more than being nice, opening a door, or just saying “thank you” to a service member. It’s about taking care of each other, our planet, all living things, and ourselves. Kindness is taking the time to learn about cultures and backgrounds that are different than our own—those are the things that help us grow into good humans. Kindness doesn’t just happen. You have to practice it, like a muscle, until it grows strong in you.
What impact do you hope Adventures in Kindness makes in our communities?
To date, we’ve gotten more than 4,000 books in the hands of kids and their adults, and we hope to reach even more kids all over the world. Through the book and the shared adventures that we’re all taking, we’re hoping kids feel prepared and ready to contribute to building a better world, where everyone has just what they need at their fingertips to do good. On a practical level, we hope the book serves as a resource and practice guide for kids and their families to embed kindness into their daily actions.
We believe kindness always wins. Do you believe that too? Why or why not?
Absolutely. Kindness ALWAYS wins. While writing this book (and going on the adventures included within its pages!) there was one feeling that stuck with us most. With every adventure, we took on, we felt our hearts fill up with happiness. We felt more aware of the world around us. We felt surprised and wanted to learn even more about the people we met, the places we went, and the cultures we experienced along the way. That’s the feeling of kindness that we hope every kid experiences, and never wants to forget!
In this time of COVID-19, there might be things we cannot do, but there is so much we CAN do to care for our communities, our families, and ourselves. This book is designed to give kids real, practical, and world-changing actions to support them through these challenging times. Thank you for your willingness to share it with your community!
Learn more and snag your own copy today at Adventuresinkindness.com
