Create A Kindness Wheel for Yom Kippur

illustration of a kindness wheel

Yom Kippur is a great time to think about ways to show kindness to the people we care about. Here’s a craft to help encourage the process!

The medieval philosopher Moses Maimonides laid out four steps of repentance (known in Hebrew as teshuvah, which literally means “turning” -- turning away from our mistake and toward becoming a better person.) It begins with recognizing a wrong action, owning up to it, and apologizing for it. The next step is making a plan for the future, for what you will do differently as you turn towards becoming a better person.

Since you don’t need a reason for doing something nice for others, there is no reason to wait for an apology to pop up as inspiration. This craft is a fun way to talk with your family about how we all can do little things to make our friends and loved ones’ lives better.

Share photos of your kindness wheels on Facebook or Instagram with #pjlibrary.

This Activity Works With These Books:

Supplies

  • Paper plates
  • Markers or crayons
  • Scissors
  • Brass paper fastener
  • Piece of thin cardboard

Directions

  • Using the marker or crayon, divide the back of the paper plate into pie-shaped wedges.
  • Write one person’s name inside each wedge.
  • Cut an arrow shape out of the thin cardboard.
  • Use the brass fastener to attach your cardboard arrow to the center of the plate.
  • Spin the arrow! Whoever it lands on, you then get to decide on an act of kindness to do for that person.
  • Repeat often!

More

9 Children's Books About Kindness
Books That Help Children Understand Forgiveness