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The Kindness Plate {Free Printable}

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Awesome project for kids The Kindness Plate get a free printable poem to use here

When I found out I was selected to take part in the #FordThinking challenge as part of Kidspot Voices 2015, I wanted to make the experience meaningful for our family as well as those around us.  After all, we were going to get to drive around an awesome new Ford Kuga MKII for six weeks with our travels covered by several fuel vouchers – so it was a great opportunity for us to pay it forward.

After lots of ideas being tossed around by the kids and grown ups in the family, we finally decided on three “kindness outings” which I will share over the coming weeks.

First up:

The Kindness Plate

I’ve seen the “Giving Plate” idea going around on Facebook for quite a while and always wanted to try it.  Basically the concept is that you give a plate of food to someone, and they use the plate to pass something on to another person, and so on and so forth.

Most people actually write on a plate to explain the idea to the recipient (there are several different poems or verses people use – see examples in Pinterest), but I decided to create a printable card so that anyone could use any plate and still play along.  I’ll share that later.

I also decided to call our plate the “Kindness Plate” as we talk a lot about doing acts of kindness in our home.

Awesome book and simple service project for young kids to learn about kindness

We started out by reading one of my favourite storybooks as inspiration – Ordinary Mary’s Extraordinary Deed by Emily Pearson.  In the story, a young girl was kind to one person, who was then kind to five more people, until the kindness was passed around the entire world and finally came back to her.  The book shows how even small and simple acts of kindness can make a big difference, which I think many of us often forget.  The story all started out with blueberries which were turned into Blueberry Muffins…

When I found out I was selected to take part in the #FordThinking challenge, I wanted to make the experience meaningful for our family. After all, we were going to get to drive around an awesome new Ford Kuga for six weeks with some extra cash in fuel vouchers - so it was a great opportunity for us to pay it forward. After lots of ideas being tossed around by the kids and grown ups in the family, we finally decided on three which I will share over the coming weeks. First up: The Kindness Plate I've seen this idea going around on Facebook for a while and always wanted to try it. Basically the concept is that you give a plate of food to someone, and they use the plate to pass something on to another person, and so on and so on. Most people actually write on a plate (there are several different poems or verses people use - just search "giving plate" in Pinterest) but I decided to create a printable so that anyone could use any plate and still play along. I wanted to call our plate The Kindness Plate as I wanted the kids to read the story Ordinary Mary's Extraordinary Deed which focused on kindness (and Blueberry Muffins, which you'll see later). Awesome book and simple service project for young kids to learn about kindness Here's the poem I wrote: The Kindness Plate Here’s a plate of food from us to you We hope you enjoy it, yes we do! When you have time, after you’re done, Would you like to pass the kindness on? If we all do something for someone each day Imagine the joy we’ll spread along the way I found a graphic designer on Fiverr to create a beautiful typography which we could print and attach to the plate, like a card. I also included the web address so anyone receiving the plate could find out how to print the poem again, too. We read the book which was about how an ordinary girl changed the world simply by being kind to three people, who were all then kind to three more people, and so on until the kindness actually came back to her in the form of blueberry muffins. Awesome book and simple service project for young kids to learn about kindness When I explained the concept of The Kindness Plate to the kids, there was no doubt what we would make! Blueberry Muffins. I have modified our favourite recipe over the years as we have started using coconut oil and several family members are also dairy free. Dairy free Blueberry Muffin recipe First you mix all the dry ingredients together. 1 cup white all purpose flour 1 cup wholewheat flour 1 tablespoon baking powder 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg Dairy free blueberry muffin recipe with easy instructions Then you add the wet ingredients. 2 eggs 1 cup milk 1/2 cup sugar 1/2 cup canola oil 1 teaspoon vanilla Last gently mixing in 1 1/2 cup blueberries (defrost in the microwave for about a minute if you are using frozen). Easy dairy free blueberry muffin recipe so yummy Cook for about 15 minutes on 200 C (400 F) on the bottom rack or until toothpick comes out dry. Let cool for a few minutes and then gently remove them to cool on a rack. The next day we drove around delivering several plates to different friends. Of course baking out of the driveway was never so easy before. I could definitely get used to the rear view camera which automatically switches on when you put the gear into reverse... Especially since it beeps when you get too close to something! I'm always really scared of hitting something as we live on a tight street with a median right down the centre, so I'll really miss this feature when we give our Ford Kuga back! We tried to think of people who could use a little "boost" - pictured the boys are leaving a plate for their friend whose father is out of the country for a few months. It was a fun few days of baking and delivering, and I hope you might like to print out The Kindness Plate poem to use yourself. Have you ever delivered treats to someone feeling down? How did they respond, and how did you feel?

…so when I explained the concept of the Kindness Plate to the kids, there was no question about what we would make!  I have modified my favourite Blueberry Muffin recipe to suit various intolerances over the years and I’ll describe it below.

Dairy free Blueberry Muffin recipe

Dairy-Free Blueberry Muffin Recipe

First mix together:

1 cup white all purpose flour
1 cup wholewheat flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

Dairy free blueberry muffin recipe with easy instructions

Then add:

2 eggs
1 cup coconut milk
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup (melted) coconut oil
1 teaspoon vanilla

Lastly mix in 1 1/2 cups of blueberries (defrost in the microwave for about a minute if you are using frozen), gently folding them into the batter.

Easy dairy free blueberry muffin recipe so yummy

Oil your muffin tin (I spray with coconut oil) then pour the batter in.  This recipe makes us 12 regular sized muffins and 12 mini muffins but it all depends on your tin size, of course.

Bake for about 15 minutes on 200 C (390 F) until a toothpick comes out dry.  Let them sit for a few minutes before taking out of the muffin tin.  Cool completely before storing in an airtight container, if you can resist eating them straight away.  I had to fill up a container and set it aside so we could save them for the next day’s delivery – these muffins usually go very quickly in our house!

Fun printable to make a Kindness Plate act of kindness that keeps on giving

The next afternoon we packaged up a plate of yummy muffins with the Kindness Plate poem I wrote:

The Kindness Plate

Here’s a plate of food from us to you

We hope you enjoy it, yes we do!

When you have time, after you’re done,

Would you like to pass the kindness on?

If we all do something for someone each day

Imagine the joy we’ll spread along the way

In the printable I also included the web address for this article so anyone receiving the plate could find out how to print the poem again, too.

download kindness plate poem

Note: This file is a PDF and there are two copies of the poem per page.

Getting ready to go deliver our Kindness Plate in the Ford Kuga

Then we headed out to the Ford Kuga to do muffin delivery.  I’ve got to tell you – reversing out of our driveway has never been so easy before.  I have already gotten very fond of the rear camera which automatically switches on when you put the gear into reverse…

Reversing the car was never as easy as when you can use a rear camera

…especially since it beeps faster when you get too close to something!  I’ve always been nervous backing out of our driveway as we live on a road where lots of cars park on the street plus there is a metal median right down the centre making it a tight squeeze.  I’ll really miss this safety feature when we give the Ford Kuga back.

It’s also been great to use the rear camera in tight parking lots and shopping centre parking decks.  I feel so much more confident reversing a car using the camera and will definitely be looking for this feature in future cars.

Kindness plate free printable

After a cruisy drive with the sunroof open (the kids absolutely LOVE that), we arrived at our destination.

We had decided to give our batch of muffins to one of my son’s friends whose father is out of town for a few months.  There were lots of other people we thought of who would appreciate a plate though so we’ll have to do more visits soon.

It was a fun few days of baking and delivering, and we really hope you might like to print out the Kindness Plate poem to use yourself.  If you are already cooking or baking, it’s easy enough to set aside a portion to pass on… and it really is a lovely and simple way to show people that you care and are thinking about them.

Fun trip dropping off the Kindness Plate

Bye for now!  See you in two weeks when we share our next “kindness outing” inspired by #FordThinking…

Would you like to give a Kindness Plate to someone?  Who would you choose and why?

Check out our other #FordThinking “kindness outings” here:

Click to read about the Gratitude Goodie Bags Click to read about the Smile Kit

I’m participating in the #FordThinking challenge as part of the Kidspot Voices 2015 competition, for which Ford has provided me with a Ford Kuga Titanium for six weeks as well as some fuel vouchers.  All opinions expressed in this post are my own. You can follow along with the other bloggers participating in the challenge by searching the hashtag #FordThinking.  To read about sponsored content on my blog click here.

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Filed Under: Acts of Kindness, Blog, My Printables

About Chelsea Lee Smith

Author, certified parent educator, and mother of three with a background in Communications and Counselling, Chelsea provides resources to parents and teachers who want to incorporate personal growth into everyday moments. Follow her @momentsaday on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram.

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Sarah @theroutinequeen

    July 25, 2015 at 9:00 pm

    What a great idea!

    Reply
    • Chelsea Lee Smith

      July 27, 2015 at 2:46 pm

      Glad you liked it, Sarah!

      Reply
  2. Kate Lloyd

    July 26, 2015 at 8:22 am

    I adore the idea of a kindness plate and passing that on. Thanks for the recipe!

    I’ve just been talking with my hubby about those Ford Kuga cars and they look really nice. Love the safety features you mention, which is exactly what we need living opposite a school and with kids of our own.

    Reply
    • Chelsea Lee Smith

      July 27, 2015 at 2:48 pm

      You’re welcome, Kate! And as for the rear camera, I agree!! We have TONS of walkers in our neighbourhood (we live right near a bus stop, and are close to the city so lots of people take the bus to work) and I feel so much safer backing out with it! Makes such a difference, I’m not nearly as anxious about missing someone behind the car these days!

      Reply
  3. Danya Banya

    July 26, 2015 at 9:37 am

    Ooh, nice car! And I love your kindness plate idea! We like to bake, and this would be the perfect excuse!

    Reply
    • Chelsea Lee Smith

      July 27, 2015 at 2:48 pm

      Yay please do use it! Good luck and hope the kids enjoy the experience 🙂

      Reply
  4. Bek @ Just For Daisy

    July 26, 2015 at 7:28 pm

    How fabulous!! Love the idea of having a kindness plate and encouraging others to continue giving too!! 🙂 I’ve seen the ones written on and would like to try it with sharpies one day! 🙂
    Your kids look so cute in the backseat there!! Love the car!!

    Reply
    • Chelsea Lee Smith

      July 28, 2015 at 9:04 pm

      The Giving Plates themselves are so beautiful! I’ve seen lots of really lovely designs!!

      Reply
  5. kate

    July 30, 2015 at 11:03 am

    I can’t wait to do this with my kids, what a beautiful idea 🙂

    Reply
    • Chelsea Lee Smith

      July 31, 2015 at 12:53 pm

      Yay I hope you all have a blast!

      Reply
  6. Kate - The Craft Train

    July 30, 2015 at 10:25 pm

    What a thoughtful idea, I’m sure the family you gave the muffins to had a nice surprise! The car suits you 🙂

    Reply
    • Chelsea Lee Smith

      July 31, 2015 at 12:53 pm

      Hehe thanks Kate – I’m really starting to enjoy all the features in the car so will definitely miss it when it’s gone!

      Reply
  7. Dayna

    August 25, 2015 at 4:26 pm

    This is such a lovely idea! The car is awesome for your family too! Love it!

    Reply
  8. Eli Baird

    July 27, 2017 at 11:05 am

    This is awesome!! I used to do this with my family when I was a kid, I felt like a ninja leaving the plate on my friend’s steps 🙂 I actually just built a website where you can Geotrack Kindness as you pass the plate along around your neighborhood. You just print off kindness cards for free and they have tracking codes if people want to create chains of pay it forwards kindness. I would love to hear your thoughts 🙂 givinggame.com

    Reply

Trackbacks

  1. Smile Kit - Moments A Day says:
    August 8, 2015 at 2:11 pm

    […] the #FordThinking challenge as part of Kidspot Voices 2015.  You can read about our first outing here.  We have been given a Ford Kuga MKII plus petrol vouchers for six weeks and we decided to use it […]

    Reply
  2. Gratitude goodie bags - Voices of 2015 says:
    August 28, 2015 at 5:56 am

    […] first outing we made was giving a Kindness Plate, and the second was delivering a Smile Kit.  Our final project was selecting some people who we […]

    Reply
  3. Storybooks that Build Character + Printable Activity Pages - Moments A Day says:
    August 4, 2016 at 11:10 pm

    […] the famous blueberry muffins is a fun activity for kids after reading the story as well, visit this post to find my favourite […]

    Reply
  4. 15 of the Best Free Random Acts of Kindness Printables - Life in the Nerddom says:
    February 20, 2019 at 11:00 pm

    […] […]

    Reply

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Chelsea Lee Smith is an author, certified parent educator, and mother of three children with a background in Communications and Counselling. She provides resources to parents and teachers who want to incorporate personal growth into everyday moments. Browse the shop and blog categories to find practical inspiration for family life including tips, activities, printable pages, and resource recommendations.

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