Kindness bingo a win for wellbeing
By Lorraine Ng
Winners of the Kindness Bingo hosted by Seeds4Change. From left: Anastasia Yu and Saffron Law, Year 10 Students. (Photo: Seeds4Change)
From late October to the middle of November, Renaissance College’s mental health awareness team, Seeds4Change, hosted an event called ‘Kindness Bingo’, where students got to complete listed acts of kindness on a bingo sheet within the RCHK community. Participants and, subsequently, winners, had the chance to win prizes such as Netflix, Starbucks, and Spotify gift cards.
Seeds4Change is an organization led by a passionate group of students who strive to improve the well-being of the school community, especially during times of stress and exams. They encourage students to think positively and remind them that their self worth is not based on numbers, but rather on who they are as individuals.
When asked about their intentions of creating this event, Seeds4Change commented that the Kindness Bingo aims to generate positivity and motivate kind deeds around the community. The organisation hoped that by starting this event, more members of the community would be inspired to perform “intrinsic acts of kindness on a daily basis.” In addition, they said these acts of kindness could help “increase community members’ appreciation for one another” and bring kindness to all members of the school community.
Participants were asked to video and provide photographic evidence of their acts of kindness correspondingly to the actions on the bingo sheet. Since the event required students to complete at least four acts of kindness, all participants who successfully completed the activity were entered into a deciding lucky draw where possible prizes for winners were given out. Examples of activities included writing an appreciation letter to someone, taking three selfies with three different teachers on campus, and writing a positive note on the whiteboard of any classroom.
Year 10 student and one of the ‘Kindness Bingo’ winners, Saffron Law, said that the activity provided her with the opportunity to enjoy school aside from work. She added that the bingo made her realize “what school is really for.”
Another Year 10 student winner, Anastasia Yu, thought that the activities on the bingo were all “equally fun and challenging.” This event gave her an “excuse” to “try out different ways of being kind” that she wouldn’t normally do. She hopes that there will be more activities similar to this in the future.
Anjali Seitz, a Year 12 student winner, joined the Kindness Bingo as she thought it was a great way to “share kindness and love to others for free.” She realised that she made people’s day throughout the experience, all thanks to the bingo.
This event is not the only one hosted by Seeds4Change. Seeds4Change also annually hosts Laughs and Lemonade, an event where students enjoy free lemonade and baked goods whilst viewing performances and spending time with friends. It gives all students a great opportunity to develop relationships with other peers, as well as taking a break from studies by relaxing and de-stressing.
Another annual event, Dandy Candy, allows students and teachers to write kind messages that are then distributed, alongside sweets, to random students. This enables them to learn how to show gratitude and appreciation to not only close friends but also strangers.
If you have missed the Kindness Bingo event, don’t fret. Seeds4Change will be back soon to host more exciting events such as the return of Laughs and Lemonade and Dandy Candy. After all, Seeds4Change strives to spread joy and positivity all year long!