The Kindness Challenge
Kindness is one of the most important virtues a Mouse Scout can have. Sometimes it is easy to be kind, and sometimes it takes just a little bit of effort. Having a Kindness Challenge is a fun way to understand the importance and benefits of kindness. Here’s how it works!
Designate a week for your Kindness Challenge. Ask your fellow Scouts to commit themselves to performing at least one kind deed every day. It may be as simple as helping another mouse pick up some sunflower seeds she has dropped. It might be a greater kindness, such as helping someone out of a tough situation. Of course, you may always do more than one kind thing in a day, but that does not mean you may skip the next day! Keep track of your kind acts by making a chart.
At the end of your Kindness Challenge Week, Scouts may bring their charts to their Mouse Scout meeting and share them. You will no doubt be impressed and inspired by all of the kind things your fellow Mouse Scouts have done.
Being kind to others not only brightens their day, it can also open the door to friendship!
By the time the day of the Celebration of Friendship arrived, the Acorn Scouts and Maple Scouts were such good friends that Violet could hardly remember why they had been against them in the first place. Thorn’s friend Thistle was very quiet, but Violet thought he had great potential. Cricket and Weevil hit it off immediately. Hornet was as sly and funny as Petunia, while Sycamore was as handsome as Hyacinth was beautiful. Junebug found a soul mate in Woodruff, who had an allergy to dust mites.
Hyacinth and Sycamore put the finishing touches on the decorations for the celebration, while Cricket and Weevil put out the snacks.
Thorn and Thistle helped Tigerlily and Violet set up some tables and chairs, while Junebug and Woodruff made name tags. Finally everything was ready.
“You’ve done very well, Scouts!” said Miss Poppy. She turned and smiled almost shyly at the Maple Scout leader: a dapper mouse named Mr. Spruce. “This will be a true celebration of friendship. Let the festivties begin.”
The Scouts all enjoyed a game of pin the wings on the bumblebee, and then Thorn and Tigerlily helped teach the Acorn Scouts how to throw maple helicopters like a boomerang.
Violet was enjoying herself, but she kept watching the door, waiting for Miss Pansy to arrive. She had seen her a few times since the steel wool incident, and each time Miss Pansy seemed nicer and nicer. Violet was looking forward to introducing her to Miss Poppy. They both seemed like they could use a friend.
Finally the door opened and Miss Pansy walked in. She was smiling when she came in, but then she froze, and her smile changed to a frown. Violet turned to see who she was looking at. It was Miss Poppy—and she had the same unhappy look on her face as Miss Pansy!
“YOU!” they both said at the same time. Violet gulped. Something terrible and unexpected was happening. She had no idea that Miss Pansy and Miss Poppy even knew each other.
Violet looked at Tigerlily. “Do you think Miss Pansy could be Miss Poppy’s long-lost friend?” Violet whispered.
“They sure don’t seem like friends now,” Tigerlily answered.
“Are you here to apologize at long last?” Miss Poppy said to Miss Pansy.
“Me? Apologize to YOU?” said Miss Pansy. “You’re the one who thought it would be such a great idea to go down that rabbit hole.”
“Rabbit hole?” Miss Poppy shouted. “What rabbit hole? I’m talking about that tea you made with poison ivy!”
“That was an honest mistake,” Miss Pansy spluttered. “I thought it was mint!”
“Clearly, you did not study your Mouse Scout Handbook carefully,” Miss Poppy said. “It was a week before I stopped looking like a chipmunk.”
The two of them stared at each other for a long time. Violet and Tigerlily felt helpless. Then Miss Poppy’s face began to soften.
“Of course, I did make new friends that week,” Miss Poppy said. “A chipmunk even showed me his secret stash of beechnuts!”
Miss Pansy’s mouth twitched. “I remember him. He was so heartbroken when your swelling went down and he realized you were a mouse!”
Suddenly they were both laughing and hugging.
“I can’t believe we let ever such a silly thing come between us!” Miss Poppy said.
Violet and Tigerlily breathed a sigh of relief. “I’ll never let anything or anyone come between us again,” Violet said to Tigerlily.
“Me either,” said Tigerlily.
Being a Good Friend
The best way to make a friend is to be a friend. Here are some of the things a good friend does:
• A good friend is a good listener.
• A good friend pays attention to how her friends feel.
• A good friend doesn’t say mean things or hurt anyone’s feelings.
• A good friend helps her friends solve problems.
• A good friend gives compliments to her friends.
• A good friend is trustworthy.
• A good friend can disagree without hurting her friends.
• A good friend lets her friends be themselves.
• A good friend is caring.
• A good friend is kind.
Are you a good friend?
THE “MAKE FRIENDS” BADGE
To earn this badge, you must complete the following requirements:
1. Make two friendship bracelets.
2. Reach out to make new friends.
3. Give one bracelet to a good friend, and one bracelet to a new friend.
4. Keep a friendship journal.
5. Be a good friend.
6. Help your troop prepare a Celebration of Friendship.
Sarah Dillard was briefly a Brownie and a Junior Scout. She fondly remembers making macaroni necklaces and, less fondly, one horrible camping trip when she had to eat the worst oatmeal ever. On the brighter side, Sarah studied art at Wheaton College and illustration at the Rhode Island School of Design. In addition to the Mouse Scouts series, she is the creator of picture books such as Perfectly Arugula and Extraordinary Warren. She lives in Waitsfield, Vermont, with her husband. Visit Sarah at sarahdillard.com.
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