Happy Random Acts of Kindness Week!

Want the world to be a better place? It all begins with you and your fam—and one very random event happening this month.

Plus: 5 Ways to Raise a Grateful Child

Kindness is contagious, say the folks behind Random Acts of Kindness Week, a grassroots pay-it-forward-palooza taking place February 14 to 20. Hence, it's a great opportunity to bring your family together in the spirit of altruism. Try creating a gratitude chain: Help your little one write something he's grateful for, fold the note into a chain link, and then ask others to add their own links. “It demonstrates to children the idea that we can come together and create something bigger than ourselves,” says Marilyn Decalo, manager of the Denver-based Random Acts of Kindness (RAK) Foundation. Her last “RAK”? Switching airplane seats so a family could sit together (awesome!). The foundation's following is growing by leaps and bounds—it has 20,000 Facebook fans—so don't be surprised if the car ahead of you pays your next tollbooth fee. For more great ideas, go to Randomactsofkindness.org.

Plus: Teaching Your Child Charity