Description
At Faithfully Explore!, we love finding ways for kids and families to take big ideas about kindness and turn them into real, everyday practices. That’s exactly what our newest printable challenge, One Week of We: Ubuntu Challenge, is all about.
Ubuntu is a word from southern Africa that means “I am because we are.” It’s a reminder that our lives are connected. What we do matters not only for ourselves, but also for the people around us. When we share, help, or show empathy, we’re making the world a brighter place.
This challenge gives kids and families a simple but powerful way to live out Ubuntu for seven days straight.
How the Challenge Works
Each day, children choose one of three Ubuntu actions:
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Share Give something to someone else, whether it’s a toy, a snack, or your time.
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Help Out Do something kind and useful, like setting the table, helping with homework, or holding a door.
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Empathy Minute Pause for a moment to imagine how someone else is feeling and respond with care.
On the printable, there’s space to record what you did, how it made you feel, and how you think it made the other person feel. This simple reflection helps kids see that kindness doesn’t just stop with the act itself… it ripples outward.
By the end of the week, children can look back on seven days filled with intentional acts of connection. The final reflection page asks them to think about what they learned, what moment they were proudest of, and to even draw themselves “spreading Ubuntu like sunshine.”
Why Ubuntu Matters for Kids
Teaching children about Ubuntu helps them see themselves as part of something bigger. Instead of focusing only on “me,” they learn the joy of living as “we.”
Some of the values kids practice during the challenge include:
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Connection: Understanding that our actions affect others.
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Kindness: Noticing how small acts can brighten someone’s day.
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Empathy: Learning to step into another person’s shoes and imagine their feelings.
These are life skills children can carry far beyond one week. They’re lessons that build stronger families, friend groups, classrooms, and communities.
A Family-Friendly Tool
The One Week of We: Ubuntu Challenge is designed for children ages 5–12, but it’s meaningful for the whole family. Parents, caregivers, and teachers can encourage participation by:
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Starting each day by asking, “How will you practice Ubuntu today?”
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Ending the day with a short reflection together.
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Modeling Ubuntu by doing your own acts of kindness alongside the kids.
The printable makes it easy to keep track of progress, while also creating a keepsake of your family’s kindness journey.
What Goes in the Belief Backpack
At Faithfully Explore!, each episode or activity ends with a Belief Backpack takeaway- values kids can carry with them. The Ubuntu Challenge reminds us of three treasures to tuck inside:
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We are connected.
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Small kindnesses matter.
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Empathy makes the world brighter.
These simple truths help children see that they have the power to spread light, hope, and connection every day.
Ready to Try It?
You can download the One Week of We: Ubuntu Challenge printable at faithfullyexplore.com. Print it, hang it on the fridge, or place it somewhere kids will see it daily.
By the end of the week, your family will have practiced dozens of small acts of kindness and noticed how those actions sparked smiles, laughter, and deeper connections.
Ubuntu reminds us: “I am because we are.” What better way to live that truth than with one week of intentional kindness?
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