The “Kindness in Chalk” movement was started by Nicki Brunner, who lives in a Minneapolis suburb. It was sparked when Brunner and a toddler daughter were drawing with chalk outside their home and saw the reaction of neighbors when they saw a smiley face and a “Have a happy day!” message on the sidewalk. It then occurred to her that she could replicate the idea at her kindergartner son’s school.
The event is officially held Monday around this time of the year because October is National Bullying Awareness Month.
“There’s a lot that happens in our schools and our society that could benefit from a little kindness,” Brunner states on her MinneMama Adventures website. “Bullying awareness is crucial and important — we need to talk to our kids about how to handle situations, we need to intervene, we need to stand up for what is right. The goal of the Kindness in Chalk Movement is to combat bullying with the most valuable virtue of all.”