Little kids might not have the maturity and cleverness of adults, but that doesn’t mean they’re not smart.
Because children often see things much more openly, they can raise important questions that adults might not have even considered.
For instance, one group of elementary school children noticed that something wasn’t fair at their school: while they could all swing during recess, their disabled friend, Alice, couldn’t.
But at the end of April, thanks to a sweet letter from some of the children, Alice was finally granted her own swing.
Alice Eilan is a second-grade student at Steckel Elementary School. She suffered a brain injury that has affected her speech and orthopedic skills, and uses a wheelchair or a walker while at school.
Though she doesn’t have it as easy as the other kids in her class, Alice is one of those children who never stops smiling.
She’s a cheerful, playful, cup-half-full kind of girl, so it’s no surprise that she has lots of friends.
Samantha Solomon, Alice’s homeroom and math teacher, said that when Alice’s classmates first met her, they took to her straight away. She added:
“Children are innately curious but, more importantly, kind.”
The kindness of these Pennsylvania school kids was particularly evident in what they hoped to gift Alice for her 8th birthday.
When students were asked to write persuasive letters to the school’s Principal, many chose the same subject.
Following the theme of “how to make Steckel a safer or better place”, five students brought up an issue that they felt was unfair: Alice’s inability to play with them at recess.
The five kids, named Alexis, Aiden, Villianis, Bridget and Danica, all wrote about the fact that Alice wasn’t able to get involved because of being in a wheelchair.
The children’s request was simple: to buy Alice her very own swing.
When the school’s principal picked up on the theme, she saw an opportunity. She reached out to Alice’s friends and asked them to gather information.
The students went away and researched a number of swings, and came back with ideas on how to fundraise for the investment.
By this point, the principal was so impressed by the students’ efforts that she simply had to make sure Alice got her own swing.
When the big day came around, Alice had no idea what was waiting for her in the playground.
The whole school, who had dressed in pink for the event, came out to surprise Alice with her new swing at the grand reveal.
As she came out, everyone sang “Happy Birthday”, and the new swing was adorned with pink streamers and balloons.
Alice’s whole family had been invited along, too – and they couldn’t believe what they were seeing.
Describing the moment she realized what had been installed for her daughter, Alice’s mom said:
“Oh, my God. It’s incredible. Amazing.”
Alice’s brother, Elias, had the honor of being the first person to push her on the swing, while her family watched on proudly.
This is a perfect example of the amazing things that children can do when given the opportunity.
As Principal Synder said:
“They rose above the expectations we set for them and took care of one of their own. They surprised a friend with a new swing with the power of kindness and action.”
You can watch this beautiful story of friendship, thoughtfulness, and inclusivity in the video below!
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