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Kindest kids of 2015 have a giving spirit for teachers, police officers, bullies

There's no doubt: Our kids are kind. They're giving, they're nice and they're generous — to each other and to strangers.
/ Source: TODAY

Children may not always be angels, but many seem to instinctively know how to be kind, nice and giving. And in 2015 they seem to have gone above and beyond with their inspiring stories of kindness, so we're returning the favor in our own way. Here are 15 of our favorite good deeds from the past year.

Read on and see if you aren't inspired by these stories of kids being kind!

1. Dad, daughter celebrate birthdays with '39 Random Acts of Kindness'

Lee Beck and his daughter, Amélie, of Oxford, England, decided to mark their 32nd and 7th birthdays, respectively, by adding up their new ages and executing as many good deeds to mark the occasion.

kind nice girl dad daughter birthday random acts kindness
Lee Beck and his daughter Amélie celebrated their 32nd and 7th birthdays by performing '39 Random Acts of Kindness.'Lee Beck

2. A boy, a burger and a blessing: How a 5-year-old's good deed went viral

A 5-year-old boy eating out with his mom one night saw a hungry, disheveled man in need. Thanks to the boy's help, the stranger left with a full stomach while the other diners left with full hearts.

kind nice boy burger homeless feed restaurant touching gesture
5-year-old's touching gesture feeds homeless man at Waffle House.WSFA

3. 'A final tribute': Teens serve as pallbearers for homeless military veterans

A group of high school students are volunteering to serve as pallbearers for fallen military members who otherwise would have been buried alone.

kind nice kids students homeless veteran funeral military high school teens
University of Detroit Jesuit School students Nick Benedetto, Joshua Gonzalez, Tom Lennon, Leonard Froehlich, Noah Tylutki and Michael O'Connor serve as pallbearers in the funeral of a homeless veteran.University of Detroit Jesuit School

4. Teen with brain disorder crowned homecoming queen after wish for 100 new friends

After making a moving effort to get to know one Pennsylvania 18-year-old who has a rare brain disorder and cannot speak, her senior class nominated her for homecoming queen, and she won on Oct. 16.

kind nice kids homecoming queen brain disorder friends crown senior students
Teen with rare brain disorder wishes for 100 friends, wins homecoming queen title.Sherry Byrne

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5. #MaddysMightyMinions: 8-year-old girl's tragic death leads to acts of kindness

The generous spirit of an 8-year-old Longmont, Colorado, girl who recently succumbed to bone cancer continues to inspire legions of supporters to perform acts of kindness in her honor.

The Grayless family

6. Students 'prank' principal with kindness, giving him dozens of thank-you notes

Although this school principal knew something was up, he did not expect dozens of seniors to deposit individualized thank-you notes into a bucket.

kind kids nice prank thank you notes high school principal
For a "prank," Wichita High School North senior Emily Jones led her classmates in making their principal, Sherman Padgett, stand in the hallway and hold an empty bucket, which they filled with almost 100 thank-you notes.Courtesy of Sophia Padgett

7. Grandma in the window' shares special bond with students that goes beyond a wave

When a "grandma in the window" didn't show up to see a busload of schoolchildren pass by, they decided to find out how she was doing.

kind nice kids grandma window students wave
These kind kids waved to the "grandma in the window" daily.Courtesy of Arlington Public Schools

8. Kids' sweet note to injured officer goes viral: 'Thanks for being like a dad'

A Connecticut police officer with a passion for helping children posted an adorable note two siblings wrote him while he was recovering from a knee injury.

9. At one elementary school, 5 boys befriend the bullied — and change lives

Five fifth-grade boys from Minnesota made friends with a new kid who was being bullied at their school, and discovered a great friend in the process.

kind nice students classmate bullied bullying bully friend
Five boys befriend a classmate who was being bullied.Boyd Huppert/KARE

10. 'To the teenage boy at the skate park': Mom's letter goes viral

One mom was ready to defend her young daughter at a local skate park when she encountered a groupof teen boys, but one young man stepped up with an unexpected act of kindness.

kind nice help teach skateboard park
Mom writes 'Dear teenage boy at skate park" letter to thank young man for his kindness with her daughter.Courtesy of Jeanean Thomas

11. Students donate senior class trip funds to help principal fight cancer

Seniors at a New Hampshire high school, voted unanimously to skip their senior trip and donate their entire treasury of about $8,000 to help a principal fight a rare and aggressive soft-tissue cancer.

kind nice students high school senior trip donate donations principal cancer
Courtney Vashaw, in red, shown with some of the members of the senior class of Profile Junior-Senior High School in Bethlehem, New Hampshire, where students voted to skip their senior trip and donate their entire treasury to help Vashaw fight cancer.Courtney Vashaw

12. As donations flood in, students pass them on to cancer-stricken principal

When seniors at a high school surprised their cancer-stricken principal with the $8,000 they were going to spend on their class trip, their story touched people around the nation.

kind nice students high school principal cancer fundraisers donations seniors
Alex LaCasse is a middle school teacher in Seattle who organized a fundraiser so that Profile Junior-Senior High School seniors could take the trip they had given up.Alex LaCasse

13. Boy, 7, with autism attends first birthday party thanks to gracious invitation

A touching invitation from a classmate to a boy with autism who'd never attended a birthday party changed everything for the kids.

kind nice birthday party autism invitation invite classmate
Through the kindness of a classmate, Timothy (left) attends his first birthday party.Courtesy of Ainsley Peikos

14. Boy buys officer breakfast for 'the thankless job he does,' brings him to tears

A police officer was taken aback when a small child wanted to make his life just a little bit easier one morning.

15. 'You have a friend — us': Boy writes touching letter to the bully who spit at him

One boy wrote a note to a bully, saying, "You don't have to bully. If you don't have any friends, just make a friend — it's very simple. But you already have a friend — us."

boy letter bullying kind nice friend school students
8-year-old Nicolas Neesley shows his anti-bullying letter.Courtesy of Shamayne Neesley

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