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Photo courtesy of Westwood Kindness Ninjas. A group made up of local children and adults have undertaken to anonymously perform acts of kindness, such as leaving this gift of toy cars in a public area, for whomever finds them.
4-26-2026 8:18pm
Westwood In A Minute: Anonymous Group Spreads Kindness with Toy Gifts
Darlene Cancell
Editor
In a small but meaningful act of kindness, a group called the Westwood Kindness Ninjas recently left eight packages of Hot Wheels toy cars on a bench outside the Target store on University Avenue, available to any interested passerby to pick up and take home.
Handwriting on a Post-It note accompanying gift of new toys stated, “Free Hot Wheels! Enjoy! From the Westwood Kindness Ninjas,” followed by a drawing of a heart.
Made up of five anonymous members, the group tells Westwood Minute that it was organized last fall. It is led by two preschool-aged children, and its three older members are adults in their mid-40s to late-70s.
In a similar act of kindness last fall, the Westwood Kindness Ninjas left three new Hot Wheels cars at Westwood’s School Street Playground in October. Their gift came with a message written on a Post-It, stating, “Whoever finds these can have them. Enjoy! From the Kindness Ninjas."
The group tells Westwood Minute that they formed in order to expand on their kindness activities, and decided to do so anonymously. They wanted to remind people that the world can be a place where people “do good for one another,” even if they are strangers. Their acts of kindness might inspire others to pay it forward.
“Finally, doing this in secret is a lot of fun!” a member said.
Updated 4/26/2026 at 9:10 p.m.
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