Right now during the Coronavirus pandemic, we’re all faced with uncertainty and fears. We’re staying in our homes and we all miss the face to face interactions of our friends and neighbors. So what can we do to help spread some joy in our communities?
While we have stay-at-home orders, we are allowed to leave our house for some fresh air and exercise (but please, remember to maintain social distancing avoiding playgrounds or busy trails).
9 Ways to bring joy to your neighborhood during Covid-19 social distancing
- Sidewalk Chalk Art – Use sidewalk chalk (I’m sure we all have some…I think we have several buckets of it) to write happy messages and fun designs. Rainbows, hearts, and flowers are always a good choice to bring a smile to your neighbors out for a walk.
- Chalk an obstacle course – Draw a path along your sidewalk that directs everyone what to do – walk in a crazy line, spin, jump, frog jump, hop… Use your imagination and create some fun for your neighbors when they walk around the neighborhood.
- Painted Rocks – this is a fun activity to entertain the family. Find some rocks (smooth works best) and paint designs on them. Paint pens or acrylic paint works best. Then place the rocks around your neighborhood or in parks for people to find. Your town may even have a Facebook group where you can share rocks that you’ve found (here in Arizona we have Maricopa Rocks and Arizona Rocks).
- Hang rainbow signs in your windows. I first heard about this on the Mommyshorts Instagram page. This trend started in Italy and is spreading through the US. Draw rainbows on paper with the words “everything will be ok” to signify that one day there will be a rainbow after the storm.
- Teacher Caravan. With the schools closed, many of the kids are missing their teachers. Our school created a teacher caravan and they drove through the streets near the school honking their horns and waving signs. They announced it ahead of time on the school’s Facebook page so that everyone would know and could watch from their driveways.
- Host a Zoom neighborhood happy hour. Right now many of us are using Zoom more than ever before. Host a neighborhood happy hour to connect and chat. Post on your neighborhood Facebook page or on Nextdoor.
- Go for a walk in a funny costume or have everyone in your family wear crazy hats. Walk along a main street in your neighborhood (safely first of course) to bring joy to those who are out driving to work or to groceries.
- Hang holiday lights – what is it about strings of lights that just bring on a smile. A few houses in our neighborhood have lights up and it’s a comforting sight on your evening walks.
- Bear Hunt – I heard about this one from Mom Creative. Place teddy bears (or any other stuffed animals) in your window or on your patio and encourage your neighbors to join in (visit Mom Creative’s blog for a printable) and everyone can go on a bear hunt (following social distancing guidelines of course).
What else can we do to bring joy during these uncertain times? I’d love to hear what you’re doing. Tag us on Instagram so we can see (and we might even repost your photos)
A few more ideas during this unusual time:
- How to celebrate graduation during Covid-19 Pandemic
- 14 ways to celebrate birthdays during the Covid-19 Pandemic
- Huge list of things to do with teens at home during Covid-19 Pandemic