This week's Kindful Kids Newsletter theme is Building Community in Your Neighborhood and I think it's really important to model for our children how to cultivate change right in your own backyards (literally)! I wanted to share some practical ideas for bringing a sense of community to your neighborhood -- all of these ideas have been tried and tested in our neighborhood and worked wonderfully!

• Organize an international potluck block party to celebrate diversity (everyone brings a dish celebrating their heritage; everyone brings own utensils, chairs, congregate in a driveway or street, kids play freely in the street which you block off to cars)
• Take turns to host a movie night for neighborhood kids
• Host a gingerbread making afternoon/other baking activity for kids
• Support/organize a kids lemonade stand for charity (or gift economy, pay it forward!)
• Share produce from your garden--leave in front of your home with a "free" sign or let neighbors know they can come and pick fruit from your trees
• Share homemade baked goods
• Take in mail/newspapers/trash cans when neighbors are out of town
• Visit elderly neighbors with homemade food or flowers and see what they need (rides to grocery store, church, hairdresser, light chores indoors or outside) Usually they just like the company!
• Communal fruit-picking and jam-making
• Communal music-making (instrumental holiday carols, for example)
• Close off the street and have potluck dinner in the middle of the street so kids can play
• Organize a neighborhood band to make music for a potluck Halloween party
• Maypole/May dance party/potluck
• Host an Easter egg hunt in your front yard
• Celebrate a holiday from your native land and invite the neighbors to learn about a different culture
• Co-host a progressive New Year's eve dinner party where you go to different people's houses for each course
• Share babysitting duties
• Chalk up positive messages in the entrance to your community or birthday wishes on the sidewalk :-)
• Cook a meal for someone who is sick or has been hospitalized
• Leave a plant on someone's doorstep, or seeds with a flowerpot
• Book exchange (little free library)
• Take an emergency preparedness course and share in a neighborhood meeting
• Organize an outing for a hike, picnic, bike ride or other outdoor activity
• Organize a back-to-school neighborhood party in your street. Everyone brings a dish and their own utensils and you can host it in your driveway/front yard/street/local park. It's a great way to meet new neighbors and connect with ones you may only know in passing. You can bring bats/balls/bubbles and other kid-friendly items to encourage everyone to join in the fun.
• Get to know an older person in your neighborhood and visit them or have your kids help them out with chores or bake/cook for them.
• Get to know a person with young children in your neighborhood and offer a playdate or babysitting exchange. Offer to host a Friday night movie get together for families and keep it simple.