Acts of Neighoring: 100 different ideas

Looking for ways to meet your neighbors?  Here are 100 different ideas that you can use yourself. Each one is designed to help you build connections with your neighbors.

The goal is to build relationships. Do not feel obligated to entertain people or entertain neighbors. Building connections is more important than entertainment.

Give these ideas a try and let us know which one is your favorite.

POSSIBLE ACTS OF NEIGHBORLINESS

 Invite neighbor kids over with their parents for a game night.

 Organize a parade in your neighborhood. 

 Soup potluck for neighbors in your driveway.

 Set up an outdoor picture-taking event for kids.

 Grill hamburgers and/or hot dogs in the front yard and include water.  

 Put out chairs in the front yard, so neighbors can sit down and rest and drink something.  

 Bring out a fire pit in your front yard to roast marshmallows or make s'mores.  

 Offer a helping hand to rake a neighbor’s lawn or cleaning rain or street gutters are great ways to show your neighbors you care.  

 Send a text, an email, or a card to your neighbors thanking them for being such great neighbors.  They will be surprised that you took the time to write a thoughtful note.

 Host neighbors for evening coffee and dessert.

 With the cooler weather and football season going strong, it is a great time to invite neighbors over to watch a game, eat your favorite snacks, and connect with them.

 Give thank you cards to those in your neighborhood who contribute.

 Invite your neighbors over for an open house. 

 How about a potluck for neighbors?

 Mail or leave at the door a surprise affirmation note to neighbors.

 Use the element of surprise with a gift or act of service that would bless your neighbors.

 Get all the neighbors involved in a free car wash at your house or a neighbor’s house.  

 Organize a neighborhood ping pong or croquet tournament.  

 Outdoor movie night: Project a movie onto a garage or outdoor screen.

 Offer to bring in the mail or newspaper when a neighbor is on vacation.

 If new neighbors have moved in, throw a welcome party.  Ask everyone to bring an appetizer or a dessert.  (Sunday from 4 - 6 pm is a good time.)  

 Help with unkempt lawns or the elderly in the neighborhood.

 Take walks or bike rides with neighbors.

 Host a pancake breakfast, in the front yard if possible, to let neighbors see what is going on. How about Pancakes on the porch!

 A neighborhood scavenger hunt. (I have sample charts)

 Find out who the Vets are in your neighborhood and think of something you could do for them that would show you appreciate their service.  

 “Sunday Sundae.”  Neighbors gather for sundaes on Sunday.

 Donuts on the driveway (with coffee of course).

 Offer to walk your neighbor’s dog(s).  They might welcome the break and you might have a chance to meet more neighbors.

 Bring cut flowers to a shut-in in your neighborhood.

 Start a neighborhood garden and bring the produce to your neighbors.  You might want to put it in the front yard, so the neighbors watch the vegetables grow. 

 Start a neighborhood lending library.  You might want to build a book-box on a pole for the neighborhood or in a public place in your apartment building.

 Throw a Saturday breakfast for everyone in your apartment complex or one in your front yard.  The smell of bacon catches everyone’s attention. 

 Look for needs in the neighborhood and ask if you can lend a hand.

 Put on neighborhood progressive dinner.

 Invite your neighbors over for a barbeque.  Arrange activities for the kids so they are included, like a bounce house, croquet, slip ‘in slide, etc.  

 Neighborhood book club

 Go for a walk and bring a small trash bag to pick up trash along the sidewalk.

 Use sidewalk chalk to write an inspiring message on the sidewalk in front of your home.

 Ask an elderly neighbor or parent with young children if you can pick up items for them while you’re at the store.

 If you play a musical instrument, give invitations to your neighbors to attend an outdoor concert on the curb at a given time.

 Introduce yourself to a neighbor.

 Compliment a neighbor on a feature of their home or garden.

 Make yourself available by spending more time in the front yard.

 Host a garage sale with special discounts for your neighbors

 Offer to mow the lawn of a busy young family or older adult neighbor.

 Make a double batch of the cookies you’re baking and bring some to a neighbor.

 Know parents who could use a night out?  Offer to babysit a neighbor’s child for free.

 Organize a blitz neighborhood cleanup.

 Make dinner for a neighbor who has just had a baby or surgery. 

 Sit on your front porch or in your front yard, and smile at anyone you see outside.

 Buy a plant. Put it in a terracotta pot. Write positive words that describe a friend on the pot. Give it to that friend!

 Say hello or wave each time you see your neighbors.

 Write a message or draw a picture on neighbor’s sidewalk with chalk.

 Bring in your neighbors’ garbage can or offer to wash their car.

 Leave a bottle of bubbles, flowers or coloring book on neighbor’s doorstep.

 Ask an neighbor if there’s a chore you can help them do.

 Offer to walk your neighbor’s dog, water their garden, rake leaves or shovel snow.

 Deliver a homemade card to your neighbor, or leave it in their door.

 Set up a reverse lemonade stand with free drinks for neighbors.