How to Foster Community and Stay Connected In your Neighborhood While Social Distancing
One of my favorite parts of the day is the time between 5 pm and 8 pm. Like clockwork, my neighbors go from being isolated in their homes to a crowded (but distanced) collection of families walking, kids playing, outdoor yoga, etc. This transition from afternoon work to evening activities has become the norm in my little neighborhood in Berkeley, CA. Recently, as I see people around me adjusting to their new distanced lives, I’ve been wondering how to harness this need for connection and activity, and foster a deeper sense of community.
I have found that with minimal planning, there are many ways to stay connected to your surrounding neighborhood during this time. One great way is to take advantage of your close proximity. As your neighbors are within walking distance, it is easy to develop a puzzle/game/book swap to change up your activities at home. In my household, we finished all of our puzzles by the end of March and we’re in search of something new!
Furthermore, grab those old camping chairs and plop yourself outside your home for a social distance “happy hour” of sorts. I picked this one up from a friend’s neighborhood who does this every Friday at 4 pm! They even did theme gatherings to keep things interesting.
Lastly, when I walk around the neighborhood I can’t help but notice more signs and artwork posted in windows. A great activity to bring kids in the neighborhood together would be to create different drawing activities for each week and to post these drawings in outward-facing windows. This can be executed in many different ways, but it supports a sense of connection and consistency.
Ultimately, while we are distancing ourselves from one another, there are still opportunities to continue connections within your community, maybe in a more meaningful way than ever before.
