Whether your family's talents range from singing and dancing to cooking and collecting, reach out and touch someone's life this summer.
Fulfill even one dream below and you and your family can help make the world not just a better place, but a more exciting one!
Throw a "Neighbourhood Sharing Party"
Organize a potluck meal and invite neighbours to share stories, talents or games. Have a child tell a tale, sing their favourite song or teach the group a fun and easy game for everyone to play! If the weather’s right, have your party in your backyard on a long dinner table – it’s the perfect way to have conversations and share ideas!
Read awhile
Lost touch with your "inner child"? Gather up some heartwarming stories like O. Henry's "The Gift of the Magi" to read to kids at a children’s hospital. Take along some homemade goodies and offer small gift bags of travel-size toiletries.
Reinvent old cards
Gather up old thank you cards, birthday cards and invitations, then cut and paste to create one-of-a-kind cards. Write a special note and then pass them out at retirement homes to give the gift of a personal message.
Pay it forward
Pop up some popcorn and share an at-home movie night watching the kindness-inspiring film Pay It Forward — where one act of generosity creates a domino effect of good deeds. Then perform a similar act of selfless kindness and ask the recipient to "pay it forward"—that is, just say "thank you" by doing someone else a kindness.
That's entertainment
So you didn't make the cut for Canadian Idol? Recycle your musical gifts by organizing a "talent night" for your friends and family! Present a few of your own acts—juggling, musical comedy, belly dancing—then invite the audience to get up and perform. Have a great pianist or guitarist on hand or at least karaoke tracks. If it’s a warm summer night, why not do it outside? Hang up a white sheet as the backdrop for your stage and set up chairs for the audience. You can even project home-made movies by using the sheet as a screen.
