50 Tips to be more neighbourly
- Smile, wave and say hello to people in your neighbourhood, including children and teenagers. Perhaps even stop for a chat!
- Introduce your children to neighbours. If they become trusted friends, your children will feel safe to go there in an emergency.
- Buy lemonade, eggs, or whatever children are selling at their street stalls.
- Ask if your neighbour would like to join you for a walk with you and your children.
- When walking your dog, offer children the opportunity (if they look keen!) to pat your dog.
- Give children’s stray balls (or drone!) back.
- Accommodate children who play in the street with basketball hoops, soccer nets or just driving slowly as you pass.
- Connect with neighbourhood teenagers and offer them babysitting opportunities.
- Offer to help with school runs if your children are at school together.
- Celebrate special event days with your neighbours and organise an event like an Easter egg hunt, or Santa to visit.
- Set up a cricket, soccer or football game in the local park and invite the neighbours.
- Start a street library – more info here: streetlibrary.org.au
- Offer to look after your neighbour’s pets while they are away.
- Invite your neighbour’s dog for a play with your dog.
- Share produce from your garden.
- Swap a favourite recipe with a neighbour and share the delight!
- Spend more time in your front yard as a simple way to connect with nearby neighbours and those passing by.
- Organise a ‘cuppa by the kerb’ where you invite your neighbours to bring a cuppa and have a chat in the street together at a set time.
- Organise a campfire marshmallow night in your street.
- Organise a street party.
- Invite the neighbours in for a barby.
- Invite the neighbours in to watch a footy game, the cycling or any other sport you enjoy!
- Have a progressive dinner where everyone prepares a course.
- Stay connected, start a meaningful conversation. Be a good neighbour and a great listener. For conversation tips visit ruok.org.au
- Take in your neighbour’s garbage bin.
- Share cuttings from your garden.
- Offer to collect the mail while your neighbour is away.
- Mow your neighbour’s front verge.
- Offer your food scraps to neighbours with chooks.
- Share resources i.e. garden tools, lawnmowers.
- Share backyards with a natural / living fence e.g. vines, trees, herbs.
- Share information i.e. weather, storms, local development, etc.
- Drop a Christmas card in their letterbox.
- Keep an eye on their house and pop over if you see anything unusual.
- Offer to help a neighbour with shopping or small odd jobs.
- Collect the newspapers and deliver it to their front door.
- Deliver a meal if your neighbour has been unwell.
- Suggest you go to a local community event / festival / concert together.
- Suggest you try a new local café or restaurant together.
- Start a neighbourhood walking group.
- Join a sporting team together.
- Join the local community fire unit, Bushcare, Landcare or Coastcare group with your neighbours or volunteer to help out with Conservation Volunteers Australia.
- Organise a bake-off and cake tasting.
- Let your neighbours know you are having a party, garage sale, or other event – perhaps invite them!
- If there is a blackout, check in on an elderly neighbour and see they have a torch handy.
- Talk through small issues, before they become big problems.
- Share a lift to yoga or any other local class or group.
- Check if there are volunteering opportunities at a local school or sports club.
- Attend a community or council meeting together.
- Ask your neighbours to help you clean out your garage (or sort out your garden!) – and then you will return the favour.