Christmas is a wonderful time for us to spread love by doing random acts of kindness and paying it forward. The true reason behind this season is to become selfless and think about others rather than ourselves. In this blog post, I will share with you 24 ideas to pay it forward this holiday season. These ideas are activities you can do with your friends, family and even have your children join in! Remember that kindness always matters, no matter how small it may seem.
What does it mean to pay it forward?
Paying it forward means when someone does a good deed to you, instead of paying them back directly, you pay it forward by doing a good deed for someone else. In other words, it means doing an intentional act of kindness without expecting anything in return. If someone wants to thank you or your family just tell them to pay it forward! The goal is to form a sort of chain reaction to spread love and kindness all around.
Without further ado, here are my 24 Ideas To Pay It forward: Christmas Edition:
#1 Pay For Someone’s Meal
A great idea for paying it forward is to pay for someone’s meal. You can do this at a restaurant and decide which family you would like to bless. However, I find that this idea works best on a drive-thru because you can easily pay for the car behind you without them getting suspicious. Doing it on a drive-thru can also inspire the person you paid for to do the same for the person behind them. In fact, not too long ago 900 cars paid for each other’s meals at a Dairy Queen drive-thru in Minnesota. Check full news here.
#2 Volunteer at Your Local Nursing Home
Nursing homes rely on volunteers to interact with the senior residents. For this holiday season, there are many people in nursing homes who might feel lonely and abandoned. Bring the feeling of home to the nursing home by spreading some holiday cheer and providing them love, support, and company. You might get asked to assist in hosting dances, card games, and bingo nights. If you’re musically talented you can even play a few holiday songs for them. I guarantee that their faces will get filled with joy!
#3 Angel Trees
Be on the lookout for angel trees. Angel Tree is a charity program by the Salvation Army which involves decorating a Christmas tree with paper angel tags with the first name, age, and gender of a child who is in need of a gift. These trees are often placed in local shopping centers, churches, restaurants, or other areas provided by sponsoring organizations. You simply have to pick out an angel tag (which may include the shoe size or clothing size of the child), buy the gift, wrap it nicely, and place the gift at the angel tree where you picked up the angel tag. This idea is perfect if you want to bring a smile to the faces of underprivileged children during the holiday season.
#4 Thank Your Delivery Drivers
If you’re a huge Christmas online shopper like me, a great idea to pay it forward is to express gratitude to your Amazon/UPS/FedEx delivery drivers. You can do this by setting up outside your home a basket containing water, fruits, and snacks. (P.S: I found that they’re really thankful for just a bottle of water). Along with the basket leave a note that says “To Our Fabulous Delivery Drivers: Please take a drink and snack as a token of appreciation for all that you do!”.
To make sure the sign doesn’t get ruined make sure to put it on a clear plastic sheet and place it on a clipboard. You can find an inexpensive basket at your local dollar store or craft store. I have done this idea plenty of times and I have seen through my doorbell camera the smile and joy that it brings to the drivers! Print out your FREE holiday sign here, it’s that easy!
CLICK TO PRINT YOUR FREE HOLIDAY PRINTABLE SIGN!
#5 Holiday Decorating
If you have a neighbor who is elderly, works long hours, is disabled, or is simply going through a tough time, volunteer to decorate their house for the holidays! It doesn’t have to be anything extravagant. You can simply help them decorate the Christmas tree, put lights outside, or hang them a wreath for their door. To avoid issues make sure they agree to you helping out.
#6 Help The Homeless
Homelessness is one of the biggest tragedies in this world. No one deserves to be homeless especially during these cold months. Pay it forward this holiday season by helping the homeless. You can do this by volunteering at your local homeless shelter, soup kitchen, or simply helping them directly. If you want to do it personally you can help by providing them a small meal, hygiene products, or basic winter necessities.
#7 Redbox Rental
Do you often rent movies at Redbox? If so, this pay it forward idea is perfect for you! After you watch your movie and you’re getting ready to return the Redbox, grab five dollars and attach a sticky note that says “Snacks on me- enjoy the movie and happy holidays!”. Although this is a small deed it might make someone’s weekend and will definitely bring a smile to their face.
#8 Participate in USPS Operation Santa
USPS Operation Santa is about answering gift wishes from letters that come from hopeful children and families. You’re basically becoming Santa for these underprivileged children. You can choose from a wide variety of letters and adopt the ones you love. No matter how big the wish, do what’s doable for you. Most letters ask for toys and games. Some ask for basic necessities. Even adopting just one letter can make a huge difference. When you have the gift-ready bring it to a participating Post Office. For more information click here.
#9 Offer To Babysit
For some people, the holidays mean extra long hours of work! Pay it forward by offering to babysit your friend’s child for free. I am sure your friend will greatly thank you! While babysitting depending on the child’s age you can even do fun Christmas activities with them to keep them entertained.
#10 Donate Your Toys/Clothes
Clean out your closet and make a donation box full of your gently used clothes or kids’ toys. This idea might be great for someone who has a kid who has turned into a teen and now you’re filled with toys they don’t use anymore. Donate these items at a local charity or personally mail them to a family in a less developed country that you know is in need.
#11 Participate in The Angel Card Project
The Angel Card Project is an internet-wide charity event that allows volunteers of any age to send DIY Christmas Cards to those who are in need or going through a tough time! This charity event is open through the months of November and December and there is no limit on the number of cards required to send. Once you sign up you will be provided a master list of names with addresses of people of all ages and stating their causes.
This is my first year volunteering and I am having a blast crafting the cards and spreading holiday cheer to those who need it. If you know someone who could use a little love and cheer this year for the Holidays you also have the opportunity to submit their name and information and let the Card Angels shower them with Christmas Cards. For more information click here.
#12 Bake Holiday Cookies
If you love baking this idea is perfect for you! Spread kindness and appreciation by baking some holiday cookies for your neighbors, coworkers, family, or friends. This idea will definitely bring a smile to people’s faces and it’s also a great self-care idea to spread warmness into your home. If you don’t know who to give the cookies to, you can also drop them off at a nursing home, homeless shelter, or even at your shopping center and pass them out to the employees who are working. This is a great pay-it-forward idea that will for sure spread holiday cheer!
24 Ideas To Pay It Forward (12 more):
- Knit Christmas baby hats and donate them at your local hospital
- Pay the December month rent for your neighbor
- Volunteer to gift wrap your friends, neighbors, or family gifts
- Gift a less fortunate stranger a holiday gift card so they can Christmas shop for their kids
- Leave a generous tip for your server/waitress
- Help someone snow shovel their sidewalk
- Tape coins to a random vending machine for the next person to find
- Let someone cut in front of you in line
- Wash your neighbor’s car for free
- Help an elderly person load their groceries
- Invite a less fortunate family to dinner
- Leave candy canes on windshields
That concludes my 24 Ideas To Pay It Forward: Christmas Edition! I hope you enjoyed reading and that these ideas inspired you to pay it forward this holiday season. You don’t have to do all of these 24 ideas to pay it forward, even completing just one can make a huge difference! Remember that no act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted. If you have tried any of these ideas please feel free to share your story below! Happy holidays! 🎄❤️
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