Tips for Developing Activities in Your Community

Living in a town with nothing to do is boring for the young and old alike. Parents want to take their little ones to fun activities, and seniors want to interact with other individuals who are around their age. How can you go about making your community a friendlier place for everyone to live? Read on to find out!

Form a Committee

You'll likely find that forming a set schedule of activities by yourself is overwhelming. A good place to start is with the town department of recreation and the local library. Generally, these two places are major hubs for all sorts of activities. Libraries can play host to yoga, arts and crafts and computer courses, and the recreation department is in charge of activities at local parks. Once you've contacted these organizations, ask if a movement can be started to create an activities committee.

 Know Your Neighbors

If you start a soccer team for preschoolers in a town that is almost entirely made up of senior citizens, you're probably not going to have much luck. Start with activities that you feel the community would love. Maybe there has been a lot of talk around town regarding an adult basketball league or yoga classes for beginners. Once you break the ice with these types of activities, you can move on to ones where the intended audience will likely be a bit smaller.

 Host Activities

Sometimes, the town budget might not allow for activities, or your plans may be met with a great deal of resistance. Start hosting some small activities out of your home, but be sure to check if you need a permit to do so. You could host a weekly book club, or you could teach art to children in the community. Consider charging a small fee so that you're able to build this program up. Once community leaders see how well you are doing with the project, they may very well be motivated to let your project expand into a larger venue or space.

The Details

Starting a community wide activity is not as simple as just telling someone that you want to do so. You'll have to go over a budget with the town or other people in your committee. If the activity requires a specific skill set, such as the ability to teach yoga or to demonstrate clay modeling to a group of budding artists, you'll need to hire an individual to conduct the session. Advertising is a huge part of starting community activities too. If no one or just a couple of people show up, the operation may be knocked down before it even has the chance to get onto its feet.

 Starting new activities in your community is a way to become more involved, and it's also a way to meet new people who may live just down the block. Remember, start out small and keep the details in mind. If you play your cards correctly, your activity might just be the biggest hit in town before you know it.

Jessie Rodriguez writes about his career in community development. Recently, his work has been on the Top 10 Best Online Bachelor's in Social Work Programs .