RULES

The Secret Neighbour Game (or "Secret N") is very easy to play and very customizable. All you need to do is secretly bless your neighbours with anonymous greeting cards or cookies (or candies) any time you have the means to do so. 

The game started at Christmas, but is meant to inspire many givers throughout the year. You can buy the cards and the cookies or you can make them, depending on your time and resources. Just ensure to work to work within clean and food-safe limits.

If you are a DIY type of person and want to make everything yourself, you are welcome to do so. If you need help planning the steps, here is an example. 

1. Set a goal to play Secret N and tell everyone that you would be playing. Text your relatives and friends that you are going to play the game, and send them the link to this blog so they have a chance to catch the spirit and help you reach more people. Who knows, they may even decide to join the fun and play themselves,

2. Mark your intention to play the game by printing the game logo and QR code (see the Tools page) and posting it somewhere out of the rain, where you receive your mail. You want people to be curious and check it out, so that your impact goes way beyond your own work and dedication. Feel free to print a bunch of extra copies of the logo and QR code and give them to friends, relatives and acquaintances.

3. Plan your team. Will you play Secret N with your family? With a friend or neighbour? By yourself? If you are not close to your neighbours or you family is not joining your game, consider reaching out to a relative, a friend, a workmate, etc. You will spend some quality time with your team, and you can split the cards and cookies between your team members, if they are willing to distribute. A busy friend or relative may donate some supplies, or may even donate already made cards or cookies. Enlist your team members who will donate cards and/or cookies for your game, and set yourself reminders to check on their progress. 

4. Plan your outreach. Decide how many neighbours you want to reach. Some may want to reach one neighbour a day. Others may want to work in spurts and reach 7 neighbours each Saturday. Some will decide on a lower number, and others may decide on 7 neighbours each day. I's totally up to you, depending on your time and resources. Plan well, don't overwhelm yourself. Even one neighbour a week and continuing the game through the whole year will make a huge difference. It will also prompt others to do the same.

5. Plan what you will make and what supplies or recipes you need. With the blessing of YouTube and many online DIY tutorials, you can make anything - from beautiful cards at no cost to the most  exquisite designs with high end art supplies. E.g. you can blend newspapers with water to create the pulp and then use a screen to create the cardstock yourself. Dollar store supplies can go a long way, if you don't already have at home a few markers, glue, tiny stars, glitter, coloured or printed wrapping paper, With a bit of creative spirit and time, you can make 100 cards within $10. Your kids, teens, nephews, and nieces can join you, or can make some cards by themselves and donate them to you. Even a kid's drawing can become a great gift for someone who doesn't have family around for Christmas.

6. Schedule the work. Save in your calendar enough time for shopping, card-making, printing, cookie baking, and distribution. If you partner with someone else, remember to assign the tasks, time and location for each step of the process.

7. Make the cards way ahead, to have them ready. Consider printing info about the game on a business card piece of paper with the QR code on the back. Or have them on the same side, on a quarter or 6th of a letter size sheet. Or write the blog address by hand on some pretty paper. For the card messages, choose true words from your heart, and be personable. Do not try to be perfect or too fancy.

8. Bake the cookies as scheduled, or as you can. Have fun with it, and it's ok if you can't do as much as you had planned. Do not neglect your family or yourself to bake the cookies. On the contrary, make it a fun family activity or a fun baking date. Wrap the cookies/squares in individual small baggies or food-safe wrap. Sometimes you can get 50-80 party-favour baggies within a couple of dollars. A box of small envelopes (for letters) may also work, but even cling wrap, wax paper or parchment paper should do. Focus on small amounts, so you can reach more neighbours. It is the gesture that counts, and hopefully more people will start playing. If you know homes with single parents or individuals between jobs, you can add some fruit, veggies, snacks, etc. and make a little hamper for them, within your time and resource limits. Also, rather than taking toys to Value Village when your kids grow up, consider some kids in your neighbourhood who don't have many toys.

9. Distribute according to your plan, or adjust your plan. You may be able to enlist more family members or friends to help distribute. Or go to them across the town and pay forward to a few people in their neighbourhood. Try to be discrete, so no one discovers who left the gift. But if you get discovered, encourage them to join the game and pay it forward.

10. Start a revolution of kindness. For each 6 neighbours you reach in your area, make a point of reaching a home on a much further street or a different neighbourhood - maybe close to where you work or go to school. Let's start a wild fire of Christmas spirit in many places at the same time, so that the wave of caring acts will reach hundreds of neighbourhoods before Christmas. And don't stop at Christmas. Keep an eye for paying forward to at least one person each week. The feeling of joy and satisfaction that comes with giving and meeting needs can keep us in better sanity - no matter what curb balls life throws.

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