Did you know that October 19 is National New Friends Day? As we thought about what this day celebrates, we couldn’t help but think about how this is a great opportunity to discuss how to make new friends. After all, who couldn’t use more friends in their life? Without further ado, here are some great ideas you can use to make some new friends:
Sign up for a class
A great place to meet new people is in a class that you’re interested in. Having a subject to bond over is a wonderful start. For example, if you love to knit, sign up for a knitting class with your local craft store. You’ll instantly be connected to other people who share your love.
Volunteer for a cause you’re passionate about
In this case not only do you have a subject to bond over, but you’ll also be giving back to the community. Talk about a win-win!
Join a club or organization
If your industry has an association, consider joining it. Not only will you have some fabulous networking opportunities, you could also make friends.
Try asking people you already know to hang out
Invite someone at work or school to go to the movies. Host a potluck barbecue. Ask people to go out after work for an appetizer.
Say yes to invites
When your friends or coworkers ask you to attend events, parties, and get-togethers, say yes. You could find new connections there that could end up being friends too.
Making New Friends as Kids
A lot of these ideas will work for kids too. Of course, parents might have to do the planning and scheduling for younger children. Put your child in a class for something they love to do to meet other people that enjoy it too. For example, if they want to learn martial arts, it may be a prime opportunity for them to meet other kids who love them too.
Bring them along for volunteer opportunities as well. The more the merrier! And, if everyone in the family makes new friends, even better.
The more friends we can have the better. It just feels good to have a group of people who like us for who we are, and that we can talk to about a wide variety of subjects. This is especially helpful for children dealing with bullies at school. October is National Bullying Prevention Month, and when we have more friends, we have more people to protect us from bullies. Encourage your children to speak up about bullies, and to tell an adult if someone is bullying them or a friend of theirs. Knowing they have someone on their side to back them up can make it much easier to handle, and help stop bullying altogether.