Leap into the Unexpected this Leap Day!

Today’s blog post originally appeared on the VolunteerSpot daily blog on February 28,2012. This post was written by  Jessica Young, a social media specialist at VolunteerSpot. Jessica also coaches volunteer leaders in getting the most out of social media and her organization’s free online tools.

Leap Day comes but once every four years – a day that does’t exist 75% of the time!  It is truly a GREAT opportunity to take action and do something out of the ordinary.

Do the Unexpected!

Involve your family and friends in random acts of kindness and LEAP into to the UNEXPECTED!  Here are 29 ideas for inspiration!

1. Hand-deliver a muffin and hot cocoa to your child’s teacher Leap Day morning (click to find more teacher appreciation ideas).
2. Secretly pay for the coffee for the person behind you in the drive-thru line.
3. Deliver a vase of bright tulips to an elderly neighbor.
4. Love Bomb the front office at your school with Thank You notes!
5. Surprise your kids with a trip to the movies after school.
6. Surprise your kids with a ‘picnic’ lunch during their lunch hour at school.
7. Surprise your teenager with sushi for lunch, and bring enough for her two best friends as well!
8. Walk to a neighborhood park with gloves and plastic bags, and do a quick clean sweep.
9. Find a totally random non-profit online and make a one-time, quick-click donation.
10. Take twenty minutes for yourself: walking, sitting on the porch, or just relaxing.
11. Treat yourself to the unexpected – a movie in the middle of the day, trying out the new cafe you’ve been talking about, or checking out that book you’ve been meaning to read.
12. Prepare dinner for a community member going through a tough time.
13. Mail out a card to a friend you haven’t connected with in a long time.
14. Sneakily pass a  local restaurant giftcard to the bank teller, grocery store clerk, or café barista who serves you on a regular basis.
15. Call the local animal shelter, ask what they are in need of the most, buy and deliver it that day!
16. Collect canned goods, gently used clothes, or books and make a family trip to donate them.
17. Gather loose change in your house if you plan on being by a parking meter and fill up all the nearby meters as well.
18. Purchase several boxes of granola bars and a bag of apples – when you happen to see homeless people out in your community, without judgement, dole out the snacks.
19. Use social media to send out a thank you to the world – find a poem that expresses your thoughts and share it with your facebook friends.
20. Use old school methods to connect with elderly parents/grandparents and friends who appreciate a real phone conversation!
21. Bake a sweet treat with your kids and doorbell ditch a neighbor with the unexpected goodies.
22. Celebrate an ‘unbirthday’ party with a handful of your children’s friends over for a playdate—bonus points if it REALLY is someone’s birthday!
23. Surprise a co-worker with a handwritten note of appreciation, JUST because!
24. Depending on your weather, beautify your family’s green space by raking, shoveling, weeding and planting.
25. Offer to pick up groceries or run quick errands for a homebound neighbor.
26. Capture a special moment of a new mom and child with your camera and frame as a kind surprise.
27. Drop by the local fire station with a homemade cake and thank you notes!
28. Break into a jammin’ kareoke session with your kids – hand out hairbrushes and wooden spoons and turn up your favorite old school tunes.
29. Say hello to strangers you pass, hold doors for others, and smile!