Who doesn’t love the holiday season?  Cooking up warm, delicious meals, giving sentimental gifts, and spending time with our friends and family.  It’s a time to remember how grateful we are for our own blessings and to spend extra time volunteering for and supporting our community.  Here are 8 creative ways to give back during the holiday season:

• Plan a clothing, toy, or canned food drive at your dance studio or holiday concert. You can also collect other important necessities like gently-used blankets, winter coats, shoes, and toiletries.

• Practice your singing by Christmas caroling with your dance team at a retirement home. (Of course, you can also put on a little dance performance, if the space allows.)

• Baking cookies, cupcakes, and other special treats is a wonderful tradition this time of year. Host a bake sale at your studio and donate the proceeds to a local charity of your choice.

• Encourage your dance team to participate in your town’s holiday parade. Have fun designing cheerful, festive costumes and choreographing a routine to your favorite Christmas songs.

• On a day that you don’t have dance class or rehearsal, plan a trip to donate blood for the American Red Cross (You usually have to be at least 16 years old in most states).

• Want to work on a holiday craft? Learn to knit or crochet and spend your free time at tech rehearsal and Netflix nights-in creating snuggly scarves for patients at a children’s hospital.

• Set up a “Secret Santa” gift exchange with the younger dancers on your team. Little notes, presents, and treats will make them feel loved and included in your team as a whole.

• Send holiday cards to families and businesses that support your studio. Personal, handwritten notes are best!

Do you have any other traditions or ideas for giving back to your community?  Share them with us in the comments section below!