The social distancing and lockdowns of COVID-19 are tough on our mental health. All around the world, people are struggling with isolation, loneliness, and uncertainty. This means it is more crucial than ever that we reach out to our family and friends to let them know we’re thinking of them and that we love them.
What better way to send some lockdown love than with a thoughtful gift? With this in mind, we’ve put together five gift ideas to get your thoughtfulness flowing.
#1 – A Delicious Hamper
What are the essential items everyone needs during lockdown? Forget toilet paper (although that is important), we’re talking about wine and chocolate. Let’s face it, the days and nights are long in lockdown, and we all need a little pick-me-up now and then. So why not support the local economy and make someone’s day by sending them a gift hamper? There is a fantastic array of Australian gift hampers available online to suit anyone’s tastes. You might even need to treat your own household to one while you’re at it!
#2 – A Homemade Drawing
Kids across Australia have been cooped up inside more than usual, and houses all around the country have enough paintings, crayon drawings, and special craft activities to wallpaper their walls a few times over. So, why not spread the love? It’s a great idea to send these pictures to aunties, uncles, grandparents, cousins, and local nursing homes. You will probably still have enough left to do a local letterbox drop in your street (or even your whole neighbourhood, depending on how many kids you have).
#3 – Flowers
Another thoughtful and budget-friendly gift option is to take a few flowers and beautiful green cuttings from your garden, wrap them simply with some brown paper and some twine, and drop them off to your neighbours. And, if you’re able to help out your neighbours during this period, you could also include a little note to let them know. The recipients will no doubt be bowled over by this thoughtful gesture, and so you may make some new friends by doing so. If your garden is bereft of flowers, ordering some online for delivery is always a great option to bring a splash of colour to someone’s day.
#4 – A Board Game
While lockdown has been tough, there has also been a great deal of family bonding time, and a lot of families are rediscovering the lost joys of puzzles and board games. While you might be hard-pressed to track down a puzzle in Australia, a fun family board game is a great present that will keep on giving for years to come. You might even start a new tradition of weekly game nights! You could go with an old favourite like Guess Who, Monopoly, or Hungry Hippo, or maybe introduce something new.
#5 – Fruit and Vegetable Seeds
With all of our newfound spare time, gardens across the country are flourishing as people spend less time out and about, and instead pour their energy into weeding, planting, and pruning. While fruit and vegetable seeds might be rarer than hen’s teeth, if you can track some down, then your gift recipient will certainly be grateful. With society becoming more socially conscious and sustainably-minded, we can only hope that this is one trend that extends far beyond lockdown.
1 Comment
The gift ideas are so good and so different. I liked all of them.