A New Way To Have A Christmas Party Virtually
With Social Distancing being a part of a lot of our lives this Christmas, meaning not a lot of Christmas parties going on but there is another way to celebrate. Hosting a virtual Christmas party this year seems to be on-trend, here are some tips to make it great!
Send out invites. Coordinate in advance what platform you'll use, like Zoom, Skype, or FaceTime, and make sure older and less tech-savvy family members will be able to participate by helping them get set up in advance.
Have an agenda. It can be loose, but at minimum, it should include a time to log on, as well as a designated game or activity to fill any awkward silences. (Bustle, The Bash, and Elite Daily all have lists of several ideas.)
Make sure everyone knows about the mute button. especially when you don't want someone to hear something, Background noise is bound to happen, especially when there are kids involved. So make sure everyone knows how to mute themselves or be ready to do it yourself as the host.
Take pictures or screenshots. They will make for some great "2020 memories" in a few years.
Here are some great ideas to make your Virtual Holiday Party fun! From love to know
Secret Santa
You can use an online service like Elfster to set up your party's Secret Santa. Set a monetary limit and encourage participants to take advantage of the website's wish list feature. You can send your gift to arrive before the party. End your virtual holiday party games with the big reveal. Let each person take turns opening their Secret Santa gift and show to everyone.
Showoff Christmas Trees
In advance, notify each party guest that you wish to show off their Christmas trees during the party. Each person will take their turn in revealing their decorated Christmas tree. This is an excellent icebreaker.
Watching Movies Together on Zoom
According to Nerds Chalk, you can use Zoom to watch movies together by sharing your screen when on Netflix, Hulu, Disney Plus, Amazon Prime videos, and others. Choose a movie that you can watch together for a virtual holiday party. Let everyone share what they are munching on, such as Christmas cookies, popcorn, candy canes, and other treats.
Christmas Costume Contest
You can hold a Christmas costume contest. Create different categories, such as most festive, most creative and so on. Give winners a virtual graphic, such as a virtual hug meme and a virtual ribbon prize jpg they can print out and pin to their costume for the remainder of the party.
Virtual Karaoke
You can use a website like Watch2Gether to watch various karaoke videos together. Select the videos you wish to use prior to your party. You'll need to use Zoom to share your browser with your guests for greater interaction. You can choose karaoke such as the ones available on YouTube and other venues.
Ornament Making Virtual Party
An ornament making virtual party can be lots of fun even for guest who aren't crafters. Select an ornament you can make as a group. You'll want to time the process prior to your party to ensure you have enough time to create it. Send each guest a list of supplies needed. Wait until your party to provide the instructions. Have guests share their progress as you work.
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