Apart is the new normal. The COVID-19 19 pandemic currently sweeping the world has put paid to many a family gathering over this festive season. But with a little bit of creativity and flair, you can pull off a virtual holiday party for family and friends remotely.
This is the perfect opportunity to get your nearest and dearest interacting together over a platform such as Zoom and make it memorable to boot. Rise to the challenge and make a production out of the event.
Here are some great ideas to kickstart the process:
7 Steps to Hosting A Virtual Holiday Party
Craft an Invitation
One of the first things to decide upon is the date and time of your virtual holiday party. Choose which online platform you will be using to link up with family and friends.
Decide on a theme and get crafting by using an online invitation site. You don’t need to be a graphic design whizz, as most sites will offer free templates that you can customize to suit the occasion.
Get Gifting
Opening gifts from each other is a great way to start the festivities. With social distancing still firmly in place, a great idea is a holiday-themed gift card from Awards2Go.
Fully customized and personalized to your design, and with space for a message, these Visa ® prepaid gift cards are convenient and flexible. The cards can be used at any merchant where Visa is accepted.
Better yet, you can also take advantage of the virtual ‘eGift’ card, which is delivered straight to the recipient’s inbox, and they can easily shop online.
Food Glorious Food
Food is definitely one of the highlights of Christmas. Get everybody involved by adding food and drink recipes to your invitation that you can all make and eat together. Ask for favorite recipes beforehand and hold a poll with all those attending to find out what’s on the menu.
Get That Holiday Feeling
Ask everyone attending to dress up. It could be an ugly Christmas sweater or elf costume. Vote on who is wearing the best outfit and has great background decorations.
Keep the Festive Fun Going
If everybody is keen, try your hand at some festive-themed games such as bingo or a pub quiz. Go online and get some great templates and ideas for these games.
Another firm favorite is charades, which is simple and easy enough to pull off virtually.
Don’t Overstay the Welcome
All good things have to come to an end. To avoid the party dragging on to the point where everyone is bored, set a time limit, and wrap up the party.
As a memento, ask everybody to take a selfie, be it a silly family photo or one of them with their elf ears on, and send it to you. This way, you can create a collage of fond memories of family and friends to send to them as a thank you for attending your virtual holiday party.
Spread Some Cheer
While traditional Christmas parties may have taken a step back this year, it doesn’t mean you can’t feel connected to family and friends.
Spread some holiday cheer this year by hosting a great virtual holiday party.
Mia E. says
This does seem to be the way we will be doing Holiday get togethers this year. I like the idea of having food together to make it feel a bit more normal and engaging.