Much like all else in 2020, this holiday season is sure to look a little different this year. And unfortunately, many of us will not be together, like we had planned; but that doesn’t mean we have to miss out on all of the fun with our friends and families!
Whether you are a teacher hosting a party for your remote learning class or a family staying socially distant at your holiday gathering, we’ve got an array of ideas to help you have fun at your virtual holiday party.
Check out our list of Zoom holiday party ideas below.
1.Virtual Ugly Sweater Contest
No holiday party is complete without everyone going completely all out in their festive gear! Invite each person on your Zoom call or in your virtual classroom to show off their ugly sweaters and have everyone vote on their favorites.
Don’t want anyone to have to buy an ugly sweater? Try dressing up with Santa hats, elf ears, or reindeer antlers; or hold a contest for the best holiday decor or funniest holiday Zoom background! The possibilities are endless. For prizes print off certificates or send e-gift cards.
2. Play a Game
There are tons of games that you can play together with your class or friends and family that can be taken virtual like: Trivia, Simone Says, Scattergories, Heads Up, 20 Questions, Zoom In, etc. Here are a few funs ones that you can try with your crew:
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- Carol Pictionary
- Use the Zoom whiteboard feature, split into teams and take turns guessing the carol that is being drawn, you must SING the carol to win.
- Charades
- Come up with a fun list of Holiday sayings or movie titles, have everyone split into teams, and let the fun begin
- Festive Bingo
- Make or buy virtual bingo cards and email them out prior to your event
- Name That! – Holiday Edition
- Have someone volunteer to DJ (if you are a teacher that means you) and challenge your guests to name that Holiday Tune! You could even play using short youtube clips of your favorite festive movies.
- Guess the Gift
- Have each player wrap something up as a “gift” and everyone else try and guess what it is by asking only questions!
- Carol Pictionary
3. Send Holiday Gift Boxes & Open Them
Wish everything going on in the world today, it can be hard to get into the holiday spirit. Sending a holiday gift package can be an easy way to spread cheer and a physical reminder that even though you are apart, you can still celebrate together. You can even have everyone wait to open them until you are on your virtual call together. Here are some ideas of what you can include in your packages:
For Students: Holiday bingo card, hot chocolate, holiday-themed or cozy socks, a handwritten note, holiday-themed pens, pencils, or note pads, candy
For Friends and Family Members: Holiday games to play, homemade treats, holiday drinking favorites, gift cards, holiday-themed clothing items: ugly sweaters, hats, socks, etc., blankets, holiday movies, photo booth prompts
4. Do Holiday Crafts
What’s not to love about holiday crafting? It’s cheap and something that you can do with people of all ages. You can even keep your creations and use them as decorations next year! Here are some easy(ish) holiday crafting ideas to try:
5. Host a Virtual Holiday Scavenger Hunt
This past year we’ve all spent a lot of time sitting behind the screen. Scavenger hunts are easy ways to get everyone up and moving and they are so easy to do! To make an at-home holiday scavenger hunt, come up with a list of festive items or descriptions of items that can easily be found inside everyone’s home this time of year (or you could just find one on Pinterest).
If you plan on making your own scavenger hunt here are some easy ideas to put on your list:
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- Something shiny
- Something makes noise
- Something the Grinch would love
- Something you could put in a stocking
- A prop that could have been used in “Home Alone”
- Something a reindeer would eat
- Something better than presents
- Something you could use as a Tree
- Something that resembles snow
- Something as tall as an elf
- Something you can tie into a bow
Have a good laugh when everyone comes together (virtually) to share their findings!
6. Enjoy a Holiday Treat Together
What brings people together more than food? Exactly. Have everyone bring one (or more than one) of their favorite treats to the party to enjoy while doing other activities!
For Teachers: You can send them holiday treats before your party, or have them bring a treat of their choice (doesn’t have to be holiday related) to eat with their peers while having fun!
For Friends and Family Members: Make your favorite holiday dishes or desserts to enjoy surrounded by your favorite people.
7. Host a Talent Show
Have each person come to the virtual party with a Holiday talent in mind to show off to their peers. This can be anything from acting out a Holiday movie, singing or playing an instrument to the tune of a Carol, showing off their design skills by dressing up as a well-known character, telling Holiday Jokes, decorating cookies, or gingerbread, etc.
The talent show is purely for entertainment purposes and should be voluntary so shyer party-goers can sit back and have fun watching the show, but don’t forget to send out a signup sheet at least a week before so everyone has time to prepare!
and last but not least, remember to…
8. Keep Up With Any Traditions
We may not all be together right now, but that doesn’t mean we should stop partaking in our holiday traditions. It may take some adapting, but you’ve got this! It’s important (especially for our kids) that we can continue to make happy memories during the most wonderful time of the year.
For Teachers: If it’s traditional for your kids to create holiday cards for their parents- send your kids a holiday card template, let them decorate it, and give it to their parents. Or if you usually make ornaments, take time during your virtual party and work together online as a class to create them!
For Friends and Family Members: If your family has traditions like baking together, singing carols, putting on your new PJs, and watching movies- you can do all of these things virtually at your holiday party as well. Sure, it’s not the same as being together, but it’s the next best thing.
Don’t forget! – No party is complete without some festive tunes! Check out our kid-friendly Holly Jolly Holidays Playlist on Spotify to set the mood for your virtual holiday party this season. Click here to listen.
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If you’re looking for something fun to do with friends and family this holiday season, you should give the 9 Truths Game a try. It’s a web-based game that you can play in-person or on a Zoom call. In the game, players anonymously answer True/False questions and then guess how many of the other players (including themselves) answered “True”. Points are earned based on how close you are to the correct number, but the real fun of the game is the hilarious/ridiculous stories that go along with people’s answers. Each game is 10 questions and takes between 15 and 30 minutes depending on how much conversation there is between questions. There are 16 “Decks” of questions to choose from – e.g. “Family Fun” (rated PG) to “The Truth Comes Out” (PG13). And the best part is that it’s free to play and there are no ads. It’s a pandemic project I created to have fun with all the friends and family I can’t see in person anymore. We’ve been having a lot of fun with it, so I’m offering it up here so you all can have some laughs too.