Recent announcements have stated that three households are allowed to mix indoors for five days over the festive period, this is of course completely up to you are your own families, with many people still opting to just have a one household based Christmas time.  With much of the world moving onto online interaction we thought we would give you some festive online party ideas so that you are still able to connect with friends and family over the holidays.

First things first- how do we all get together?

The forefront app that is being utilised to have group meet ups seems to be Zoom, this can be downloaded as an app for both apple and android devices or installed straight on to laptops, computers and tablets.  You can download this directly from the Zoom website or find the app though Playstore.  he Meeting App Most Used in the World during the Confinement. Download and Install the Last Version for Free!

There are some alternatives to this:

1. Google Meet
2. Microsoft Teams
3. Houseparty 
4. Skype Meet Now

 

Next on the list- What can we do to make the virtual fun?

• Make a playlist! No Christmas party is complete without festive songs- create an upbeat holidays themed music play list and share it amongst your party guests- that way you can musically connect people and you can all enjoy the same Christmas songs together!

 

• Dress up! It can help bring some extra Christmas spirit to the party!  So whether you don a cheesy Christmas jumper or get your party dress out- make sure you dress for the occasion, it will make the virtual Christmas party come alive.  Another great idea is fancy dress or a Christmas jumper competition with prizes going to the people who have made the most effort.

 

• Theme it! Whether is be ‘Ugly Jumper’ or ‘Silliest Hat’- there are lots of ways to theme your party so that you can give a feeling of collectiveness.

 

• Have an online Christmas dinner together!  Take your laptop to the table and all eat at the same time- its a great way of creating an environment of togetherness.

 

• Do a secret Santa!  Add all of your guest names to a ‘name generator app’ so that the person they have selected is only know to them!  Add a budget to this such as £5 or even a theme such as ‘Home made presents only’ and drop the present off ‘in secret’ to the receiver.  You can open them all on screen and it will be like a mini virtual Christmas morning.

 

No party is complete without some Christmas games!

 

Virtual Holiday Trivia Questions!  This can be a competitive game with you the host, acting as quiz master!  Make sure the questions are age appropriate and festive themed.  Here are some examples:

1. What is an Olaf?
2. The modern Santa Claus is mainly a mix of what two figures?
3.  In the song Twelve Days of Christmas, what is given on the 7th day?
4. Who created the first electric light Christmas display?

A quick Google search will bring up all the quiz inspiration you need, a bit of competitive interaction is a welcome addition to any party!  You could go all out and give prizes to the victorious team.

 

Conversation starters! A good way to get everyone to interact and chat is to send over topics for people to discuss- everyone can be given an opportunity to share a fond Christmas memory and talk about something that is special to them. Here are some examples of conversation starters:

1. What one question would you ask Father Christmas
2. What is the best present you have ever received and why?
3. What is your favourite Christmas film and why?  What is your first memory of it?
4. What is your favourite Christmas song and what memories do you have of it?

A nice bit of festive nostalgia and giving each person some screen time is a great way of controlling a party and making sure that it doesn’t become too many voices at once.

 

Scavenger Hunt! Once people are starting to look a bit tired of being on the screen, it would be a good time to introduce a game that involves a bit of movement!  A virtual Christmas against the clock scavenger hunt could be just what you need to inject a bit of energy into your party:  Here are some examples of things to scavenge:

1. The largest Christmas decoration in your house- extra marks for the biggest one!
2. Your winter coat
3. A Christmas stocking
4. A candle
5. A Christmas book.

This list can be as long or as short as you want and the possibilities are endless!  Time to think creatively about what you want people to find.

Make it musical!  Team up with another screen and get some kazoo’s!  Play some Christmas songs and the family who is first to guess what the song is, is the winner!

 

We would love to hear from you if you have any ideas of how to make a virtual Christmas party special- we may not be able to spend time with loved ones, friends and family this year but creating a great party with everyone coming together is a great way to celebrate and connect.