This year has been challenging for everyone. With the holiday season upon us we are missing our normal gatherings and looking for ways to make the virtual get together.

Here are some ideas to keep your virtual party from being just another Zoom call.

For the Foodie

Cookie Decorating

Have your guest’s pre-buy or pre-bake cookies to decorate. During the virtual party you can have one person demonstrating best techniques to decorate or have each guest show how to do their favorite design.

Virtual Cocktail Hour

Missing casually getting together with your friends after work? Plan a virtual cocktail party. Send out a few cocktail recipes to your guests. Mix one or two at a time and catch up or play games in between them.

Virtual Wine Tasting and Pairing

Missing casually getting together with your friends after work? Plan a virtual cocktail party. Send out a few cocktail recipes to your guests. Mix one or two at a time and catch up or play games in between them.

Cook Along

Have an excellent cook in your group? Have them prepare a menu with a list of ingredients and links to the recipes and have everyone cook along.

For the Game Night Family

Name that Tune

Create a playlist with a wide variety of songs. Play the first few seconds of the song. The first person to guess the song correctly wins a point. At the end of your song list the person with the most points wins.

Virtual Scavenger Hunt

Create a list of items people will most likely have in their homes along with a few items that might be more difficult to find. And set a time limit for how long your guests have to find the item and show it to the group.

Virtual Would you Rather?

This virtual game can be tailored to questions appropriate for a virtual get together with your colleagues, family or friends and is a great way to keep the conversation going and avoid the awkwardness of everyone silently staring at their screen.

For the Theatrical/Musically Inclined

Film Dubbing Game

You and your guests will watch a movie or show together on mute (those with Disney+ note there is a “Watch together” option). Each guest picks a character in the movie/show and dubs the lines for the character.

Virtual Karaoke

Everyone can either choose their own songs or the host can put the song names in a hat and pick one out for each guest.

Music Jam Session

Have musicians in the family? Plan a jam session together. Those who do not play an instrument can dance along or sit back and enjoy the performance.

For the Crafty Family

Virtual Paint Night

Choose a picture you want to use and send a list of supplies needed ahead of time. You can be the instructor or you can hire a company that specializes in running paint and sip nights to demonstrate.

Virtual Wreath Making

Much like paint night, choose one you think most people would like and send a picture to everyone. Send the list of the necessary supplies and provide step by step instructions during the party.

From all of us at Craig Hamilton we wish you a happy and safe holiday season.