Virtual Holiday Gathering Tips

Connecting with family members,

co-workers + friends

December 1, 2020

 A little creativity goes a long way! While we will miss mingling in the kitchen, sipping egg nog with guests, we can make this time to connect with family and friends enjoyable no matter where they may be. Here are four tips for making your virtual holiday gatherings more memorable!

Dress up - It’s the holiday season! Share your holiday vibes by donning a sparkly holiday outfit or Santa hat. Decorate the background of your computer station with ornaments too!

Add music -  For a family holiday zoom call, we know that music often triggers certain memories - if Grandma is connecting, be sure to play her favorite tune as members are connecting or surprise her with a classic gem during a call. The host can share computer sound on platforms such as Zoom (or Google Meet or WebEx), and then play selected music through a music streaming site such as Spotify.

Add Live music - If a musically gifted individual is present, incorporate a brief recital or performance - using external gadgets like iRig will ensure higher quality sound on your virtual holiday meeting. Enabling original sound on the microphone on zoom for example, may help if an attendee wishes to burst into song without external devices. Alternatively, play a segment of video of an older performance to share with attendees, using the share screen option.

Play a Scavenger Hunt - Days before the virtual gathering, create a list of items around the house (example of items to include: a belt, an amazon box, a picture frame) and send to attendees. Kids (and coworkers alike) will have fun racing around to find items and then sharing and discussing found objects on screen with others. As a reward e-mail a gift card to the winner.

Slide Show - Use social media (or a google/amazon photo album) to create an album of old holiday or vacation photos and take turns using the screen sharing option to share those moments with family and friends. This can also be a team building activity at work: if leading the planning of a virtual holiday work gathering, ask that members of your team each share one photo from December 1999 and come up with a unique retro slideshow of your comrades.