Whether you’re spending the holiday season away from your family because of college or work, or avoiding gatherings because of the COVID-19 pandemic and social distancing guidelines, you can still stay and feel connected with video calls. Just because you’re not physically together, you don’t need to put your holiday celebrations on hold.
Video calls are one of the best ways to stay in touch with family and friends. In fact, this year, the holiday season celebration is more about virtual events and gatherings than in-person activities. So don’t let distance hold you back. Try these ideas to make video calls more fun with family and friends this holiday season.
5 Ways to Make Holiday Video Calls More Fun and Festive
Here’s a list of some of the coolest ways to make video calls more fun during the holiday season.
Cook or Bake Together
You can add a twist to your virtual family calls by organizing a “let’s bake/cook together virtually” session. Cooking together is a great way to spend quality time with your family and friends as well as a good way to hone your cooking skills. Doing everyday activities together can make you feel more connected, too.
Watch a Movie
Another interesting way to spend quality time with your family and friends is to gather “together” to watch a movie. How about a Netflix Party? Teleparty is a Netflix app that allows you to watch a movie with your family or friends in sync and chat in the same window, too.
You can start with a planning “meeting” where you all get together to decide which movie you’d like to watch. And if no one can agree on a movie, schedule your gathering around watching a football game.
Organize a Private Photo-Sharing Session
If you are not a fan of sharing your memories on social media, you can schedule a private photo-sharing session with your family and friends over a video call. Even though the session may be emotional, it’s a meaningful way to celebrate together when you are physically apart. Use apps such as EFAMILY, Karoo or Lifecake to conduct the session.
Plan a Game Night
Another fun option is a game night. You can play traditional games such as Bingo, Pictionary, and Scavenger Hunt, or use apps such as Houseparty (comprising a variety of built-in games) and Kahoot (an educational app that comprises almost 10 trivia games) to have fun. You can also use the online versions of Monopoly, Scrabble, and Clue.
Combine All the Ideas to Host a Virtual Holiday Party
If your family and friends are missing the usual holiday celebrations, you can make it big by hosting a virtual holiday party. The virtual holiday party event can include:
● Competitive games
● Dancing and singing
● Cooking or meal sharing
● Gratitude ceremony
● Memory sharing
Choose the Best Video Calling Platform
Once you have your event planned, evaluate different video calling platforms such as Google Hangouts, the Houseparty app, Facetime (for Apple users), Skype, Zoom, and WhatsApp. Assess which platform will work best for you and your group.
● Google Hangouts is easy to use and free. However, only 10 participants are allowed in group video calls. Also, the host needs to have a Gmail account.
● The Houseparty app is a video-chat app with optional built-in games. However, only 8 users can participate in a group video chat at one time.
● Facetime is only available for Apple users but it allows you to make high-quality video calls.
● Skype can be used to host virtual holiday parties as it allows up to 50 users to participate in a video call. However, the more participants you have, the lower the quality you'll experience with audio and video.
● Zoom is one of the most popular and user-friendly video-calling platforms. It is free but each video call is limited to 40 minutes. (This limit does not come into play if you have a paid account, which is designed for businesses.)
● WhatsApp Video is currently the most-used video calling platform. It is free and allows up to 8 users to participate in a video call. However, according to an article on Forbes, WhatsApp Video calls will soon support up to 50 users per video call.
There’s No Holiday Celebration Without a Reliable Internet Connection
Imagine: you’re launching your virtual holiday event with 20 people on Zoom but your internet connection is cutting in and out. Make sure you have a reliable internet connection before you embark on your virtual holiday celebration. Buy a gotW3 router and service plan from your local dealer. No contracts, no checks, no commitments. Enjoy wireless internet at home and on the go, without any hiccups. Learn more about GotW3.
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