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If you can’t see your loved ones in-person for the holidays, these virtual Thanksgiving ideas and Friendsgiving ideas are perfect for celebrating with friends, family, and those you love.
Virtual Thanksgiving Ideas
1. Gratitude Slideshow
It’s hard to stay positive in 2021, so it’s even more important now to find things to be grateful for.
Ask everyone to send in a couple of slides with things they’re grateful for. It can also include photos of loved ones, goals for next year, favorite poems, or anything that brings a smile to their face.
Combine all the slides into a slideshow, and add some inspirational music. Get everyone on a Zoom call & watch the slideshow together.
2. Virtual Friendsgiving/Thanksgiving Dinner
Dinner is one of the most important parts of Friendsgiving or Thanksgiving. Even though you may not be in the same room, that does not mean you can’t have dinner with your loved ones.
Set up a Zoom or Skype call in all of your kitchens. Cook dinner together, and then everyone can sit down at their table and share the moment on screen. You can talk, eat, and share a toast virtually.
If you want everyone to have the same meal, you can agree on the recipes beforehand.
Or, you can also, have some Thanksgiving meal kits or meals delivered such as:
- the Turkey Holiday Feast from Omaha Steaks,
- the Thanksgiving Box from HelloFresh,
- the Turkey Breast Roast with Sides from Home Chef,
- the Turkey Feast with Harvest Centerpiece from Harry & David,
- or these Holiday Specials from Porter Road.
3. Virtual Drinks
Virtual drinks is a casual but fun way to spend the holidays. From champagne to wine, you can celebrate all that is good in life with close friends and family online.
If you wanted to make virtual drinks a group activity, you could try a virtual class making cocktails at home. Cocktails are iconic celebration drinks and lots of fun to make.
4. Online Mystery Escape Room
Escape rooms are the ultimate challenge of puzzle-solving and teamwork. As a group of friends or family, they are really fun to attempt.
Online, you can enjoy the thrills, challenges, and brain teasers of escape rooms, from the comfort of your kitchen or couch.
5. Virtual Cooking Class
Ever wanted to cook with friends or family, but never had space or resources? Virtual cooking classes are a great way to bring this idea to life.
Coordinated online, you and your friends and family can cook a range of delicious and exotic foods, under the guidance of an expert chef.
If you’re not too keen on a conventional Thanksgiving dinner, this could be great fun for you, your friends, and your family.
6. Thanksgiving Scavenger Hunt
If you’re celebrating with kids, a scavenger hunt is a great idea to keep them excited and engaged throughout the day.
Ask your friends or family to hide items around their house for their children. Or make a list of items they have at home for them to find.
Your party can then do the same for you, your house, and your family. You can even book an online scavenger hunt, and let the host handle all the details.
7. Online Volunteering
At a time to celebrate love, family, and friendship, we should never forget those who are less fortunate than us.
If volunteering at a soup kitchen or local charity is not possible, you can lend your time to many worthy causes online.
From writing letters to talking to lonely people, there are plenty of ways to virtually help someone in need.
8. Recipe Swap
Add a little creativity and excitement to your Thanksgiving or Friendsgiving dinner by swapping recipes with one of your friends or family members.
Over Zoom or Skype, you can try cooking each others’ recipes together. These could be traditional dinners, or fun and exotic meals you have never tried.
9. Cookie Decorating Contest
A cookie decorating contest is a great way to get kids involved in the kitchen. You can also do this together, with other households, online.
Bake a big batch of cookies, and put lots of toppings and decorations on the table. Once baked, you or your kids can decorate them and then share pictures of your cookies online.
10. Bake-Off Contest
Add a little fun and competition to your Friendsgiving or Thanksgiving by hosting a virtual bake-off contest.
Each household can bake a dessert of their choice. Once baked, everyone can vote for their favorite, while enjoying some delicious pies, pastries, and other sweet treats.
11. Online Board Games
Miss the fun and camaraderie of playing board games with friends and loved ones through the holidays? Host your own online board game sessions over Zoom or Skype.
Here are twelve board games you can play online. And these are just twelve of so many classic games that can be played virtually.
12. Care Package Surprise
Want to give a friend, family member, or loved one a special treat for the holidays? You could send them a thoughtful mail care package, full of goodies.
Your mail care package could be for self-care essentials, with gifts like soaps and candles. Or you could theme it for Thanksgiving, with treats and goodies.
13. Virtual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade
While attending Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade may not be possible, you can still enjoy its wonder and splendor online.
Together, you can watch all the wonderful floats and laugh, comment, and enjoy the show from the comfort of your home.
14. Thanksgiving Crafts
Spread a little Thanksgiving love to your friends and family by putting your hands to work on some hand-made goods.
Making crafts is especially great for entertaining kids. From cards to interior decorations, there are so many fun things you can make by following tutorials online.
You can also coordinate the craft-making with other households. Just get everyone to set up a video call at home.
15. Movie Night
Finally, what holiday is ever complete without watching a feel-good, family movie with all of your loved ones around you?
There are plenty of online services where you can all log in and watch a movie together. Or, you could play it on your television and have a video call on in the room.
While it may be difficult to see all of your friends and family face-to-face this Thanksgiving or Friendsgiving, don’t let that put a dampener on your holiday.
These virtual Thanksgiving ideas can help you still enjoy this wonderful holiday, with the ones you love, in a fun and different way.
Pin this article to your Thanksgiving board on Pinterest for later reference.
