Don’t let distance stop you from having a good time! Since the pandemic, virtual events have risen in popularity and feasibility. There are group FaceTimes, Zoom parties, and other ways you can get together without getting together, and there are plenty of apps and activities that can make your virtual party more than just faces on a screen. So if you’re looking for fun things to do over FaceTime to make a virtual party a success, you’ve come to the right place. Here are a few ideas to get you started.
Establish a Theme
Just because you’re on FaceTime doesn’t mean you can’t shake things up with costumes and decor. Establishing a theme is a fun thing to do over FaceTime for people of all ages. One option is to have attendees dress as a character from their favorite show, movie, or even book. Everyone can guess the inspiration for each guest’s costume.
You can also encourage people to decorate their spaces for the event. For example, if it’s a Halloween or autumn event, guests could put up the adequate decor and show it off to the other guests. Another option is to use a green screen-style background or an app that puts the attendees in the same virtual setting, like the beach. There are apps and programs that do this in a very family-friendly way, even including setting-related activities, or there are simple green screen and background apps you can utilize. Either way, whether it’s by costume, by decorations, or by meeting up in a fun virtual setting, establishing a theme can turn a regular FaceTime into a much more exciting social event.
Play Games
There are plenty of games that are FaceTime-friendly, and again, these events can be tailored to all ages. With an adult crowd, trivia nights are always a hit. There are apps you can use that do the work for you, or you could come up with the questions and create the game yourself. Bingo works well over zoom, as does scattergories. And of course, any game can become a drinking game if you try hard enough. You can make a happy hour scavenger hunt, or make your game of bingo booze-themed. Or you could opt for a drinking game with cards in which you either all use your own deck or share a virtual deck. Like we said – these are ideas for an adult crowd!
Family-Friendly Games
If there are kids involved in this virtual party, there are still plenty of fun things to do over FaceTime that don’t involve alcohol. Just as there’s apps and add-ons for your virtual calls that give you bingo games, there are also ones that are full of kid-friendly games. With kids games for FaceTime, you may want to purchase some extra materials that connect with your devices to make the virtual activities more interactive. This sort of tool allows you to play several games that are not only fun and entertaining for kids, but can also be educational. Believe it or not, you can play some sports, like baseball, over a FaceTime call. There are also some less-involved games, like matching games and brain games, that are still interactive enough to keep the kids engaged. After all, if the kids at the virtual party are happy, then everybody’s having a good time.
Cook (or Bake) and Share
Who shows up to a party empty-handed? The rules are no different for FaceTime parties, so encourage everybody to get cooking! Cooking or baking is a fun thing to do over FaceTime when you’re hosting a party. Have everybody let you know what they’re making ahead of time so there are no repeats, but encourage them to keep their creation a secret until the party. You could tell them to make desserts, appetizers, or a bit of both! Then, each person can go around and share what they’ve made. Unfortunately, you don’t get to taste it, but it’s still fun to show off your creation.
Virtual Happy Hour
Everybody loves a good happy hour, and thankfully, they’re actually very FaceTime friendly. For your virtual happy hour, one option is to send out the recipe for a specific cocktail or two (you could hold a vote beforehand if people have different tastes) and have each person sipping on the same drink for the evening. This is an especially good tactic if you’re hosting a themed party; imagine margaritas or pina coladas with beach decor. Sounds nice, right?
Alternatively, you could go a similar route to the cook and share. In this case, each guest would make a cocktail of choice and explain what it is and why they chose it at the virtual happy hour. Either way you choose to go, with a drink in hand, you know everybody will be having fun over FaceTime.
Get Loose and Have Fun!
Finally, the most important part of hosting a virtual party is to just encourage everybody to treat it like it’s in-person. Of course, virtual events have their limitations, but as you’ve hopefully realized by now, it doesn’t mean there aren’t fun things to do over FaceTime. Encourage everybody to think of the party like a fun, social event, just as they would if it were being hosted at somebody’s home. Hopefully, with games to play and drinks in hand, everybody loosen up in no time.