We're only weeks away from one of the yummiest days of the year, which means you're probably trying to organize a Friendsgiving plan. You know that your BFF "gathering" will be quite different this year, due to the ongoing pandemic. However, you're totally ready and excited to learn how to host a virtual Friendsgiving from the safety of your home that'll go down in the books as yam-azing.
There's only one tiny detail standing in your way: How do you learn such a thing? Do you download a bunch of apps that allow you to play games with your friends no matter where they are in the world? Do you send a basket of goodies to their homes with Thanksgiving-themed Bingo cards and supplies for making an apple pie? Truth be told, there's no one right way to host a virtual Friendsgiving. As the host, picture what your friends would enjoy the most, between an online baking class, and a chill catch-up session where everyone brings their own wine.
Below are a few different routes you can take, and types of virtual Friendsgivings you can hold, so your event thrives. Peruse the options, get your besties' opinions on them if you'd like, and then get to planning a Friendsgiving that's filled with fun and cranberry good times.
If you're hosting a virtual Friendsgiving, you'll want to get your crew on FaceTime or Zoom for a bit and allow them time to catch up. Odds are, even though you have a chat, your BFFs miss talking with each other face-to-face.
Have everyone in your crew get the latest version of Zoom, and plan to log onto a meeting at a specific date and time. Send out invitations via email if you'd like to make things more official, or simply agree upon a date and time over text. Once everyone is logged on, have each person take a turn catching up the others on the latest in their life. Any friend who turns their "catch-up" into a slideshow presentation is bound to get the party going.
There are tons of games you can play with your friends, even if you're not in the same room. But, for this event, make sure they have a Thanksgiving twist. For example, you can play Bingo that has boxes like "mash a potato," "draw a turkey," and "pull cranberry sauce out of your cabinet." You can even play a Thanksgiving-themed scavenger hunt, where each of your friends has to collect items like a pumpkin, an autumn-flavored tea bag, and a photo from a past Friendsgiving event.
To play these games, your friends may need certain items, like a Bingo board or scavenger hunt list. Design them yourself, and then email or mail them to your friends. That way, each of them has a copy to look at at home, and keep afterwards.
A friend group that's made of foodies might want to turn their Friendsgiving into a virtual baking session. If that sounds like your group, then pick out a recipe from your favorite food influencers for apple cider donuts, pumpkin pie, or some kind of sweet vegan treat. Send the recipe to your friends a couple days before your event, so they can shop for the necessary tools and ingredients.
Then, while on Zoom or FaceTime, bake the dessert together. Prep the batter, and chat while you stir, mix, and sift. After all your treats are done, taste-test them and share your thoughts.
If you want to host a virtual Friendsgiving, but not necessarily be the main entertainer, consider signing up for and attending a virtual holiday cocktail class with your friends via Airbnb Online Experiences. This class is an hour and a half long, and dives into the apple cider gimlet and pumpkin spice old fashioned during November.
The class can host up to 10 people, at $25 per person. (There's also an option to book a private group.) Be sure to pick a time and date ASAP if you'd like to book this tasty and fun experience.
There are other online experiences you can participate in as well, including a Harry Potter Magic in Edinburgh Tour and a holiday-themed collage class.
You can't host a Friendsgiving event and not document it for Instagram, right? That's why you should pose for some cute, new #content during your event.
Have everyone put on turkey hats or sit with their spread like you're in a episode of Impractical Jokers: Dinner Party. Of course, you can coach your friends to set up the coolest backdrops, too, with leaves and streamers. By doing so, that'll turn this activity into a key part of your virtual Friendsgiving event.
If you think you’re showing symptoms of coronavirus, which include fever, shortness of breath, and cough, call your doctor before going to get tested. If you’re anxious about the virus’s spread in your community, visit the CDC for up-to-date information and resources, or seek out mental health support. You can find all Elite Daily's coverage of coronavirus here.
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