It’s the most wonderful time of the year … well, this year may win the Weirdest Holiday
Yet award, but that doesn’t mean this season can’t still be wonderful. Don’t let the miles between families keep you away from your loved ones.
We just have to be creative, positive and kind. And don’t forget to be of good cheer. Basically, all the regular holiday feelings still need to be here with us.
But let’s focus on using creativity for our holiday togetherness. Luckily, we’ve got the right technology for that.
First, ask yourself:
What Are Your Traditions?
Maybe you can find a way to put a new spin on traditions you already have. Or, if you see some you like in this list, why not try something new?
Watch Party
If you normally all curl up together on Christmas Eve and watch your favorite holiday movie, why stop now? Organize a watch party. Hulu, Netflix and Amazon have a way where you can start a movie together when you have the link. Of course, everyone has to have Hulu, Netflix or Amazon, but you can usually find a way to get a trial subscription if someone doesn’t have the right streaming service.
Here’s how to set up a watch party. If you’re worried, get the most tech-savvy relative to take over the setup.
Games
Games at the holiday feast are traditional and can be epic! Do you remember when they all play the Minister’s Cat and Blindman’s Bluff in A Christmas Carol? Well, Blindman’s Bluff wouldn’t work really well, but there are loads of traditional and not so traditional games that would.
Charades is perfect for playing with friends and family online. For children, you can do a scavenger hunt featuring holiday items and they can run off and find them and bring the objects back.
Jackbox Games lets you play a variety of games online with friends while using your phone to submit answers and even draw pictures that appear on your screen. Only one person needs to own the game for everyone to play.
“Jackbox Games titles are easy to pick up and play for gamers and non-gamers alike. We’ve worked hard to make sure you never need detailed instructions to get into a game and start having fun. That said, here are some detailed instructions!”
Here’s how to play and their tips for playing virtually during the holidays.
Music
For some, the holidays aren’t the holidays without the songs of the season.
Sing Christmas carols or Hanukkah songs online with your holiday crew. Plan your playlist ahead of time so everyone can print out the lyrics. Maybe record some of the songs you sing together so you’ll have them when Grandma or Grandpa are gone someday.
You can also turn your online jam session into something else. With Watch2Gether, you can create rooms where you can throw the ultimate karaoke party. Use the app with YouTube’s karaoke videos, and you’re all set.
To tell you a little bit about it, “Watch2Gether is not a streaming service where one user broadcasts and the others are just watching. Instead, every user in a room can browse for content and select videos or audio tracks to be played for everyone in the room.”
The website also notes that “The site supports a wide range of content sources such as Youtube, Dailymotion, Vimeo, and Soundcloud. For not directly integrated sources such as Netflix, Disney Plus or Amazon Prime you can use the W2gSync 3.4k feature which can synchronize external sources with the help of our browser extension.”
You could also use the room to watch movies together. Here’s the website’s How-To page.
Don’t be limited by our ideas. Message each other and brainstorm ideas. Make this year lovely and memorable in its own way.
Happy holidays to our Utah Broadband family and anyone who just stumbled across this page. Keep safe and be merry!
