We’ve all been through a lot this year. It seems as though from month to month, there was always something new to worry about throughout 2020. Now, as we enter the holiday season and approach the end of the year, we all are sharing the same thought, “How can I spend time with my family this holiday during the COVID-19 pandemic?”
There are restrictions in place across the world, and they are there for all of our safety, but these make connecting with family and celebrating the holidays more difficult than in previous years. But we are very fortunate to live in a time when connectivity is everywhere, and there are a number of ways we can still be together without physically being together. Here are some ways to virtually spend time with your family this holiday season.
Connecting with family is always easy when we are all at the dinner table sharing a meal. But, since we can’t all sit at the same table this year, we need to think outside the box. There are a couple of options to consider. Firstly, get your laptop, tablet, or smartphone set up so that it can capture the entire table or kitchen. This way, everyone on your video call can see what is going on during the cooking and the meal.
You could all make something different for your home meals and have a reveal on the big day, so everyone can share what they made. But if you’d rather all share the same meal, then a great idea would be to go with a meal kit delivery service. By going with a meal kit option, you can all partake in the same meal as you would if you were physically getting together, and you can make the preparation fun as everyone could start at the same time and go through the steps together.
There are so many incredible holiday movies that mean a lot to people. Family traditions, much like the holiday dinner, are formed around these memorable movies. With all the streaming services we have at our fingertips, there are a plethora of options to choose from that can work for any family. Plus, most of these services have handy “Watch Party” features that allow you to all watch the same movies simultaneously while talking with each other.
Do you have children and are looking for some family-friendly films? Here are some great options:
And if you are just looking for a little more humorous films for an older audience, here’s a great list:
If movies aren’t your family’s thing, playing games is a great alternative. It may seem like an impossible task to play games over a video call, but it can be done, and it is just as fun! Games like charades, Pictionary, and so much more are easily played over facetime and other video calling apps.
Even some board games like Trivial Pursuit, Yahtzee and Boggle, can work and only need one designated person with the game for everyone to join in on the fun. As the person with the game at their home, position your iPad or phone so that it overlooks the game board and simply move everyone’s pieces for them when they need to be moved.
Aside from playing games, you can also do some creative activities with your loved ones that help make connecting with family fun and memorable over a video call. One great idea that gets everyone involved, and is fun for the kids, is to record different parts of a song. Plan out which song you and your family want to cover and divide up sections of the tune, and each family member can record that specific part. Once everyone has their parts recorded, put it together into your family’s very own music video.
Sticking with this musical theme, Karaoke doesn’t have to be a thing of the past with social distancing in place. Just pick a song; you can find karaoke versions of most songs on Youtube, and start the karaoke party over facetime, zoom, google hangouts or any other video chatting program.
Do you have kids? Let them unleash their imagination with some fun craft ideas. Set up the camera so every family member can get a good look at your children’s works of art. There are so many creative and interactive crafting ideas that can make any child happy during this different holiday season.
Holidays like Christmas mean so much to our young ones and connecting with family helps them make the most of this time of year. Children get lost in the magic of the holidays and are full of belief and hope. Why not add to this feeling using the technology we have at our disposal? If you have young children, get them on a video call with a family member and have another family member of that household dress up as Santa Claus and have a fun conversation with your kids. The pure joy and amazement your children will experience seeing Santa as up close and personal as it can be right now will be unforgettable.
Another fun holiday activity is a scavenger hunt! Set up a holiday scavenger hunt in your homes and share the experiences over video calls. You can also get grandparents to read Christmas and other holiday stories to your children to get them in the holiday mood. After all, when you have children, the happiness that the holidays bring them is the real joy behind this time of year.
It is the season of giving, and there is nothing quite like a Secret Santa game. Make this fun activity a part of your family’s holiday experience by starting with drawing names for your Secret Santa recipient. You can use sites like Secret Santa Organizer to help with the dividing up of names among your participants.
Once that is done, deliver the gifts on a specific date and then pick another date and time for a virtual get-together, so everyone can start opening presents! Just because the pandemic keeps us all away from each other doesn’t mean you can’t keep a tradition like secret Santa from happening.
If this year has taught us anything, it is the preciousness and fragility of life, and that ensuring we are connecting with family is important. We’ve all had to look at our everyday lives differently in 2020, and it has opened our eyes a bit more to show what matters, the people we love most in the world. This different year also has made us think about the security of our family members. If something were to happen to you, would your family be ok? We know this thought isn’t the most comfortable, but it is something that should be considered. The world has to connect this holiday season differently, but you can still protect the people who mean the most to you with reliable life insurance coverage.
At Insurance Supermarket International, we here to help you plan for the financial security of your loved ones if the worst happens. Take a look at what our products can do for you now and see how we can help safeguard your family’s financial future. If you have any questions about your life insurance options, we’re happy to help! Please contact us with any questions you have, and our team of licensed and professional advisors will help you every step of the way. When you feel ready to take the next step, get a free quote now and get the coverage your family deserves at a comfortable price.
