With the holiday season now getting into full swing, many people are gathering online or virtually (or planning their gatherings). While this is fun, there can also be pressure for the holiday season and its gatherings to be extra fun and joyful. If you are looking for fun ways to engage with family and friends this season, we have some ideas! Before we get into the ideas, I want to mention that these are just suggestions. Every family is different and celebrates the holidays differently! However you choose to celebrate (on not), that is up to you. Also, I want to keep in mind that, although it may be easier to get together this year than it was in 2020, there are still challenges that might prevent people from gathering in person. So, there are both virtual and in person suggestions here!

Let’s start with some ideas for those who can get together in person!

1. Have a chopped style cooking challenge. To do this, you need to split up into teams or compete individually. You need to assign each team (or person) a strange item they must use, although they can add whatever they want to it! It’s a great way to use up leftovers or random pantry items that end up leftover at the end of the year.
2. Play the Dictionary Game. This is a favorite of my family and it is possible we made this up, but it only requires some pens or pencils and scraps of paper. To play, you gather a list of odd words (bonus points if they are holiday themed!). Read the word and give everyone a chance to guess (or make up) a definition for the word, which they write on a piece of paper. Then collect the papers, if anyone guesses the correct definition then put theirs to the side (they get a point for being correct). Read all the definitions and have people vote on which one they think is correct. Anyone who votes for the correct definition gets a point; the person who fools the most people also gets a point. For example, what does it mean to meggle? Find the answer and some strange Christmas words here!

For those meeting virtually, there are still fun options! Keep in mind that many online meeting platforms (like GoogleMeets, Zoom, Webex, and others) have free accounts you can use for your virtual get together if you don’t already have an account.

1. Kahoot has fun games themed around the holidays and winter season! If you haven’t played before, you may need to practice with it to get the hang of how it works. Basically, you can set up a game (usually a trivia game of some kind) and people can participate from wherever they are using their phone.
2. Have an online competition or showcase. If you family is super competitive like mine, you may or may not want to actually select a winner. But, you can still show off ugly sweaters, holiday jokes, talents, crafts, or anything else you could showcase online or via phone! If you make it a competition, you can select a judge (or panel of judges), or have everyone vote on whose was best!

Regardless of how you choose to celebrate, we hope you have a fun holiday season and a happy and healthy new year! If you try any of our suggestions, leave us a comment and let us know how it went!