Stay Positive and Test Negative

WINE DONUTS / STOCK.ADOBE.COM

The numbers are ratcheting up, but it is the holiday season. Time to give some serious consideration about what to do to keep your family safe with the holidays upon us. We haven’t yet seen the extent Thanksgiving had on our infection rate. But, this week, it will all hit. Be creative and have a fantastic holiday season. I encourage you to record these Zoom events. You will be surprised at how hilarious it can be.

Ideas for a hilarious and totally virtual holiday:

• Ugly Snowman Contest—Have everyone get on a Zoom call in their winter snow playing clothes. Send everyone outside to build a snowman (weather permitting). Have them set an alarm or have a timer and return in 15 minutes. Take a picture of the ugly snowman and text it to the host. The host will put it up on the screen. Make a poll of everyone competing and then voting will be very efficient and quick.
• Bake Off Contest—Have contestants bake one dessert recipe. Take a picture of it. Send it to the host who will compile a PowerPoint so that attendees can vote. If you have family or friends who are local, have a socially distant dessert swap. Arrange for everyone to divide their recipe into 6 packages. Put the recipe inside to avoid food allergy issues. Label the package with what is inside. Arrange to meet in a parking lot and have 3 tables. When people arrive, go to their cars and take their packages out and put it on the tables. Give it 10 minutes for everyone to get there. Then, one at a time, have participants pick out 6 items to take home and enjoy. Then, they can go on Zoom and vote for the winner of the prettiest dessert. This way those who don’t get to taste it can participate in the voting.
• Virtual Treasure Hunt—Google virtual treasure hunt. Have the host tell the Zoom participant to go find… When they return, they need to type their name in the chatbox. The first 5 people get to share their item. The first person gets 5 points, the second gets 3 points, and everyone else who brings an item to the camera gets 1 point.
• Actual Treasure Hunt—Notify each household that they will be getting an email with the list at a specific time. They should then get in their car and go find the different items, take a picture of it, and go back home. When home, they will have to make a quick no frills document and send it with the pictures to the host. The host will announce the winner in a Zoom call showing all the photos for each of the households. Items may be…find a street with a woman’s name on it. Find a large blown-up Santa Clause…etc.
• Ugly Holiday Sweater Contest—Easy to show on Zoom. You can spotlight each person as they model in this fashion show. Maybe your dog has an ugly sweater you can photograph so the family pets can also particiapte.
• Funniest Tik Tok Video Contest—You need young people for this who know how to do Tik Tok videos. Put teams together and put into breakout rooms. Set the time for 15 minutes to make a Tik Tok video on whatever will make the audience laugh. Show all the videos and have the audience vote for winners by sending private chats to the host.
• Funniest Holiday Decoration Contest—Have your guests find the holiday decoration that will make the most people laugh or cringe. You would be surprised what ugly things people have. Have them share one at a time. Spotlight each contestant as they are talking about the origins of the item.
• Dance Off Contest—Get creative. Go on You Tube and share the video of The Twist by Chubby Checker. Make sure to share the audio. Have people who aren’t competing do the judging.
• Orchestra/Band Concert—Find something you can use as a musical instrument. It could be pencils being hit against the table, or a pot with a top that can be crashed together, etc… Then, pick a song and have the participants “play” their music together. It will be loud. It will be noisy. But it will be funny.
• Crying Baby Contest—Send crying baby pictures to your host. Have them share the pictures one by one. The participants write down who they think each baby is. The one who identifies the most correctly wins.

We are living in a pandemic. That doesn’t mean that we have to spend our holidays talking about it. Instead, make a moratorium on politics and COVID-19 and spend the time creating new memories. Feel normal. Laugh at yourself and your family and friends. You may be incredibly surprised at how with a little creativity, you can have the most memorable holiday this year. Stay home. Stay positive and test negative.