How to Create the Best Virtual Thanksgiving Ever.

Thanksgiving is a special time to reconnect with family and friends, but sometimes meeting in person just isn’t an option—especially this year. Even when you can’t physically get together in one place, you can still create a fun holiday experience.

From playing virtual games, to making fall-themed cocktails together (a personal favorite), here some great tips for “going virtual” with your Thanksgiving.

4 Tips to a Virtual Thanksgiving.

Hosting this year will look different from years past. The most important thing will be finding a video conferencing platform that everyone can use. Popular platforms include Google Meet, Zoom, Skype, and Group Facetime.

Your host will need to set up an account – most are free – and schedule the meeting. Make a cheat sheet with instructions for friends or family members who aren’t as tech savvy. They’ll thank you for this.

Like so much in life, the devil is in the details! Just like other digital invitations, send out get-together details in advance so everyone can plan to participate. Be sure to include the meeting link and what time you’ll kick off the festivities. Decide in advance if this will be pre-dinner cooking, a virtual dinner with toasts or dessert and a virtual game – see our ideas in tip #4!

Practice makes perfect! The day before, send everyone the link and ask them to log in. This is a great way to troubleshoot audio, video and help put people at ease. Don’t let a technology hiccup spoil the fun.

Depending on your traditions and what you are comfortable with, there are a variety of ways to connect – no matter where your loved ones may be. Here are a few ideas to get your creative juices flowing.

Host a Virtual Cook-along.

A week ahead work out the details of the cook along. Find a recipe, send it out with a shopping list to make it easy – and then get ready to cook.

If you need some recipe ideas, check out our Pinterest board for our tasty ideas for appetizers and snacks, side dishes, desserts – and even turkeys!

Create Fall-themed Cocktails Together.

Whether you’re making cocktails or mocktails, tap your group’s best mixologist to shake it up. Having a light drink before dinner is a great way to relax and whet your appetite.

Take a look at the Cocktails/Mocktails section of our Pinterest board for some of our favorites.

Coordinate the Décor.

Although everyone might not be sitting at the same table, you can still feel together with similar decorations.

Find inspiration on our Pinterest board where we’ve saved our favorite decorating ideas – everything from fancy and formal to fun and casual.

Plan a Virtual Game.

Thanksgiving Day is a great time to engage kids of all ages in making decorations or playing games. Have a virtual scavenger hunt or test your knowledge with virtual trivia games. Check out Jackbox Games for fun games for all age levels!