With a little creativity, planning and an open mind, you can make the most of the holidays. The combination of COVID-19 and regular flu season means heightened risks for many workers. Fortunately, life in the Information Age means that teams don't have to sacrifice holiday fun simply because they're working remotely. Here are several ways to inject some holiday fun and excitement into a virtual work environment. The winter holidays are beloved by families throughout the United States, which means that many have been planning this year's festivities since last year's parties ended. Fortunately, plans for in-person gatherings don't have to be scrapped entirely for a virtual gathering to take place. Instead, recycle many of the elements of the in-person event. For instance, if your in-person event is already on the schedule, use the same day and time for a virtual event. If you have a preset itinerary or schedule of family traditions, start imagining ways to carry out similar traditions without being in the same physical space as the rest of the attendees. Or brush the dust off an old tradition. Finally, use the digital communication options you already have to reach out to family and friends. Email, text messages, Facebook event invites and other methods make it easy to keep everyone in the loop and see who's coming. Virtual get-togethers are still a new idea, so many family members or friends may feel uncertain about the event. To help them overcome any objections and enjoy themselves, make it easy for them to access the information they need to participate. For example, if your virtual holiday party involves traditional foods, email recipes to everyone in advance, so they can all participate in the tradition. Or create a webpage or social media event for the virtual get-together and share information there. Encourage participants to dress up for the occasion, just as they would if they were attending a party at your house or in-person venue. Since virtual setups can make it difficult to admire entire outfits, consider encouraging holiday sweaters, jewelry or other items. Or have everyone wear their favorite "going out" clothes that haven't seen the light of day in many months. Likewise, embrace holiday decorations. Decorate your own space, and encourage your attendees to decorate the space they'll be in during the virtual event as well. You may even want to include "virtual tours" of one another's home holiday setups as part of the event! Virtual games can also help everyone enjoy themselves without leaving home. Online scavenger hunts, for instance, can be both fun and educational for kids and adults alike. If attendees have the right setups for video games, playing an online game on a shared server can also allow friends and family to hang out and enjoy time together without being in the same physical space. Bring old favorites into the present by looking for ways to virtually play board games, either by finding online versions of old games, having everyone play a board game together that they all own, or creating online games with tools like Factile or Kahoot. Old classics like charades, Simon Says, and Never Have I Ever can also be played virtually. Many families have piles of photographs, slides, cassettes, and old VCR tapes sitting around waiting to be converted to a more stable digital format. A virtual winter celebration provides the ideal reason to get this task finished. Convert these items to digital formats well in advance of the event. During the event, share them with your attendees by using screen-share software. You'll all get the opportunity to relive old memories in a new way. You can even send digital copies to everyone once the event is over. A virtual holiday meal or party will never be the same as an in-person event. Yet virtual events also offer benefits to you and other attendees. If you start to feel sad about what you're missing, remind yourself what you're gaining from the new approach to old holiday traditions. For example, you don't have to worry about travel arrangements or fret that family and friends might not be safe on icy roads. You only need to cook for your household. And family members or friends who are feeling under the weather or can't travel can still attend. With a little creativity and a willingness to embrace change, you and your loved ones can enjoy the holidays this year - while still staying safe and healthy. Planned an In-Person Event? Translate to Digital
Cook Together While Apart
Share Outfits and Decorations
Plan Virtual Games
Take a Digital Walk Down Memory Lane
Embrace the Benefits of Digital Events
