By: Natalie
One of the most difficult parts of social distancing has been staining apart from family members, loved ones, and friends. As we continue to remain strong during these difficult times, our relationships can be a way to find peace and support. While we can’t see people in person, we can continue to stay social through the use of digital tools.
There are so many ways to virtually “see” the people we love- it just takes a little creativity! Below, we compiled a list of 20 ways to stay social during stay-at-home orders or self-quarantine. It can be a lot of fun to explore different fun and unique ways to stay connected. Hopefully, this list will give you a little inspiration to get you started!
20 Fun Ways to Stay Social During Social Distancing
Have a movie party
Do you like watching movies with friends and family members? If so, Netflix just created a tool called Netflix Party to do just that. Pick your show, create your party, and have others join. You could also throw a movie party through Skype, FaceTime, or Zoom! Simply pick your movie, pop some popcorn, and press play at the same time on your television. It’s a whole new way to have a fun experience together, while staying right at home.
Play games online
If board games are your style, there are several websites that offer a virtual gaming platform. This is a great tool to use with family members or relatives of all ages – you could even start a gaming tournament! Uno is a classic game for both children and adults to play together, check out this link to play online.
Create a group chat to share images and ideas
Group chats are a fun way to stay connected, especially when it’s difficult to match up calendars. Share pictures, comments, and jokes throughout the day with family members and friends to keep each other updated about your lives. Consider sharing your best memories from quarantine!
Create a virtual book club through web hangouts
If you love to read, try keeping up with a virtual book club. Get a group of people together and decide which book to read. Then, use a video chatting software to talk and discuss your book of choice. If you have young family members, video chatting is also a great way to have story time before bed! If you are looking for your next read, here is a list of great books to consider.
Send letters to family members
Letter writing is an art form that isn’t used as much as it should be nowadays. As a fun way to keep connected, consider writing letters of encouragement or gratitude to the people you care about. Adding fun touches like doodles or stickers can really brighten up someone’s day!
Watch free concerts online
Sites such as Billboard are offering virtual concerts from several different artists across a wide range of genres. While we can’t attend in-person concerts, this is a great substitute! Get together a group of friends and then sign up to listen to your favorite artists for an added sense of community!
Go on a virtual tour
Interested in traveling the world? You can now see some of the most beautiful sites in the world without ever leaving your home! For example, click this link to tour The British Museum and invite your friends and family to go on the tour with you. It can be a fun date-night activity, too, especially if you’ve decided to quarantine apart.
Sign up for an experience together
Several businesses are offering virtual classes. Sign up to take the class on one screen while you FaceTime with another friend taking the class in their home! Jessica has been loving the cooking classes offered by The Seasoned Chef (plus, supporting a small business!) and AirBnb has adjusted their platform so that you can take classes being taught all over the globe!
Share updates with friends and family on social media
Social media challenges and re-posts are very popular on Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok right now. Consider finding a challenge and tagging a few friends or make your own! Find a dance on TikTok that you all want to learn together, or encourage your crew to share out pictures of their pups. It’s a fun way to stay in touch with each other’s lives, whether you live down the street or several states apart.
Leave gifts for neighbors
Let’s show our neighbors that we care! While maintaining a safe distance, leave notes, homemade snacks, or presents for your neighbors to discover. Quick tip: Here is my current favorite recipe for chocolate chip cookie cheesecake bars that would definitely make you the star of the neighborhood!
Make future plans with friends and family
Stay social by talking about all the things you want to do after social distancing! Make plans with loved ones to eat at your favorite restaurants, visit your favorite stores, or do your favorite activities. Consider making a list of all the things you want to do together, or consider building vision boards together to help you stay on track in the weeks and months ahead.
Teach each other a new skill
Do you have a favorite party trick or fun skill you want to share? Create a video chat to show off those neat tricks and teach friends and family members. You might even learn something new! Don’t feel like you need to be super fancy. Heck, you can even try a few different journaling techniques and share what’s been working for you throughout quarantine.
Do a virtual workout with friends
Exercise is a great tool to keep a healthy mindset- especially when stuck at home. Stay in touch with your favorite workout buddy by doing virtual classes with friends. Pick an online workout and do it while you’re both on FaceTime, or consider signing up for the same virtual class and you can sweat it out together. Though if you’re interested in starting a brand new exercise routine, here is a piece about 25 tips to get started working out.
Host a virtual craft night
Crafting is a lovely way to de-stress, and it can even more fun when you host a virtual craft night! Find some things around the house such as markers, pens, or stickers, or all buy the same craft kit or paint set online so that you can craft together. This can be adapted for adults or children, depending on what you want to make!
Throw an online dance party
Dance the night away with your loved ones by hosting a virtual party. Get your favorite tunes together or all listen to the same DJ (DJ D-Nice has been putting together some amazing playlist on his Instagram Stories) and then use a video chat software to dance with your loved ones. You could even use tools like Spotify to create a collaborative playlist of your favorite songs.
Send stories of encouragement
Encouragement and uplifting stories can be a source of inspiration during this time. If you find a message that really resonates with you, try sending it to a favorite person in your life. Instagram and Facebook are easy ways to share and send little things that you might find.
Support your favorite local businesses
Supporting small businesses is a great way to stay active in your community. Consider writing a note of thank you or praise to your favorite local business, or order from the same restaurant to enjoy a dinner “out” with friends that are nearby. Here is a post about 1o ways to support local businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic if you want to get creative, too.
Share support for your community
Stay social by supporting your local community. Consider making posters that thank health care workers and those on the front-line and putting them in your front window. Put an old teddy bear on your porch or patio to help create a teddy bear hunt. Text your neighbors and ask them to put a single candle in their window to show you’re standing together. Rally up the people in your household to get creative in letting your community know you’re standing strong by their sides!
Send a thank you to your co-workers
If you are working from home, consider writing a quick note of thanks to your fellow co-workers. A simple email or text is a great way to make people feel appreciated for all of the hard work they do, especially when you’re not seeing each other everyday.
Watch and share podcasts, books, or playlists
If you have a few spare minutes, consider listening to a podcast, audio book, or music playlist. Share your favorites with your friends and family members as a way to remind them that you are thinking about them. For example, we’re currently loving this incredible playlist on Spotify that was, oddly enough, created by Mary-Kate and Ashley Olson. (No joke, trust us… it’s awesome.)
Remember… We’re in This Together
I keep being reminded that social distancing is actually just physical distancing. Social interaction is essential for our mental, physical, and spiritual health!
Get creative and stay in touch with others. We’ll get through this together.
Create a great life!
