25 Fun Virtual Holiday Party Ideas

Throw a virtual holiday party everyone will actually want to attend with these 25 must-haves.

You don’t have to have guests physically together to throw a great holiday party. Once you’re willing to try, it’s surprisingly easy, convenient, and fun to celebrate the holidays via your favorite video chat app.

Now all you need is entertainment, and I’ve got 25 suggestions.

My 25 Virtual Holiday Party Ideas

1. Board game tournament with Taboo, Scattergories, or Codenames
2. Karaoke (with as many funny house rules as you can think of)
   • My personal fave is Last Word, where you create an entirely new line that still rhymes with the original version.
   • A funny example is Chestnuts roasting on an open fire / Next to Grandpa’s pantyhose (Instead of Jack Frost nipping at your nose)
3. Competition-style holiday baking (complete with judges)
4. Holiday Pictionary
5. Ugly sweater fashion show
6. Never Have I Ever
7. Holiday Cocktail or Recipe Share (presented like a cooking class or Food Network show)
8. Virtual Secret Santa with e-gift cards, subscriptions, or eBooks
9. Stream a holiday movie
10. Learn how other cultures celebrate the holidays
11. Holiday Remake (Imagine non-holiday movies as holiday ones, like Star Wars taking place “12 months ago in a snow globe far, far away”)
12. Don’t Say That!
    • Avoid common words like “presents”, “tradition”, or “snow.” Every time someone says a buzzword, they have to do an embarrassing task, like dancing in front of the camera without music.
13. Chubby Elf
    • Guess which holiday story or quote someone is reading while they have treats stuffed in their mouth
14. Share your family’s best (or worst) holiday traditions
15. Try funny filters or photo apps like Elf Yourself
16. Holiday Bingo
17. Holiday Trivia (with virtual buzzers)
18. Best Background or Desk Décor Contest
19. Send everyone a gift box to open once the party starts
20. It All Runs Together
    • Like the Before & After category from Wheel of Fortune, start this game with a themed phrase or song title, and using the last word or syllable, take turns keeping the chain going for as long as possible.
    • This can get hilarious, and any phrases after the first don’t have to be holiday-themed. It’s extra challenging if you say the entire chain from the beginning on each turn.
21. 5 Minute Decorating Showdown (to quickly and competitively declutter or spruce up the house)
22. Google’s Window Wonderland
23. Play 20 Questions To Guess A Gift
24. Collaborate on Virtual Cards With Canva
25. Solve A Virtual Murder Mystery

What Are Your Must-Haves?

Drop them in the comments below so we can all try them during our next family Zoom session.

Stumped with how to host a virtual holiday party? Here’s a step-by-step guide.

And before you go, don’t forget to browse the Winter Holidays section of the blog to see all of my posts from past seasons.