Have you figured out what you’ll be doing for your Covid holidays this year? First, a Covid Thanksgiving and then a Covid Christmas. Me, I’m covering my eyes, sticking my head in the sand, or holding my ears, saying “lalalala” – whatever gets me out of this mess. Nothing? Nothing you say? 2020 just keeps on giving, so while we wait for those Halloween Covid numbers to update over the next two weeks, let’s dream about what we can do to at least salvage Friendsgiving. It seems a few social distancing Friendsgiving ideas can help to soothe the everlasting sting of 2020.
Social Distancing Friendsgiving
Consider these fun and safe social distancing Friendsgiving ideas with your closest pals this year!
Social Distance BBQ
They say outdoor settings are safer when it comes to Covid-19, so embrace it! Throw together a social distancing Friendsgiving that’s heavy on fresh air and open spaces. Set up individual camps for each couple or family who joins you. Decide if you will cook food for everyone or invite them to bring their own grill, tools, and food, or at least their own food and utensils to use yours. Set up a Bluetooth speaker with some tunes and enjoy the time outside.
Fire Pit Friendsgiving
What could be better than enjoying drinks and friendship around the campfire? These memorable times live on in memories forever and you’d better bank more of them when you’re able. Fleece blankets with waterproof lining work great for a cozy gathering! You can also ask friends to bring their own camp chairs or lawn chairs for the occasion. A social distancing Friendsgiving can be safe enough to enjoy if everyone follows the rules. No sharing Solo cups and keep your six feet of space. Sidenote: You might need a bigger fire. Or multiple gatherings.
Friendsgiving Street Party
Consider having a friendsgiving block party if you have a good group of neighbors around you. Use sidewalk chalk to draw out everyone’s quadrants for safe social distancing. Friendsgiving events may still be possible with a little careful planning and guests who feel comfortable with the plan. Consider making it a game night with no sharing, no-contact board games or party games. Set up some outdoor party lights or a speaker for a fun and vibrant mood.
Friendsgiving Tailgate
Pretend you’re headed to an Eagles game and this sort of Friendsgiving should be a piece of cake. Have everyone dress warm in their favorite team apparel. Plan a menu reminiscent of parking lot gourmet and indulge in freezing your butts off with friends. You might want to invest in a fire pit or an outdoor heater to make it tolerable if the weather forecast looks a bit nippy. Have everyone bring their own portable grill, hibachi, or picnic style spread. Self-serve and maintain your space for a fun and safe social distance Friendsgiving. Finally, consider streaming the evening football games through your projector onto an inflatable outdoor movie screen for an unforgettable evening!
Virtual Friendsgiving
For the lowest risk at Friendsgiving 2020, a virtual gathering is your best bet. It’s no one’s favorite answer. It’s lame, even. This is sad and disappointing, but may be necessary depending on family health risks and Covid spread. It’s always possible to plan your social distance Friendsgiving with a contingency plan to go virtual at the last minute should something come up. Just think of it like this year’s school year. (too soon?) We’re all adults here and can forgive a few Takesies Backsies during a global pandemic, right?
Some ideas for a fun virtual Friendsgiving:
- Online Game Night – Host a virtual game night with your friends. Enjoy easy favorites from JackBox or make up your own games to suit your crowd.
- Virtual Escape Room – Escape room 101: During Covid, do not touch everything everyone else touches! Instead, consider playing a virtual escape room where you get to Zoom with a single participant. You and your friends tell your actor where to go and what to do to escape the room. It’s wild change of pace but still fun and worthwhile as a possible virtual friendsgiving experience.
- Virtual Murder Mystery – I keep hearing about this one but haven’t tried it yet. A quick Google Search suggests there’s quite a few virtual murder mystery options to consider. Whichever one we end up with, I hope it’s like Clue!
- Zoom Karaoke – It’s been a sort of tradition to go to Korean karaoke around birthdays in our circle. All that soju and the cozy couch and a big ole basket of shared midnight fries don’t seem like the right fit for coronavirus at the moment, sadly. In the meantime, it could be a fun option to have a virtual karaoke party with your close friends. Have everyone mute their lines except for the ones singing and voila – instant karaoke night!
- Virtual Iron Chef – Maybe a little letdown since you can’t taste everyone’s food, but still very fun! Consider having everyone start with the same ingredients or mix it up with assigned ingredients ahead of time. Talk with your group to make up rules that work for everyone’s food allergies or aversions. Enjoy with your favorite complement of wine, beer, or cocktail!
Social Distancing Friendsgiving Tips
Ah, Friendsgiving – the way you really want to spend the holidays. It would be a shame to miss out on that this year, after everything else we’ve missed. Here are some tips to help have a safe and social distanced Friendsgiving this year.
- Shrink It Down – Tone it down to a smaller group this year for a safe social distancing Friendsgiving. Your friends will understand.
- Host Multiple Events – If you can’t bear to cut out certain groups, space out your events and host a few.
- Isolate prior to the events – If your friends are down with it, consider asking everyone to keep to their immediate bubbles for two weeks before your Friendsgiving event kicks off.
- Consider Covid-19 tests – Not sure what the protocol here might be, but it sounds like tests are easier to come by. If necessary and appropriate, consider tests ahead of your event for peace of mind. Or absolutely remind anyone with symptoms to stay home and take a rain check!
- Go Virtual – Again, this is probably the common denominator here. Maybe plan to go virtual and then switch it to in-person if the Covid numbers support in-person gatherings by then. Each family’s in their own situation so discuss your thoughts with your friends and see where you end up.
These are just a few ideas for what to do for Friendsgiving 2020. Please share your thoughts, feedback or other social distancing Friendsgiving ideas in our comments below.
