This year has been far from normal, but there are ways to make the holidays feel somewhat normal despite everything. APM Help has been a fully remote company since we were established 3 1/2 years ago, so we know that virtual parties can be fun. We know, virtual? Not the same. But your co-workers or family are sure to appreciate the sense of togetherness, so give these ideas a try and let us know what you think!

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Virtual White Elephant

The infamous White Elephant party! I was introduced to this party-style in college, and have participated in at least one White Elephant every year since. It sounds complicated at first, especially when it's virtual, but I promise it's not and everyone tends to have a good time. Here's what you need:

1. Our virtual White Elephant template
2. An e-vite - my personal favorite place to create these is Paperless Post
3. A calendar invite or Facebook event to keep track of who is attending
4. Zoom, Google Hangout, House Party, Skype, or similar type of remote meeting software

The steps on how to set up the game and collect "presents" is listed in the second sheet of the template above - "Directions". If you have any issues with the setup or game play, let us know!

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Virtual Secret Santa

Good news! This game is a bit easier to follow and coordinate with co-workers or family. Here's how you play:

1. Have one person fill out our Secret Santa template with the names of everyone in your company in Column "A"
2. Now, use a name randomizer, like this one, to fill out Column "B" next to each name in Column "A". That is who they are going to get a gift for.
3. Send an e-vite for a "Reveal" party where everyone shows their gifts and tries to guess their Secret Santa - keep the spreadsheet handy!
4. Turn the party into a cocktail hour or ugly sweater party to add to the holiday spirit once everyone has guessed their Santa

Simple, right? If you want people to give gift ideas, then I would recommend sending out a survey beforehand to ask people what kind of gifts they would want within a certain price range. Have a large company? Mix departments so that people can get to know each other better. For example: IT with Leasing, Maintenance with Accounting, etc.

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Honorable Mentions

I love the creativity behind the White Elephant and Secret Santa parties, and I personally love opening gifts not knowing what they could be. Some people prefer to eliminate the gift-giving for various reasons, so if that's you, here are some great ideas for a Virtual Holiday Party:

1. Virtual Cocktail Party with Bingo or Most Likely To
2. Ugly Holiday Sweater with prizes for First, Second and Third place
3. Holiday Trivia Party
4. A plethora of awesome ideas here
5. Jackbox Games

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I hope that these ideas spark some joy for you, your co-workers, family and whoever else you choose to share these great party ideas with! I know I am going to be trying a few of these out with my co-workers at APM Help and my family during this holiday season. Leave a comment below if you try any of these out - we'd love to hear how it goes!

Happy Holidays! 🎁✨