Whether you’re separated by distance or by pandemic restrictions, nearly everyone is missing a loved one in 2020. Fortunately, there are ways to stay connected virtually and still feel close! This master list of virtual holiday ideas will help you stay in touch with your family and friends through the season. You can also use these Christmas ideas for perfect long-distance winter date activities.

Although we may not be able to celebrate together this year, here is the ultimate list of ways to keep your hearts warm and fill your holiday season with joy and laughter despite a distance!

Holiday Dress-up

Spice up a regular old video call with some fun props to give your conversations a more festive feel. A Santa hat, some reindeer ears, or a bright red nose go a long way! This is also a great time to break out your holiday sweaters and onesies; this is the season to spread some smiles to each other and embrace our inner child.

Decorate For the Season Together

For many families decking the halls and trimming the tree are age old traditions to help a house feel more like home. This season, share these special moments over a video call with someone you love. Share your favorite ornaments and stories while you spread a little more cheer throughout your homes.

Virtual Board Game Night

I love playing board games during the winter months, and this year I will be playing them virtually! This makes for a perfect long-distance date night, or a virtual family get together. Here are a few great resources to play your favorite board games online, along with our thoughts and recommendations.

• Tabletop Simulator: (Our #1 pick!)
  • Pros: Contains nearly every board game, virtually table for immersive play, limitless options available.
  • Cons: Costs money, a bit of a learning curve, doesn’t suit beginners as well as other options.
• Tabletopia:
  • Pros: Free games available (with payment available as an option), virtual table available, supports startup game developers.
  • Cons: Less availability than Tabletop Simulator
• Board Game Arena:
  • Pros: Free games available, a great option for strategy-based games (no cheating allowed)
  • Cons: Some glitches with certain games and browsers
• Catan Universe:
  • Pros: Free, fun and dynamic gameplay, available on mobile devices as well as computers
  • Cons: Can load slowly and run a little glitchy at times,
• Codenames online:
  • Pros: Free and a fun brain game for all ages, can be played with 2 players and up
  • Cons: Brain teasers aren’t everyone’s cup of tea and there is a learning curve for new players
• Uno Freak: (a fun and easy favorite that can be played by anyone!)
  • Pros: Free, easy to play, fast-paced and simple
  • Cons: Maybe not as engaging as other board games available

Watch a Holiday Movie

Whether you’re enjoying a classic film like “Home Alone” or indulging in a feel good Hallmark movie, watching a movie together is a great way to feel closer together while apart. Some streaming services even have an option to share your stream so you’re both watching at the same time. In our experience, pressing play at the same time works well enough as well.

Make your own holiday tradition and choose a movie to make special for you two this year!

Cook Christmas Breakfast Together

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day; and especially on Christmas day! Plan ahead to make a big breakfast complete with pancakes and hot chocolate to start your day off right even though you’re apart. If you’re able to choose similar menu items, it feels as though you’re sitting around the table together and enjoying the same meal.

Although cooking together is a fun and rewarding experience; but you may opt to order in and enjoy a more relaxing morning instead.

Tacky X-Mas Sweater Zoom Call

Holiday parties this year might be virtual, but that doesn’t mean they have to be boring! Challenge your invitees to wear their ugliest sweater to your zoom call and enjoy a cup of something warm and cozy while deciding who’s sweater has the most Christmas spirit. Depending on how competitive you are, maybe you could offer a prize for first place! This is one of our favourite Christmas ideas for virtual celebrations.

Make Holiday Crafts Together

Christmas crafts don’t have to be exclusively for children! Have some fun with cutting out paper snowflakes and adding some glitter to some Christmas cards. Find some holiday ideas for your favourite crafts on Pinterest. Check out this tutorial to make yourself some matching snowy mason jars.

Send each other personalized ornaments

Organize a video call with your significant other and make each other personalized Christmas ornaments to send as a gift.

You could also get a group of friends and make matching ornaments or wreaths over a call together as a fun way to stay connected through the holidays.

Share a Special Holiday Meal

This year we won’t be able to do large family dinners, but we can still agree that food brings us together in a very special way. Here are a few ways you can have a special virtual Christmas dinner together if you are apart.

• Cooking a meal together over a video call
• Order a Christmas Dinner to support a local restaurant this season
• Make matching meals so you can enjoy the same food together
• Swap your holiday recipes and try to make each other’s favorites

Write Christmas Cards to each other

Christmas cards make any room feel full of love, and after 2020 we need more love than ever! Spread some cheer by sending your loved ones a handwritten note. It seems simple, but we all know that the best holiday ideas are simple activities made with love. You could add to this special gesture by making the cards yourself and adding a personal touch to each one.

Make Gingerbread Houses

Making a gingerbread village with my best friends is a big part of my winter season. We always add our own unique personality to each one and have a great evening of house decorating and candy eating. You can still have some magic moments this year by organizing a virtual gingerbread making day. See below for a few simple steps.

1. Pick up a gingerbread set from your local bakery, or bake your own!
2. Purchase or make royal icing to use for decoration and assembly
3. Make sure to have lots of colorful candy in your favorite colors
4. Start up your webcam and get building!

Remember, that it’s not the end result that counts as much as the fun had along the way.

Make & Enjoy Seasonal Drinks

There’s something about colder weather that makes warm drinks taste so much better! Take an afternoon to have a virtual ‘coffee date’ and sip on your favorite winter drink while you catch up together or listen to some music. Whether you make your own drink, or make a quick stop at Starbucks, this is still a great way to spend some quality time with someone special.

Try some of these great drink recipes:

• Peppermint Mocha
• Caramel Brulee Latte
• Eggnog Latte
• Hot Spiced Holiday Tea

Mail Presents!

The clock is ticking on getting your packages in the mail for 2020; which is sure to be one of the busiest years for deliveries. Although Amazon offers much convenience, sending someone a special package with hand-wrapped gifts has a certain level of kindness that we all could need this year. Whether you’ve been set for months, or are getting your orders done last minute, sending someone a gift is a great way to show you care.

Cookie Decorating Night

Everyone loves decorating cookies; even if you’re not much of a baker.

Whip up a batch of sugar cookies, or order some from a local bakery and spend a quiet evening adding a holiday touch to them with some icing and sprinkles. This is a great activity for two people, and can easily scale up to accommodate as many people as you need. I love this as a Christmas idea for 2020, and I think it’s a great way to make your virtual date-nights and family video calls more cozy and festive.

Winter Themed Virtual Paint Night

Paint nights are the perfect virtual date idea, and a great way to stay creative through pandemic restrictions. Long-Distance couples should definitely try it at least once! Give your evening a festive flair by painting a matching winter scene: try a peaceful snowy forest or a frost-covered log-cabin. Add a little wine to sip and you’ve got the perfect long-distance date night, girls’ night in, or family zoom call.

Virtual paint nights don’t need to be complicated and honestly makes for one of my favorite long-distance Christmas ideas. You can get most of the supplies at your local craft store or dollar store, and all you need after the supplies is a little bit of inspiration.

Throw a Virtual Christmas Party

Although you can’t invite your loved ones into your home, you can invite them into your zoom call! Open a video chat with friends and family for a special evening of catching up. To make the evening extra special you can encourage people to dress up in something more formal or festive. I think we all need some more reasons to dress-up this winter.

Play a video game together to celebrate

Take your virtual holiday to the next level with online games you can play together! Some video games have options for Christmas celebrations and cute virtual ways to send gifts and messages. My fiance and I love Stardew Valley and will be most likely celebrating “The Feast of the Winter Star” in-game together. Check out our Top 5 Video Games for Long-Distance Couples.

Write letters to Santa

It may seem silly to write a letter to Santa, but sometimes we need a little literary therapy. Make a list together of things you’re hoping for in 2021, whether they’re silly or serious or light hearted. In Canada you can send your letters to Santa’s address in the North Pole.

Santa Claus
North Pole
H0H 0H0
Canada

Watch a Church Service together

This is a great opportunity to be thankful for all of God’s blessings in our lives, and to reflect on God’s greatest gift to the world: his son Jesus Christ. With the lockdown, nearly all places of worship are now available online. Find one that works for your respective time zones and settle in for a Sunday morning sermon, or an encouraging Christmas Eve Service.

Go on a ‘Light Safari’ for decorations

Some neighborhoods go all out with their Christmas lights. Share the holiday spirit by sending some photos of the best lights in your neighborhood to your long-distance loved ones. It’s important to get outside and get fresh air, as well as connect with your community during a period of increased isolation. My neighborhood looks gorgeous with all their lights, and sharing it with my partner makes me feel as though we’re experiencing it together.

Christmas sing-a-longs

Many people who enjoy Christmas caroling during this season have had to look to alternative options. One great option I’ve seen is organizing a Christmas sing-a-longs. This takes a little extra organizing, but could be a lot of fun with the right fun loving group.

Holiday Cocktail Night

Put on some soft music and make some holiday cocktails to sip for a virtual happy hour night. Use some classic holiday flavors like ginger, cranberry, peppermint, or nutmeg for a great festive experience. A spiked eggnog or some baileys in your coffee set the mood for a warm and friendly evening, and make a long-distance chat a little more cozy and comfortable.

Online Boxing Day Shopping

Celebrate the after holidays sales by taking advantage of special offers online. Some couples even do a date challenge of shopping together to buy a gift under a price limit within a certain amount of time. If you’re a shop-a-holic, post-holiday sales are worth taking advantage of.

No matter what you choose to do with your loved ones this holiday season, we hope you’re able to spend a lot of quality time together, and that your last few weeks of this year are bright and cheery.

Let us know if you tried any of these creative online holiday ideas and how it went!