Social distancing does not mean social isolation. Though most of our social activities have shifted online, including movie nights, outdoor parties, and even happy hours, it doesn’t mean that social interaction has to be limited. In fact, connecting with friends and loved ones might be more important now than ever before.

Why not gather everyone for a fun virtual happy hour? Use this time to unwind with a drink (or two) and simply log in to Zoom, Google Hangouts or FaceTime to start the party.

Here are some thrilling ideas to excite you on your next virtual happy hour! 👩‍💻🥂

PLAY THE MYSTERY VACATION POSTCARD GAME USING A VIRTUAL BACKGROUND

On your next virtual party, have everyone find their favorite vacation destination photo and set it as their virtual background. Guess each other’s location and discover new destinations that you might wish to go to after the lockdown, whether at the beach, the city, or the mountains. It’s a great way to create energy and excitement during happy hour while pretending to be in New York, Paris, or at the tropics.

HOST A NETFLIX PARTY FEATURING YOUR FAVORITE ESCAPIST FANTASY MOVIE

Keep the wanderlust alive and bring your friends along to watch movies that make you dream of being in other places. Extensions like Netflix Party synchronizes video playback and adds group chat for the perfect Quarant-Stream.

ASK EVERYONE WHERE THEY WANT TO TRAVEL TO AFTER THE LOCKDOWN

Use this time at home to get to know your friends better. Get everyone in a slightly happier mood by asking them where they wish to go to once everything returns to normal in regard to the pandemic. Has someone been itching to go to London? Italy? Maybe New Zealand? Discuss your future travel plans and add more places to your bucket list.

SPEND HAPPY HOUR WITH A VIRTUAL COOKING CLASS

Most of the time, the best happy hours lead to long dinners. Come up with a theme like cuisines from around the world or street food, and have all your friends cook the same meal. Use this chance to show off your cooking skills and satisfy your cravings for delicious food.

PLAY THE GAME OF SOCIAL DISTANCING BINGO

You can set up a social distancing Bingo during your virtual happy hours to make it more fun. No need for a Bingo board because you can assess whose done what activity on the Bingo list by having people raise their hands. Has anyone else bought a new plant to take care of? Baked for fun? Binged an entire season in a day? Bingo!

CREATE A SPOTIFY GROUP SESSION AND HOST A LISTENING PARTY TO TURN UP THE MOOD WITH EXCITING TUNES

Through Spotify’s Group Session, its paying users are now allowed to listen to music and podcasts with friends and family at the same time, even if they aren’t in the same location. To host a session, premium users can select the Connect menu in the bottom left-hand corner of their play screen and scroll down to “Start a group session.”

Connect with your loved ones and jam to Wink Laser Studio’s grooviest playlists on Spotify. Pick the right playlist to match your mood and enjoy your happy hour.

Thumbnail Photo Source: @stayathomebun and @sigmapromotions