virtual thanksgiving

How To Celebrate Thanksgiving Virtually While Socially Distancing

Last updated on November 6th, 2022 at 01:58 pm

Looking for ideas on how to Celebrate Thanksgiving Virtually this year?  

Practicing Social Distancing this Thanksgiving?  

We have included lots of ways to keep traditions alive, even if you aren’t all in the same place this year.

How to Celebrate Thanksgiving Virtually!

There are many ways that you and your loved ones can keep traditions alive even if the family is not all in the same place this year.

Here are a few ideas for how to Celebrate Thanksgiving Virtually, so that no one has to miss out on any of the fun!

Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family!

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Family Thanksgiving Contests

If you have a competitive family, these socially distanced contests will get the family competing while staying safe.

1. Front Porch Decorating Contest

celebrate thanksgiving virtually socially distancing

Each family decorates their porch for thanksgiving.  All families judge each other’s creations and the winners win a prize (or just bragging rights).

If everyone is local, each family can drive by everyone’s house the week leading up to Thanksgiving.  Or if everyone is far away, each family submits a photo of their porch.

It’s easier if one family member is designated the contest leader and puts together all the photos and calculates the winner.

2. Pie contest

Quarantine Thanksgiving Covid-19

If you live close by, consider a Pumpkin Pie or Apple Pie contest.  

Each competitor makes enough mini pies for each family.   Porch drop off to each house or have one family be the drop off/pick up point.  

During Thanksgiving dessert, each family judges the pies and picks their favorite.   You can eat the pies together using Zoom or your favorite conferencing app.

Tip: Check out these mini pie tins with lids (Pack of 25- See them on Amazon)

Thanksgiving Socially Distant Eating/Cooking Ideas

1.  Share Family Recipes

If Aunt Linda always brings the best mashed potatoes and you’re going to miss them this year ask everyone to share the recipe of their signature dish ahead of time.

Then you can all make your favorites at home.

Bonus Idea:  Put the recipes in a book – bind and send to everyone.  There are a few online companies that do this.

2.  Local Food Delivery

social distancing thanksgiving cooking

Similar to the pie idea above, except everyone makes their signature dish x how many families and then delivers them to each house or make one house the pickup point.

This allows everyone to enjoy the same or similar meal even if you can’t all sit at the same table this year.

3.  Cook Together Virtually!

Roberto from Natural Goodness has been connecting with his parents virtually by cooking the same recipe together over FaceTime.

He explains ‘Very few things in life bring people together like cooking and experiencing a great meal, even if it is done through a virtual meeting!’

You can check out his recipe for peanut butter cookies here

You can do the same thing when preparing your Thanksgiving meal. Pick a recipe you can do together with family and have a virtual cooking date.  

Kid Idea:  This is a great way to get kids involved too. If they can cook with their grandparents virtually and learn recipes that they love it creates a new connection.  

Games you can play at a distance – Thanksgiving Games

1.  Scavenger Hunt 

Gather the family virtually and then get ready to run.  One family member is in charge of sharing what you need to get.  All the family starts at the same time and whichever family gets back to the screen first gets 1 point.  The family with the most points at the end wins.

Here are some ideas to find that have a Thanksgiving touch.

1. Turkey (actual or picture)

2. Leaf

3. Scarf

4. Apron

5. Family Photo

6. Fork

7. Table Cloth

8. Something You’re Thankful For

Decorating During Quarantine For Thanksgiving

1.  Thanksgiving Banner Background

Lacy from Catholic Icing has a beautiful Thanksgiving banner that can be made and shipped to family.  She explains ‘They mail flat and are easy to make in a batch.’

They would also be a great project for each family to make on their own and use as their background when chatting virtually.  

It will be interesting to see what nature items are used all across the country!

A great project for the kids to make as they have to get outside to find all the supplies.

Learn to make the banner here.

Conclusion – Celebrating Thanksgiving Virtually While Social Distancing

This year may be a bit different as some families aren’t able to spend the holidays together.  However, it can still be fun and create lots of fun new memories.

Whether you can do porch drop offs or only virtual calls ““ the above ideas are a fun way to celebrate Thanksgiving.

Happy Holidays!

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