In a world impacted so deeply by COVID-19, virtual classroom parties can add some much-needed levity to the online learning environment. Some teachers had already embraced virtual learning pre-pandemic, but many were forced to transition to online learning with limited time, resources, and support.
The U.S. Census Bureau estimates that 93% of households with children are participating in some form of distance education during COVID-19.
From student teachers to seasoned professionals, educators everywhere are facing the challenges of remote learning. The U.S. Census Bureau estimates that 93% of households with children are participating in some form of distance education during COVID-19.
A virtual party might be the perfect reward for you and your students after an unprecedented start to the fall semester. Chances are, you've probably had to celebrate at least one birthday, anniversary, or graduation with friends and family through a screen this year. At this stage, we've mastered the art of virtual festivities. Classroom parties offer the best of both worlds: a social experience that's all about fun, but with no personal safety risks.
Read on to learn how to host a virtual party to boost student engagement and illuminate the online learning experience.
General Virtual Party Tips
The details of hosting a virtual party depend largely on your students' ages and personalities, but some general party tips are universal. For example, the best virtual parties attract partygoers by creating a fun mood and setting the tone for good times. Think of ways to customize your virtual party to accommodate your students' taste. Consider the importance of the following details in planning your next virtual party.
Decorate Your Space
Creating a festive backdrop for your virtual party is essential. You might add balloons, streamers, lights, signs, and/or props at home behind your camera or computer, or add a fun banner or background to your livestream. How you decorate depends on the age of your students and the occasion you're celebrating, but the general idea is to switch things up with much more festive surroundings than usual.
Set a Dress Code
Setting a dress code is one of the easiest ways to attract students. You might encourage students to show up in elaborate costumes (perfect for Halloween!), wear their favorite pajamas, or pick out their favorite item of clothing and share a story about it at the party (elementary school kids like this one.) Dressing up can encourage self-expression, but it should be optional so as not to single anyone out.
Make a Playlist
The right music is a must for any party, whether you host it in person or online. Create a playlist of (age-appropriate) music your students like, or ask everyone to contribute to a shared party playlist. If your students are especially into sharing music, you could incorporate this into the party as an activity or game. Encourage your students to introduce you to new music and share what music and performers they like.
Bring Snacks
You may not be able to share food and drinks through the screen, but you can still have fun with snacks. Give some thought to what snacks might complement the theme of the party. What you "serve" might inspire your students to try your recipe or create something new using their own culinary skills. Create a signature beverage exclusively for the party, and/or ask your students to bring their favorite snacks.
Share Stories
Pre-K students often enjoy show-and-tell and circle time, and sharing remains an important part of socializing and self-expression for students of all ages. Your students might feel limited in this capacity, with few in-person outlets. Incorporate optional sharing and storytelling into your virtual party as much as possible, like ghost stories on Halloween, favorite foods at the holidays, or family traditions.
Make a Craft
At first glance, this might seem better-suited to younger students; however, older students often enjoy this, too. Consider this a virtual art class or craft workshop opportunity, with students working alongside their friends while listening to music and snacking on treats. Depending on their ages, students might enjoy crafts like painting pumpkins, making valentines, or even decorating wreaths for the holidays.
Play Games
Much like traditional parties, virtual parties offer opportunities to play games and get involved in the fun. Large groups of students can play games like charades and Pictionary virtually. You could also plan a scavenger hunt, incorporating relatively common household items students may have at home. As long as the content remains age-appropriate, you could even play a version of "two truths and a lie" or "never have I ever."
Grade-Level Celebration Considerations
Your party plans will need to be tailored to the age of your students. While you know best when it comes to your students, the following general guidelines can provide a helpful starting point for virtual holiday party ideas.
Elementary School Students
Elementary school students are open to a variety of festive party ideas, many of which may even incorporate remote learning lessons. For example, your students could make crafts to add to their party decorations, or they can share about their favorite traditional holiday snacks.
Middle School Students
Middle school students might be more interested in social activities and virtual decorations (like elaborate filters) than younger students. Consider asking these kids to contribute to a party playlist and share their choices as well. Consider setting a dress code based on your students' unique personalities; for example, you could ask all attendees to wear something in the birthday kid's favorite color.
High School Students
High school students can engage in more independent activities, like baking a cake, cooking a special dish for the occasion, or attempting an advanced craft project. You can also involve high school students in making the perfect party playlist. They may want to play games that encourage sociability and critical thinking like Pictionary or other icebreakers.
College and Beyond
Don't think we forgot about you! Some ideas meant for childrens' parties may seem too immature, but college students can still have fun with them. Virtual parties for college students can be much more introspective and sophisticated. You might turn your virtual celebration into a dinner party, cocktail hour (with nonalcoholic beverages), or watch party.
Tech Tips for Hosting a Virtual Party
As the world has learned to host virtual celebrations through platforms like Zoom, Google Meet, and Houseparty, certain apps have gained popularity for their user-friendliness and special features. Consider the following options to enhance your party-throwing experience.
Zoom allows users to install a third-party app like Snap Camera to add filters, colorful backgrounds, and even characters to interact with your live image on screen. A basic Zoom account is free and allows unlimited meetings of up to 40 minutes each.
Microsoft Teams also enables customizable visual effects through the Snap Camera add-on. This platform offers free services similar to Zoom, for meetings up to 45 minutes long.
Google Meet requires users to install an extension to enable visual effects including a virtual green screen, blur, or pixelated background while livestreaming. Users can also apply filters and lenses to their live images. Anyone with a Google account can invite up to 100 users and party online for up to 60 minutes.
Houseparty offers an exclusive "frames" feature, enabling users to add decorative wallpapers to their backgrounds on the app. Houseparty taps indie artists to create frames for its curated collection, with new options every other week. Getting started on Houseparty simply requires a free download of the app.
Facebook Messenger Rooms offers built-in ambient lighting filters and a variety of 360-degree backgrounds of fun prints. An extension of Facebook's live group chats, Messenger Rooms can accommodate up to 50 people (Facebook and non-Facebook users) on a single call, with no time limit.
Remote teaching tips for Zoom, Google Meet, and Microsoft Teams
Additional Online Resources To Enhance Your Party
Class Dojo Class Dojo helps cultivate a virtual community of teachers, students, and parents. The platform is used by 95% of schools and is free for teachers. Class Dojo offers resources for teachers and school administrators, including a dedicated YouTube channel, webinars, and live training sessions.
Doceri Doceri provides teachers and homeschooling parents with an integrated management system for remote learning. By downloading Doceri for iPad, Windows, or desktop, teachers can operate all of the devices in their classrooms with a universal remote. This system enables teachers to deliver collaborative lessons to their students on connected Doceri devices.
Kahoot! For students who may need more collaborative interaction than typical remote learning can provide, Kahoot! offers a unique education resource. This platform enables students to form virtual study groups, test themselves against AI game players, and invite real-life friends to join. Kahoot! Also encourages healthy competition with "study leagues."
Michael's Beyond providing one-stop shopping for crafters and artists of every genre, Michael's offers inspiration galore for teachers. The store accepts in-person and online orders for a variety of decorations, baking accessories, and costume elements for your virtual party or online classroom. Plus, you'll get frequent coupons for enrolling in Michael's Rewards.
Pinterest Arguably the most popular source of online party-planning inspo, Pinterest offers unique ideas for decorating, food, dress codes, games, and hot topics for your next virtual celebration. If you don't already have a Pinterest account, you can sign up for free to start pinning ideas to your boards for future student parties online.
RealSimple Established by Martha Stewart, Real Simple expands on traditional party-planning ideas. Here, you can look for inspiration for hosting a virtual party with the best food, decor, and ambience. In addition to a special section for holidays and entertaining, Real Simple offers health and wellness, financial, and home improvement advice.
Really Good Stuff A comprehensive source of teacher supplies for more than 25 years, Really Good Stuff now features a special collection of PPE and COVID-19 resources. The company, founded and operated by teachers, also identifies "teaching essentials" specifically for distance learning in all grades and subjects. Really Good Stuff also offers tons of classroom decorations and budget bundles as low as under $30.
Virtual Holiday Party Ideas, By Holiday
Traditional and national holidays offer the perfect occasions for a virtual celebration. Some schools don't observe certain holidays. Still, throwing a party to celebrate the new year or Presidents' Day offers opportunities to incorporate lessons like geography and history. See below for suggestions on how to throw virtual parties for specific holidays, including ideas for crafts, decorations, and activities or themes.
Virtual Holiday Party Ideas, By Holiday
Shake Up Remote Learning With Virtual Celebrations
Few educators planned to move to exclusively remote classes this year, and the transition to virtual education raised the learning curve for everyone. In this critical time, the fortitude and resilience of teachers like you is your legacy for your students. Beyond the importance of academics, virtual parties are key to raising student engagement and enthusiasm during uncertain, stressful times such as these.
You may find your students need a holiday party to look forward to or a virtual team celebration simply to boost morale. With the right elements — good music, fun snacks, festive decor, and engaging activities — you can enable your students to connect informally in a social environment. Remember, you know your students best. When in doubt, find an excuse to throw a virtual party!