Family parties from a distance

Nowadays, loved ones are spread all over the country, travelling the world, at home in quarantine, or simply too busy to travel: Sometimes you can't have everyone you want together to celebrate a special occasion. But in the digital age, almost nothing is impossible! We've collected a few creative ideas for you to celebrate with your loved ones despite being far away.

Thanks to tablets, smartphones and laptops, spending time with your loved ones in person is easy, even from afar. Video conferencing is a great way to spend time with those who can't visit you in person. You can see and hear each other as if you were all in the same room.

Be it a birthday, Easter, Mother’s Day, or just because you can - eating some delicious cake, drinking coffee and chatting together is always fun. It might feel a little unusual at first, but a live-stream coffee party is definitely something different and enjoyable. Arrange a time and then send out the link to your video chat in advance and you're ready to go. Everyone gets to enjoy their favourite beverage, whether it be coffee, tea or hot chocolate, cake, crumble cake or muffin.

Do you like to cook with your friends or family? Then you can organise a digital dinner in which you can chat and exchange tips while cooking via video live-stream. Agree on a dish that everyone will prepare at home during the evening. Of course, anyone can vary their recipe to suit their needs. You can inspire each other with creative pizza creations and more. While eating together, you can still raise a toast and talk as if you were all sitting at the same table.

The best thing about giving a gift, besides the gift itself, is seeing the reaction to your present. Children in particular relate more to a gift when it is given to them personally. If it is not possible to hand to them personally, then the next best thing is sending it via the post office to ensure that it arrives safely. To add a personal touch, you can arrange a time and meet up virtually for the gift unwrapping. This is also a great time to send your personal congratulations or greetings - perfect for Christmas, Easter, or birthdays.

Board games are enjoyable for everyone young and old alike. Get your friends or family together and organise a virtual game night via the internet. You can find numerous free browser games in different languages in the Boardgame Arena. Another very cool online game is Skribbl, in which players guess a word based on the drawings – the drawings are not so easy to do using a mouse or touchpad, but it is guaranteed to make you laugh.

Some well-known party games can easily be converted into a digital version without the need for a program or app. For example, you can play ‘Taboo’, ‘Who am I?’, ‘Never have I ever..’, or ‘City, Country, River’ via video chat.

If your technology is on strike, your Internet connection is not the best, or maybe just the time differences are a problem, you can still give your loved ones a special treat for their anniversary, wedding, Christmas, Easter or any other occasion.

Ask friends and family who can't be there in person to send a short video message to the birthday boy or girl, the proud first grader, or the newlyweds. In it, they can tell a funny anecdote, reminisce about old times, or express their congratulations. With personal video messages, you can edit together a great surprise video and share a special occasion with loved ones from afar.

Give the birthday boy or girl a colourful box as a personalised treat. The ‘birthday party in a box’ could include items like a candle, some confetti, a large balloon, and a party hat. Naturally, you should also include a birthday cake: For this, add the dry ingredients along with the recipe into a jar. Then add a personalised photo gift - such as a Photo Puzzle or a SIGG Bottle - and the package is almost complete.

The box can then be rounded off perfectly with a personalised birthday card made with a personal photo. Finally, wrap it well and send it to the lucky birthday boy or girl.