This past Sunday I sat in my living room, instead of at church, watching my Pastor give his sermon. He specifically mentioned the importance of staying connected during this time when we are forced to be apart. This gave me an idea – what are some Ways to Stay Connected During Social Distancing? I’m a an ambivert – so while I love to stay home, I also really love being social. And I can already feel myself MISSING those connections with my friend and family – and it’s only been a week! I’m not sure how long we will need to be socially distant for, but I DO know I’m super grateful to live in the year 2020 where we have technology and are able to connect virtually with people! So below is my list of FUN ways to do it in hopes of inspiring you to stay connected during this time!

If you have an iPhone, you can easily FaceTime multiple friends. Other means of video chatting including Skype, Google Hangout, Facebook Messenger, and Zoom! 

Have dinner with family over video chat. Regardless of what kind of phone or computer you have, there are several ways to video chat! We have iPhones, so we frequently FaceTime my parents while we’re eating together. Prop the phone up somewhere, and pretend you’re all in the same room!

Have a virtual wine party or happy hour. Video chat your friends and clink your glasses to your phone!  Have a virtual happy hour in your pajamas with your best friends. 

Have your kids video call a friend and read to each other. My oldest is doing this with a friend this week! They have the same book and will take turns reading the pages. Great way to connect with their friends!

Play a board game over video chat. If you have the same board game, you can move the other player’s piece accordingly! This can work with several fun games!

Weekly book club meetings over video chat. What better time to start a book club? Have a dedicated night of the week for a video chat to discuss your thoughts on the current read. 

Play the Houseparty app with friends. I just learned of this app and tried it out with a friend – it’s so fun! You can play games with several of your friends all at once!

Have a Netflix Party! Netflix has a Chrome Extension that provides synchronized video play back and group chat, so you can watch movies and shows with your friends long distance!

Decorate your driveway/yard for friends to drive by and see and wave as they pass by. Our friends are doing this this week! We are each decorating our driveways and yard for our friends to see as they slowly drive by. No getting out of cars, just waving from an appropriate distance inside the car window! The kids are so excited!

Have your kiddos build LEGOs with friends over video chat. My oldest LOVES building LEGOs, so we set him up to video chat with a friend while doing it! They had a blast showing each other their creations!

Set up weekly calls to check in with a friend. I love doing this with my long distance friends. So simple, but sometimes it’s easy to get caught up with the business of life and forget to check in. 

Play pictionary over a video call! The good old fashioned game, just over a video chat!

Scrapbook with a friend over a video call. I used to scrapbook with a good friend of mine before we had kids, haha. Set up your video call and scrapbook together from a distance!

Have a virtual dance party! Play music for the kids, and let them dance with each other over a video call!

Spa night with friends over video call. Bust out your face masks and put them to good use by doing a virtual spa night with your best friends.

Host a video call paint and sip. Put your artist hat on and see what you come up with! Pick a subject and paint virtually together while sipping on some wine. 

Have a video chat baking war. Whether it’s cupcakes, brownies, or something more…bake with each other via video call!

Have a video group workout session. Set up a workout video and get your group workout on with your friends!! 

Take a virtual outdoor walk with a friend (avoiding high traffic areas). Get some fresh air around your neighborhood while video chatting with a friend! 

Have a morning coffee date. Video or phone chat with a friend while having a cup of coffee in the morning. 

Cook with a friend via video chat! Teach or have a friend teach a new recipe and cook together over a video call!

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