🎉7 Online Party Ideas That Will Wow Your Guests

The pandemic has given rise to a new kind of party👇

You may have been to a Zoom party. You may have even hosted one. If you have, no doubt you have come across all kinds of online party ideas ranging from charades to Karaoke, talent shows, and more.

The problem is that a lot of online party ideas can feel cheesy and forced. 

Some are just downright strange. Like “Drinking Games With a Sitcom”. Guests sync up their Netflix accounts, watch their favorite sitcom, and take a sip every time the laugh track comes on. I kid you not.

But it doesn’t have to be that way.

During COVID I used my virtual facilitation skills to host several online celebrations that would have otherwise been canceled. That included my son’s high school graduation. My mom’s 80th birthday. My dad’s side of the family’s annual Christmas party. And a multi-generational family reunion. 

I learned that done well, a virtual party can feel just as special as in-person. 

In some cases, virtual celebrations can be even more magical. But unlike in-person parties, the magic doesn’t happen on its own. You need to design and facilitate online parties. And there is an art and a science to doing this well. 

The best online party ideas tick 3 boxes:

👉They connect to the purpose of the event

👉They give people an opportunity to contribute and actively take part 

👉They create connection among the guests 

Here are 7 tried-and-tested online party ideas that will help you inject meaning and fun into your next virtual event. 

1. Welcome Slide

Have a welcome slide up for people to see as they join the Zoom call. This is a great way to help people enter the party space. Your welcome slide could have the party invite, a fun photo, or a quote related to your event. 

Here’s the welcome slide from my mom’s 80th Zoom celebration

2. Play Music 

A party without music is like a birthday cake without candles. Music creates an inviting atmosphere for your party. Have music playing when people join the Zoom call. Choose a playlist that goes with the theme of your event. You can even have live music at your event. 

For example, at my mom’s 80th birthday I asked my friend and singer Kathy to join the Zoom and sing a song that I knew she would like. 

3. Chat Introductions (Any group size, 5 minutes) 

This is a great way to kick off a party, especially for big groups. It gives everyone an opportunity to take part and lets everyone know who is in the Zoom space. Ask people to write their name, where they are calling in from, and add one more question that reveals their connection to the event. If it’s a small group you can ask participants to turn on their mics and introduce themselves out loud. 

For my mom’s 80th I asked people to write their names, where they were calling in from, and how they knew my mom. The answers gave everyone an instant snapshot of my mom’s vast network of friends that spawns many places over many years. 

Tip: read out the introductions as they come in, and welcome people to the party. 

4. Wave If This Is True 

This is a fun icebreaker that eases people into the online party space. Ask everyone to put themselves on “gallery view”. Before the event come up with a series of statements that tie to the party theme and what you know about the guests. Read one statement and ask the participants to wave if the statement is true for them. Read each statement, asking people to wave, and take a look at who is on the screen. 

For my mom’s 80th I came up with statements that reflected what I knew about my mom and the guests. 

• I have been a neighbor of Joan’s

• I knew Joan at university

• I have lost a tennis game against Joan

• I have been on a crazy adventure with Joan 

Tip: After reading your statements, ask the guests to come up with their own statements and call them out. 

5. “One thing” prompts 

Prompts help guests to contribute in an organized, thoughtful way. Come up with a prompt that relates to the theme of your event. If it’s a small group, have people share out loud. For bigger groups ask people to share in the chat, or in breakout groups. You can send people the prompt in advance so they can prepare. 

For example, for my mom’s 80th I asked people to share “one thing they admire about Joan, and a birthday wish they have for her”. For my son’s high school graduation, I asked family members to share one pearl of wisdom and a book that had an impact on their life. 

Tip: If people share in the chat, read a few out loud and/or invite a couple of people to share their answers in the big group. You can compile the answers into a card or a book for the event. 

6. My Fondest Memory 

Storytelling is a great way to share memories and celebrate. Ask guests to share their fondest memory that relates to your event. For a big group, you can ask people to write a brief memory in the chat. You can also put people into breakout groups to share stories, and hear from a few people when the guests return to the main room. 

For our extended family’s Annual Christmas Party I asked people to share their fondest Christmas party memory. The party has been running for over 50 years, so there were a lot of fond memories to share. 

7. Group Poem

This is a party show-stopper. It’s a great way of inviting guests to co-create something meaningful. And it gives you a beautiful artifact that you can share after the party. It needs a bit of preparation before the event, but it is worth it. 

👉Step 1: Create a google doc, and under the sharing settings select “anyone with the link can edit”. 

👉Step 2: Come up with a metaphor that relates to your event. Put the metaphor at the top of the page, and add a few lines to start the poem. 

👉Step 3: Share the link with party guests before the event. Ask them to add a few lines building on the previous line and idea. Remind them that they don’t need to be a skilled poet. They just need to come up with an idea and add it to the google doc. Aim to have everyone’s contributions before the event. 

👉Step 4: Decide on a time during the event program to read the poem. You can also invite one of the guests to read the poem to the group. I find that the group poem fits well toward the end of an event, or before a virtual toast. 

For my mom’s 80th, I asked our family friend Jude who is a writer and actress to help me come up with a metaphor that would describe my mom. She came up with “Joan is a Cornucopia ” and started us off with a few lines. Over 40 friends and family contributed to the poem. When Jude read the poem at the party there were several gasps and even a few tears. It was that moving. You can share and even print the poem as a gift for guests. 

The more you tailor activities and prompts to your event theme and guests, the more meaningful it will be. 

What online party ideas have you tried?

Gwyn Wansbrough is a Facilitator and Experience Designer based in Barcelona, Spain. She empowers people and organizations around the world to create dynamic and empowering learning experiences online and in person. She runs an online cohort-based course called Breakthrough Facilitation. She writes about facilitation, creativity, and learning in a weekly newsletter called The Quest. Subscribe here or visit www.gwynwansbrough.com to learn more.