Virtual activities you can do with friends

With everyone losing track of the number of days we’ve been in quarantine now, you may also have found that your enthusiasm for video chatting with your friends has dipped as well. Nothing left to talk about but the next meal you’re going to prepare? No problem! Try these virtual activities with your friends to liven up your hangouts.

Reinvent the old games

So many of the classic games and game shows can be adapted to a video conferencing format. Get all your friends on a call together and try playing virtual bingo, Pictionary or even just create a quiz for you all to play. It may take some creativity but most games can be played live online, especially if you and a friend both have the same board games lying round the house.

Try out new games

There are also plenty of games which can be played online and let you interact with other players live, such as Animal Crossing*, some versions of The Sims* and Call of Duty*. This combines all the fun of sitting at home and geeking out in lockdown with the chance to actually bond and hang out with your friends. And if you’re looking for something truly interactive, we love Jackbox* games which allows you to each play the same game against friends on your phone while video calling each other.

Watch a movie together

Netflix now has a new function where you can watch online with a friend. Been meaning to catch that movie together before lockdown set in? Now you can. It’s a great way to wallow in your PJs and actually feel social at the same time, as you can exchange witty remarks and shocking tidbits live with your friend over the video while you watch.

Dress up together

One of the frustrating things about being at home is that there’s nothing to get dressed up for anymore. But it doesn’t have to be that way! Why not dress up with your friends—whether it’s a themed party (we know you have a drawer filled with costumes at home somewhere) or a night of pure glam, it’s sure to get everybody having a good time. Or better yet, why not all wear that outfit that you love but you never get the chance to wear? From medieval banquet dresses to cosplay outfits to ballgowns, the possibilities of your closet are just waiting to be explored.

Get cooking

It seems like everyone is cooking in quarantine like never before. But you’re cooking doesn’t have to be a solo enterprise. Simply arrange with friends to get the same ingredients and follow the same recipe and you’ve got yourself a party. Hangout on video conference while you chop, sauté, fry, bake and wait and then look forward to eating your concoctions together at the same time. You can even make it a competition if you’re looking for a challenge (although the points will have to be on presentation only, unless you trust your friends to honestly self-report on their own meal’s taste!)

Do a scavenger hunt

Most of us have many of the same objects lying around their houses, so why not take advantage of this and make it into a fun quarantine game with friends to play over video chat? Set a timed challenge for the first person to find a toothbrush, the first person to bring back a chopped carrot—or anything else. You can even scramble up words into anagrams to make the scavenger hunt harder or go the whole way and create an elaborate game with different stages and checkpoints for you all to reach.

Get arty

So long as you and your friends all have the same arts and crafts tools, there’s no limit to the arty activities you can get up to on a video call while you catch up with each other. Whether it’s knitting, jewelry making or anything else, it’s always better to do your hobbies with friends on the other end of the line. You could even work on your drawing skills by taking turns to draw portraits of one another. Anything you make will be a living memory to this difficult, bizarre time of your life—when hopefully you got the chance to bond virtually with your friends despite the distance.