Virtual Holiday Ideas for Your PTA or PTO

Whether or not you’re celebrating the upcoming holidays, this time of year is always a great time to take a break, catch up with the family and make some memories. It is also a popular time for parent teacher organizations to run a holiday event. And with social distancing still on the high, here are some great virtual activities that your PTA or PTO can use to bring the school community together.

Netflix Party

Who doesn’t like binging on some movies? We sure do! And what better way to enjoy your favorite winter classics than with the whole PTA community? With Netflix’s new Party mode, you can watch movies or seasons with up to fifty people. There is a group chat feature so you can converse with each other. Worried the conversation will distract from the film, no worries. With synchronized features, you can press pause while you talk and the film will be paused for all users!

One fun way we have seen Netflix Party being used is by picking a different movie for each grade or for each week. You can extend the night by hosting an after-event where parents and students can discuss the movie, highlighting their favorite parts and share a laugh. With the synchronized features mentioned above, you can even replay your favorite part for everyone.

So, whether it’s Will Ferrell’s Elf, or Home Alone, now social distancing won’t come in the way of the classic PTA holiday movie tradition!

Holiday Lights Event

Holiday light shows are a real joy to view. With the colors, the designs, and the festive cheer, there’s nothing quite like them. It’s a great idea to make this into a PTA event by asking local organizers, or local neighborhood associations, if they would be up for a collaboration. For holiday light shows that already charge admission, your PTA can sell tickets to its members, proceeds of which can be donated, while the light show organizer gets some publicity through the PTA’s platform.

Alternatively, your PTA can also create a light show virtual map that members can follow for a drive-through experience. The PTA can ask for donations at the beginning or end point of the drive.

Little Caesars Pizza Kit

If there’s one thing that puts anyone in a good mood then that’s Pizza! With eating out having taken a backseat to eating in, do-it-yourself food kits are all the rage. And there’s really none better than Little Caesar’s Pizza kit. Not only does it have all the flavor of a classic Little Caesar’s pizza, but it’s also tons of fun for the whole family to join in on.

And if that wasn’t enough, it’s a great way for PTOs to fundraise as they can source the kits and sell them to their members under Little Caesar’s Pizza Kit Fundraiser! With over thirty options to choose from, there’s sure to be something to suit everyone’s tastes. The best part is that these pizza kits will bring out your children’s inner chef, letting the whole family have some fun in the kitchen.

Holiday Décor

Whether it’s decorating the Christmas tree, playing around with tinsel, or setting up the front yard with fairy lights, one thing’s for sure; holiday decorating brings out everyone’s creative side. There are so many ways to have fun with this. You can run an ornament design contest and then sell the winning design(s). You could also put together tree decorating supply kits and sell them to parents.

Another great activity to engage in is gift-wrapping. After all, presents are one of the best things about the holidays. From the beautiful wrapping paper to the actual packing away of the gifts, just imagining how happy your loved ones will be once they tear it open to putting the final bow on top. PTAs can turn this in to a fundraising event by selling the wrapping paper and then scheduling a day for everyone to wrap together (virtually).

Once everyone’s done decorating and wrapping, members can share pictures on your PTA’s social media platforms to keep the holiday feeling alive!

Story Time

Story time can be made interesting by PTOs hosting a monthly or quarterly literature night. These virtual meetups can revolve around a literary theme or series and can encourage families to actively participate as a group. You can even hold a poll for the most popular pick and then have it run as a theme for a quarter, after which you can switch it up. Not only will this get kids into the wonderful habit of reading, but it’ll also make for some quality PTA member time.

If this is too much of a commitment, you can also do an author-led story time. There are many children’s book authors who can make a virtual appearance and it is something different for the kids. The event can be extended by having a Q&A session with the author and even chances to win a signed copy of the book. Don’t be afraid to just write an email to your favorite author (or two or three) and make the ask.

Virtual Holiday Cooking

From candied apples to pumpkin pie to the best hot chocolate, holidays sure are a time to delight your inner food enthusiast. Cooking with the kids is always a blast. PTAs can even host virtual cooking session where a member shares their favorite holiday recipe. After all, food is best when shared, even if it’s through a screen.

If you want to get ambitious you could host a cooking series or even create a holiday cookbook.

Virtual Game Night

Family game night has always been tons of fun, and PTAs have often hosted their own version of these laughter-filled nights. Now they can do so virtually by having members take part in virtual game nights. From a range of charades to online Pictionary to card games, the list is endless. The houseparty app also has some integrated games for a game night, or you could host a virtual trivia night. Whatever medium you choose, advertise in advance, consider charging for admission (or not), divide up the teams, and bring your competitive spirit.

So, that’s our round-up of some of the best virtual activities that are ideal for some PTA holiday community bonding.

Originally published at https://www.k12clothing.com on November 12, 2020.