When this quarantine is over, the first thing I’m doing is inviting all of our friends over for a huge house party…You?
I’m learning, during this social distancing, that few things connect people like gathering together with food and games and fun — think Christmas dinner or a New Year’s Eve party or a giant Easter Egg Hunt. Unfortunately, with recent events, the chance to connect in meaningful and memorable ways with friends and family has been severely limited. Which is why we have never depended on technology more to keep us connected!
This post is brought to you by our partners at Houseparty app, but all opinions are 100% my own.
Over the past several weeks, our family has been looking for creative and memorable ways to gather through technology. Whether we’re drawing together or playing games with a small group, we’ve wanted to make memories, not just sit there looking up each other’s noses. That’s where the Houseparty app came in!
Houseparty is a face-to-face video-chatting tool that can be used with a phone, tablet, or computer. It works on any type of device, so even though my extended family doesn’t have the same phones we do, we can still easily gather as a group and connect with one another.
One part of the Houseparty app that I really appreciate is the ease with which it works. It doesn’t require a meetup code or specific schedule; users can just hop into the app and see who is available in their “house” right away. As a teacher, I love that I could be available during “working hours” for my students to pop in and ask questions or for parents to chat. I also read this amazing, but heartbreaking story of how the Houseparty App was used to say goodbye to a Grandma during the COVID-19 crisis. While sad, her family members were thankful to easily be able to see her, talk to her, and love her to the end. She was never truly ‘alone’ before she passed.
Another favorite feature of the app is the fun you can have through its game and trivia tools! Playing games is one of my family’s go-to ways to spend time together, so being able to extend this special memory-making activity even when far away has added a valuable component to our connections. (Plus, I love totally random trivia!) Thanks to its game features, the Houseparty App is the perfect tool for a much-needed Virtual Mom’s Night Out…BYOB, of course. It is also a great way to keep co-workers, teams, and small groups connected in a casual and fun way without the awkward “Whose turn is it to talk again?”
The Houseparty App is truly the next best thing to hanging out in person with the people you care about. It is safe and secure, easy to use, and with a simple download in the App Store or Google Play you can immediately begin creating memories with the people you love.
Fun! Thanks!