The pandemic has affected us all in Australia, much like the rest of the world and we should all be looking for ways to minimise human contact, as least until we have all been vaccinated. The arrival of a new baby is always something to celebrate and with the following tips, you can arrange a virtual baby shower and include family and friends, regardless of their location.
- Get Familiar with Zoom – This is the best VoIP platform on which to host your virtual party, which happens to be free to download and use. Search with Google to find Zoom and download the application onto your laptop; during the installation process, you will be asked to give the application access to your webcam and microphone and once installed, you can all other Zoom users.
- Inviting Guests to Download Zoom – Once you and a friend have had a few calls and explored the many great features like file sharing and a digital whiteboard, you need to compose an invitational email to all your guests. This needs to be simple and easy to follow, the time and date of the party would be given, of course, and inform your guests to open Zoom and wait for a call invitation.
- Gifts – Simply go to the leading Australian baby gift store, CMC Gold; send the URL to all the guests, include a wish list if you prefer. Ask that they send the gifts to your home address, at least a few days in advance. This enables you to actually open the gifts in the presence of all the guests, albeit virtual. The best part of giving is seeing the recipient’s reaction and that is certainly not lost with virtual parties.
- Games – You can get very creative with a video meeting and a quick Google search will help you find suitable games for virtual baby showers and that will lead to the right choices. One idea is to ask all of the guests for baby pictures of themselves and get them to send these to you a week prior to the big day; you then create a slideshow and when a baby image appears, the guests must guess who it is. Of course, the actual person remains silent and as all guests can see the image and the other guests, this game is a lot of fun. Click here to learn how to make online cocktails.
- Record the Party – The great thing about technology is you can record the experience, which allows you to watch it as many times as you like; the perfect keepsake. Not only that, you can send a copy to all of your guests, which gives everyone a chance to relive the event. Click here for a link to Zoom and download the program, then you can get the ball rolling.
It is important that all guests understand what is going to happen and they do need some practice using Zoom, otherwise it might affect the occasion.
