In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, there's no reason that virtual Halloween parties should be any less thrilling than in-person events.
All your party guests can get into the Halloween spirit by dressing up, decorating, and engaging in spooky themed fun together online. Just because circumstances have changed this year doesn’t mean we can’t all find a way to celebrate this haunting holiday!
1. Throw a Zoom Halloween Party
Thanks to the power of Zoom, you can now host your own Halloween party without having anyone set foot inside your home. Not only is a virtual Halloween party a great way to socialize and mingle with your friends, but it’s also a fantastic opportunity to catch up with those you haven’t seen since quarantine guidelines went into effect.
How to Implement This Idea: You’ll want to post on social media about the idea, how to get an invite, and what they’ll need to participate.
Below is some example language you can use:
"This Saturday, I will be hosting my very first digital Zoom Halloween Party! To attend, please share your email address by commenting below or sending a direct message to my inbox. I will send out a Zoom invite to join the party".
The more people invited, the merrier the festivities. Just be prepared to have games going throughout the night to keep people engaged. Following are some ideas to arrange for your party.
2. Virtual Halloween Icebreaker Questions
Starting your party with icebreaker questions is a great way to warm up guests. By theming your questions toward Halloween, you can also help everyone get in the holiday spirit.
Here is a starter list of icebreakers:
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What is your earliest memory of Halloween?
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Which movie were you too scared to watch as a kid?
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What is the best horror movie of all time?
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Would you rather be a vampire or a ghost?
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Do you prefer chocolate or chips?
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What is the best candy in the world?
3. Pumpkin Carving Contest
This idea is great for bringing friends together during the Halloween season. It also requires very few items and is an event that pretty much every person loves to participate in.
Whether you and your guests come prepared with your very own spooky pumpkin creation before the Zoom call begins or carve them in real time, it's sure to be a hit. After everyone has shown off their monstrosities, a vote will be taken to select a winner.
4. Create and Share Your Favorite Halloween Memes
Sharing Halloween memes is easy to do and fun for everyone. It allows you to show off your humor while also relating back to a holiday that is universally loved. If you’re going to choose only one social media activity out of this list, you should make memes.
How to Implement the Idea: Go to Imgflip.com to get started. They’ll ask you to choose a photo from their library or you can upload your own. From there, write in the copy using a font style, and poof, your new meme is ready to share. Go on your social media platforms and post the meme.
Does all this talk of memes have you feeling scared? Don’t fear! Click on this link to learn how to create a viral meme that is sure to make your followers scream with delight.
5. Hold a Virtual Halloween Costume Contest
Hosting a costume contest is an extremely effective way of getting people into the Halloween spirit. It’s a fantastic opportunity for people to show off their costume design skills and their unique personalities. To set the tone of the holiday, invite your friends to join the video call in costume.
How to Implement This Idea: Create a social post and send an email inviting people to join you on Zoom. Next, you’ll want to establish guidelines on how the contest will function. You’ll also want to establish yourself as the host of the contest and will need to lead the activity. Costume contests over Zoom can become hectic very fast. Keeping structure will prevent these issues.
Before the party, announce the categories, such as best coordinated costume, funniest costume, scariest costume, most creative costume, most detailed costume, and most timely costume. During the call, you can ask partygoers to cast votes for the top costume in each category via email, private chat etc. Once all votes are in, announce the winners and award prizes such as gift cards as an example.
Pro tip: Award extra points to anyone who dresses up a pet!
6. Halloween Zoom Backgrounds
Sure, you and your friends could go crazy covering the living room in artificial cobwebs or writing threatening messages in fake blood on the walls. Or, you could decorate for your Zoom Halloween party the easy way by changing your Zoom backgrounds to sinister or seasonal scenes.
Spooky Zoom background suggestions:
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Haunted house
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Graveyard
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Pumpkin patch
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Foggy forest
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Full moon
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Hotel hallway from “The Shining”
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Disembodied hands
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Zombie wasteland
You can even turn the activity into a competition and award a prize to the most amusing, creative, or interesting entry.
Here is a tutorial from Zoom on how to change your background.
7. Virtual Halloween Movie Marathon
Halloween is one of the holidays with the most TV and movie specials. Halloween moves aim to make you scream, either with fear or with laughter.
To set the mood for your online Halloween party, you and your friends can stream creepy Halloween content on platforms like Zoom. By using a program like Metastream, you and your group can watch shows and movies simultaneously.
Scary Halloween movies:
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Friday the 13th
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Nightmare on Elm Street
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Halloween
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The Exorcist
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The Ring
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he Sixth Sense
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Insidious
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Cloverfield
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Poltergeist
Funny Halloween movies:
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Clue
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The Simpsons Treehouse of Horror specials
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It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown
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Hocus Pocus
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The Nightmare Before Christmas
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Young Frankenstein
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Ghostbusters
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Beetlejuice
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The Rocky Horror Picture Show