Father’s Day Celebrations Online
Why not plan a surprise party for the man of the day…your own personal Super Hero…and really make his day special? I have five grown children and now four grand daughters. I know that for those dads with small children, there will be at-home celebrations…but for those of us with grown children…a phone call is the most we usually ever expect. The nice thing about online platforms is that we can visit family anywhere, and any time we choose. Father’s day is perfect excuse!
- Is it possible to do an online Zoom Surprise party? Absolutely!
- Personalize, personalize, personalize.
- Games and activities for adults online.
- Plan a “Roast”.
- The gift of togetherness.
“Is it possible to do an online Zoom Surprise party? Absolutely!
First, have someone else host the party…and have them create the room with a waiting room.
Next, come up with a good reason to get together with a small group, and tell dad that story; “We’re just getting together with Alice for a few minutes at 6:00 so that she can watch you open your present.” Make the reason plausible…but not much of a big deal really. If you can have Alice host the zoom room…that would be great.
Then, invite everyone in his family. Invite his kids (of course), invite his parents (it will be great for him to see his father that day), and invite anyone else that you think he would like to see. Tell them to come a little early, maybe 10 minutes. The host should let everyone else into the Zoom room, and then at the appointed time, bring in DAD. He will be pleasantly surprised with all of the guests that he wasn’t expecting.
Personalize, personalize, personalize.
Tell everyone to make “Happy Father’s Day” signs that they can either hang behind them, or that they can all show to the camera at the same time! This is a wonderful touch, and when you take pictures of the screen…it makes for a great keepsake as well.
Games and activities for adults online.
Absolutely create space for everyone talk to Dad, and wish him a special day, but also plan a few things to do just to make it fun. Above is a picture of a 25th anniversary where I ran a scavenger hunt where I had people look for anything that had the number 25 on it…you can send people running for anything (other than his sign) that had the word Dad on it…or golf, or gardening, or anything that is special to your personal Dad of honor. If you really want everyone to participate…offer them prizes through the mail after for the fastest…trust me, this will work! Here is a link to a full list of activities for online parties.
Plan a “Roast”.
Not all of us are professional comedians…so a “Roast” is probably not the right word. Suggest for each guest to share a special moment, thought, or story about the Star Dad! Have everyone go one at a time, and be prepared for your heart to melt. Also, don’t forget Grand Dad…if he and all of his children are there, have them think of a story to share about him too. You can have the guest of honor “Dad” go last, and have him share something about his dad…again, you might want to have a tissue. Which brings me to…
The gift of togetherness.
The best gift for all of us is our family and friends. With this distanced lifestyle we’ve all been forced to live for now…bringing together family and friends is essential. Working online, or going to school online, may wear us all out…but spending time with family will charge us back up. Remember to relax, and take some time to be with your father, his family, and use that moment to just be there and enjoy it. Then, you can all plan the next holiday together…Maybe July 4th!
Dune Johnson aka Looney Dooney is the foremost family-fun expert, and has devoted his life to bring joy, laughter, and togetherness to every event he does. For more helpful tips to creating the most amazing birthday parties, etc. visit his blog, or read his latest book, “The Timing of Chicken Feathers.”
