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Lucky Leprechauns! It’s Saint Patrick’s Day Charades!

By Gathered Again

On the 17th of March comes a festive holiday largely celebrated by multiple countries all over the world. During this eventful day, parades hit the streets, friends and families frequent the pubs, and both passersby and decor seem to all have unified in the flourishing color of green.

All of a sudden cheers and laughter can be heard from all around, as we take a break from daily life to celebrate the joyous occasion. Does this ring any bells? Of course, we’re talking about St. Patrick’s Day!

Now if you’re thinking about hosting a party or a mini get-together with your friends and family, it’s important to be prepared with some fun activities and themed recreations for your celebration. Our number one recommendation? A game of Saint Patrick’s Day Charades!

How to Play Saint Patrick’s Day Charades

If you don’t know how the rules of Charades go, here’s a little refresher for you. Write down a bunch of words you want players to act out, and cut them into small pieces of paper. Continue to fold these up neatly while placing all your answers in a bowl or basket. Then divide the players into at least two groups. 

Once both teams are ready, have each group assign one representative per round to draw a word from the lot and act out whatever word they get as the rest of their team guess the correct answer. Teams take turns guessing each round, and each correct answer is awarded one point. In the end, the team with the most points wins!

Since the general mechanic is very simple, it’s up to you to add in any additional rules or twists to make this game perfectly suited to your liking. Most importantly, since this game is in celebration of St. Patrick’s Day, it’s important to use holiday-themed words that highlight the significance of the occasion. 

30 Saint Patrick’s Day Charades Word List

st. patrick's day charades promo picture
Get Your St. Patrick’s Day Charades Game Here!

Holiday-themed words, you ask? We got you! Feel free to use the following keywords for your game of Charades on Saint Patrick’s Day.

  • Saint Patrick
  • Leprechaun
  • Rainbow
  • Pot of Gold
  • Four Leaf Clover
  • Shamrock
  • Good Luck Charm
  • The Jig 
  • Gold Coins
  • Pipe
  • Irish Beer
  • Shepherd’s Pie
  • Celtic Cross
  • Ireland
  • Catholic
  • Bagpipe
  • Horseshoe
  • Green
  • Pub
  • River Dance
  • Magic
  • Treasure Chest
  • Lucky Charms cereal
  • Pointed-tip Shoes
  • Corned Beef and Cabbage
  • Tri-Cornered Hat
  • Beard
  • Pinch
  • Flag
  • Fairy

Other Party Game Ideas

Whether you’re done playing Charades or you’re looking for similar party games to warm up for the main event, remember that not everyone will be satisfied with just one activity for the entire get-together. 

To help you out, here are some more party game ideas and activities you can use that are just as fun and equally exciting.

Treasure Hunt

The Leprechaun is best known for keeping their mythical pot of gold over the rainbow. On the day itself, what better way to celebrate the holiday than seeking the legendary treasure of the St. Patrick’s Day logo himself?

Is the gold in the kitchen? Inside the washer? Or is it perhaps tucked away in some secret compartment? Have a blast playing this mini Treasure Hunt, complete with riddles and clues for an afternoon of some great friendly competition. Who knows? Maybe you could be taking home the prized treasure after all.

Trivia Questions

Who’s up for a game of wits? Challenge your friends at the party for a fun quiz that can test your knowledge on some fun facts about St. Patrick’s Day.

Whether you just learned about it in school or you’ve read up on its origins, this game of St. Patrick’s Day Trivia is great for players of all ages, making it a good fit for your party. Other than giving you a chance to show off your skills, this might even be a surprising way to gauge the family smarts, or an opportunity to discover the hidden geniuses (or hardcore St. Patrick’s Day fans) within the group. 

Bingo

Feeling like luck is on your side this St. Patrick’s Day? If so, perhaps this crowd favorite party pastime might just be the rainbow to your shimmering pot of gold. 

Better pull out all the stops with your shamrocks ‘cause we’re talking about St. Patrick’s Day Bingo. This game is easy, simple, and can spell hours of fun for all players. It doesn’t even need further explanation, right? That’s how you know it’s a good one.

Crossword Puzzle

Anyone up for this classic word game? If you feel like you’ve got an extensive vocabulary and you’re all about the season’s trivia, then this St. Patrick’s Day Crossword Puzzle is exactly what you need for your holiday gathering with your loved ones. 

With this game, everyone can take their time filling out a sheet filled with questions or facts about this annual celebration. What is the Irish fairy called? What gemstone was Ireland nicknamed after? If you can answer it, you can play it. Not only is this a festive way to enjoy the occasion, it’s also good for brain practice and mental stimulation. 

I Spy

Ever heard of Waldo? Yeah, we’re not going to talk about him here. Instead, prepare for a battle with your eyeballs in this race against each other with this mesmerizing blend between I Spy and Look and Find.

Think you and your friends can spot the correct symbols? Maybe. But this fun interaction has both easy and hard difficulty levels, so you can simply progress or go down a level if it becomes too tedious. Either way, this activity is another one of those incredibly exciting games that’s perfect for your gathering on St. Patrick’s Day.

Word Search

Are you thinking hide-and-seek, but with festive keywords? Take on this fun mini-game of St. Patrick’s Day Word Search and enjoy an exciting vocab race with your friends and family.

If you think you can spot them all before the others do, best believe they’re feeling the same way. However, this thrilling excitement everyone shares is exactly what makes the game all the more fun. Even if not everyone gets to finish at the same time, consider it as a great opportunity for some problem-solving exercise and good brain stimulation.

Conclusion

Hurray! You’ve made it to the end. Hopefully our charades keyword list and game ideas can help you have a fun and lively St. Patrick’s Day celebration with your loved ones. Which one of these do you think is your favorite?

If you’re interested in seeing more variations of Charades for the next holiday, feel free to check out our Etsy shop for more themes and ideas. Either way, it’s important to remember the essence of this holiday, and we hope that this guide we made has made you feel just that.

Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

5 Fun Theme Parks For Families To E...
5 Fun Theme Parks For Families To Enjoy

Virtual Christmas Ideas: How to Enjoy the Holiday Season Together

By Gathered Again

Spending the holidays indoors doesn’t necessarily make it boring. In fact, even when you’re away from your loved ones and are in the comfort of your own homes, you can still have a meaningful Christmas celebration with the family.

How, you ask? We’re talking about hosting a virtual Christmas party! Using video conferencing platforms, such as Skype, Zoom, Google Hangouts, or Facetime, you can create your own parties and communicate with each other in real time. So, as long as you have your venue set up and ready, the rest of the gathering details are in your hands. 

Ready to get started? Keep on reading this article, as we’ve written a guide on some of the best virtual Christmas ideas for your party this coming holiday season.

Virtual Christmas Ideas

Similar to in-person events, a virtual Christmas party needs some props and preparations to help set the tone and mood for your guests. If you’re looking for some neat ideas on how to make your online get-together exciting and engaging, here are some tips we’ve put together for you.

Virtual Invitations

Who said virtual events didn’t need invitations? Certainly not us. So your family members can look forward to your meeting, create and personalize your own set of virtual invitations for the party. Decorate it with style, and include the what, where, when, and hows of your online gathering. Incorporate the theme into your color selection, and adorn the cards with elements and illustrations that fit the vibe you’re going for. 

Other than giving your family members something to look forward to, these virtual invitations will also help seal the deal, making your event so much more real and special, even when you’re miles away from each other. 

Secret Santa

Christmas exchange gifts never go out of style. Something about the mystery of not knowing who picked who always invokes a thrilling energy for participants, getting them excited about shopping and receiving their gifts. To start, have everyone draw lots beforehand. Whether you use an online picker or an app is fine, for as long as there are no repeats and no one draws themselves. Then, a couple of days to a week before the gathering, ship out your gifts in Secret Santa fashion, so they receive it in time for your celebration. 

Once you’re on the call and everyone’s present, dedicate a time on your program to opening these presents. This way, regardless of the distance, you’ll still be able to see your relatives’ faces light up when they open up the gift that’s been hand-picked (or handmade) by you.

Fun and Festive Playlists

Music is at the heart of any gathering or celebration. It’s what brings people together and sets the ambiance, especially if you’re meeting each other online. Days before the scheduled party, curate your own mix of festive songs, which help to liven up spirits and bring in the holiday vibe. Choose from a long list of classics, as well as modern day Yuletide bops that solidify your theme and build on your party’s concept. 

As you hop on the call and play these tunes for your family, they’ll instantly get a feel of what to expect for the party, as it sets the mood for some festive Christmas fun.

Family Holiday AVP

Since the family is going to be apart for this holiday season, some would argue that it isn’t quite the same now that you’ll only be celebrating through the screens of your phones and computers. However, there is a way to work around this. Instead of dwelling over how you aren’t together for the holidays, why don’t you prepare a short presentation that will allow you and the family to reminisce and look forward to your next meeting? 

Using your old photos and videos, create a simple, yet touching video of your family’s best kept memories. Compile a bunch of silly clips and beautiful images that celebrate the bond you have with each other. Once you’re done, finish it off with a heartwarming song that can fill your family’s heart with joy and sense of longing. 

Regardless of how far apart you are from each other during this time, this little holiday AVP is going to make you feel loved and close to each other, despite the distance.

Christmas Carol Contest

Anyone in their right mind would say that Christmas simply isn’t complete without the caroling. It’s arguably one of the most fun and engaging activities to do on Christmastime, so celebrating a party without it can feel lackluster. If this is how you and the family view this seasonal festivity,  why don’t you host a fun and simple Christmas Carol contest? The rules for this are simple. Form your family members into groups of four or five, and have each prepare their favorite holiday song or medley to perform for the party. Depending on everyone’s interests, you can add your own twist or gimmicks to each performance. 

At the end, you’ll be able to watch and enjoy the fruits of everyone’s hard work as they sing their hearts out and perform their A-game to bag the award for the night’s best carolers. Other than bringing out everyone’s competitive spirits, a mini contest like this helps to bring the family closer, which is a perfect activity to have for the holidays. 

Festive Christmas Dress-Up Party

Not seeing each other in person shouldn’t be a handicap for having an amazing holiday party. If you’re in need of a little extra prop or trick to make things feel more festive, minus the typical household decorations, consider throwing a fun, little dress-up party to liven the atmosphere. It doesn’t have to be excessive; you can have everyone dress up as elves, wear reindeer antlers, dress up the Claus family, or even as their favorite Christmas movie character. Kids, especially, will enjoy this kind of gimmick.

Regardless of how everyone ends up going as, having a little rule like this can give you tons of laughs and memories to hold dear to your heart.

Virtual Christmas Games

family playing Christmas charades

More than your festive Christmas party ideas, it’s the games you host that will truly make the most impact on your little online reunion. Even when you aren’t all staying under the same roof this holiday, there are still some amazing party games you can enjoy on your virtual Christmas party. Here are some examples below.

Holiday Trivia Game Show

Just like traditional TV game shows, with the likes of Jeopardy and Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?, trivia games can spell hours of fun when played with an energetic and highly competitive bunch. If you’ve got family members who are always butting heads and challenging each other for the top spot, then this is the game for you. 

Simply prepare a bunch of questions based on various Christmas-related facts, cultural traditions, as well as themed shows and movies. On the day of, have your relatives volunteer as solo players or act as representatives of their respective groups. Because you’ll be hosting this game yourself, you’re free to vary or add any additional rules you want your game to have. 

Whether you belong to a family of nerds or a clan of crazies, a game like this can surely get your family pumped and hyped up for the games to come.

Yuletide Bingo

Bingo is a classic game of chance made popular in the 1960s. It’s a highly addictive pastime, invented by the Italians as a lottery mini game, which has now evolved into this famous worldwide phenomenon. 

This Christmas, consider hosting your own version of a Yuletide Bingo, as it’s a great way to get everyone excited and engaged even when you’re communicating through the screen. Start off by designing your own cards or use a printable template. Send it out to members of your family, and draw a pile of cards that contain the symbols present on the sheets. Have fun playing a couple of rounds with different sets of rules and prizes, so everyone has a chance of winning. 

Festive Movie Charades

Charades is a well-known icebreaker game, which promotes teamwork and cooperation within its members. Since this acting game only requires players to use their body to play out the answers, it’s a perfectly suitable game for your online party. Start off by compiling a list of various holiday films and shows, which range from easiest to hardest to act out. Then, write them down on a piece of paper, and have one representative from each group draw lots so they could play their turn. In the end, the group who guesses the most titles wins. 

While it’s definitely an old game that’s typically used in parties, it’s a great option for an online party where your family can get up and moving, instead of staying seated for the duration of the call. 

Guess the Gift Giveaway

No one is too old to get excited over presents. Whether it’s the dainty box and wrapping, or the overall weight and size of the package, some feature or characteristic of the present is bound to get anyone thrilled, especially if what you’re getting is a mystery. Since the spirit of Christmas is all about sharing with your loved ones, have you ever thought about hosting a Guess the Gift giveaway for your family members? 

For this game, all you will need are some small presents you can easily tuck away inside a box. Once it’s game time, hold the box up to the camera, and shake it around a few times for your relatives to make up the sound that it makes. As you’re moving the gift on screen, have them try to guess the gift that’s inside. If you want, you can even provide themes or clues to give your players an idea. In the end, the winner who guesses correctly gets to keep the gift they guessed right.

Though simple, it’s one of those games that gets everyone’s energy up as they try to compete for the right answer. You, as the host, will be able to have the honor of sharing small yet meaningful presents with the family, through this mini game for Christmas.

Virtual Christmas Escape Room

In recent years, escape rooms have gone up in popularity. If you want to introduce a new and exciting way to bring the family together and experience an almost true-to-life excursion, perhaps you may want to sign yourselves up for this. With the option to go for a paid game, organized by Go-to Events or Team Tactics, you can have a separate host that will guide you along the mysteries for some thrilling family fun. Otherwise, you can set up the game yourself by creating a storyline and some clues for the rest of the family to figure out. 

Either way, mystery games are awesome team building opportunities that can make you feel closer to each other, regardless of where you are. In celebration of the true spirit of Christmas, these types of experiences are perfect to help bring you all together even though you have different interests and hobbies.

Name That Christmas Tune

This game is all about knowing your Christmas bops and tunes to heart. Simply start by writing down a list of popular holiday songs, and have one representative from each team pick one at a time. Once they do, set up a timer and get ready to hum the tune. 

Just like charades, the team members must be able to name the title of the song in order to bag the point. At the end, the team with the most points wins.

With an interactive game like this, the family’s energy will surely skyrocket, ensuring a great time. Putting this in the program will also be sure to inject the holiday vibe into the atmosphere, getting everyone singing along to their favorite Christmas carols.

Happy Virtual Christmas!

There you have it! A bunch of neat and cool ideas to celebrate your family’s virtual Christmas party. We think these ideas can help you have a meaningful reunion with your relatives, even if you’re miles away from each other.

Personally, we think the escape room game is the most innovative one out of the group, but let us know which one ends up being your family’s favorite. Remember, what matters most at the end of the day is that we’re able to spread happiness and spend time with the ones we love the most. Christmas isn’t about the gifts we receive after all, but the spirit of giving and appreciation of the true gifts we already have. 

We wish you all a happy holiday!

19 Fun Games to Play During Your Virtual Family Reunion

By Gathered Again


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For most of us, family reunions are done annually. However, there are times when other family members live far away from each other, making it difficult to meet and be physically present during the planned reunion. While some of our grandmas and grandpas are not that fit to travel anymore, as well as when social distancing became our new normal, it’s time to meet in the middle by bringing our family reunion in the virtual world. Aside from it being cost-efficient and convenient for everyone, there’s a higher chance everyone can attend the said reunion. 

How Can Virtual Family Reunions be Possible?

If you think that each family must have the usual vlogging equipment, such as camera, lights, mic, and the likes, you’re wrong! As long as you have a reliable internet connection, a smartphone, or any device that can make do for your video conference with the whole family, you’re good to go.

Here are some platforms the family can choose from when conducting the virtual family reunion:

Skype

Way before Facebook Messenger became a thing, we already had Skype. It’s one of the OG instant messaging apps on the web. For easier use, the host should add the family members as their contacts, and create a group chat to start the video conference.

Zoom

Zoom is an application you can download on your smartphones, tablets, and even on your computers. It is the on-demand video conferencing application in town, as it is convenient and easy to use. A free account can allow up to 40 minutes of video conferencing with 100 members who can join. 

If you guys want to buy more time, as reunions may take more than 40 minutes, we have a trick for you. You, as the host of the Zoom meeting, should schedule the meeting on Zoom ahead of time. It’s best if you schedule it at least a week prior to your virtual celebration. Also, make sure to tick the “Set Calendar to Others” option, and choose the “Generate Automatically” option for the Meeting ID tab. Get the Meeting ID, password, and link, and send it to your family members for easy reference. 

Now here’s the critical part. When the 40-minute mark is coming, the host will receive a timer for it. You need to leave the meeting, not ending the meeting for all, and rejoin again using the same link in the invite. Several participants should do it, too, in order for you guys to have more free passes. It’s not an easy hack to pull, but it will be worth it. 

Google Meet

Unlike Zoom, Google Meet has unlimited video conferencing time. You just have to download the app on your smartphone, or have the Chrome extension for it, and you’re good to go.

FaceTime

This app can be used if you’re all iOS users. It’s perfect for video conferencing, as it’s already downloaded upon purchasing your phone or tablet, not making it difficult for our elderly family members to navigate their way to our virtual family reunion.

Facebook Messenger

This can be the most accessible and convenient for everyone as you guys communicate more often thru Messenger. All you have to do is to create a group chat or Messenger room, and you can conference with 50 of your family members all over the world. 

Houseparty

Houseparty is a free app game available for all, whether you’re using Android, iOS, or Chrome. You can do your video calls here while playing and having fun! Virtual games, such as Pictionary, Heads Up, and Quick Draw, are incorporated in this app, and can be played easily.

Games and Activities for Your Virtual Family Reunion

Of course, let’s not skip one of the most-awaited parts in this virtual family reunion—the games! Let everyone laugh their hearts out all throughout your virtual family reunion with these fun games that can be played online. 

Who’s Who?

Go on a trip down memory lane! Have everyone send their most unrecognizable baby pictures to the gamemaster or organizer at least two days before the program proper. The gamemaster will collate them, and have players guess who owns that baby picture. Will you be able to guess them all? 

Charades

Charades is a classic game you can easily play virtually! Divide the families into groups, and have them turn on their video feed for the whole duration of the game. The “it” will be put into the spotlight, and will act out the designated word or phrase the team should guess. The team with the highest points at a particular time wins!

Virtual Scavenger Hunt

The ultimate goal in this family reunion is to have fun, right? Bring the joy virtually by organizing a virtual scavenger hunt suitable for all ages! The gamemaster’s task is to identify or list as many objects the players can find within a short time. This can be played individually or by groups. 

Whisper Challenge

To play this in a virtual setting, have each team consist of family members from different households. Let them choose a player who will whisper the word, and the team must guess it correctly. 

The twist of this game is that the “it” will put their mic on mute to achieve the whispering effect. Remember that the words or phrases should be different for each team. The words can be categorized as anything under the sun, depending on the gamemaster. Examples of which are countries, cities, kitchenware, food, and so much more.

Where’s Waldo?

Where’s Waldo can either be fun and frustrating to play, which is why it’s one of the perfect games to play on a virtual family reunion. 

The organizer may send the image in the group chat, and the first one to look for the correct Waldo wins. Here are some examples of Where’s Waldo guessing pictures. Good luck with finding Waldo!

Impersonate Me

Impersonate Me is kind of like Charades, in a sense that you have to act it out, and players have to guess correctly. This can either be played in teams or individually, with someone (a gamemaster or another player) mimicking or impersonating a family member. For example, you may mimic Grandpa’s way of telling his iconic lines, or your favorite uncle’s habits. 

Encore

Endless Games Encore Board Game - Sing Songs to Win

If you’re familiar with the board game Encore, you can also play it virtually! Gather the family, and divide them into several teams. It’s better if you can have groups of four to six. The more teams, the merrier!

The game master will give the word to the first team, and they should sing a song with that particular word in the lyrics. Other teams can jump in and sing a new song, but it must have a common word with the previous song. This goes on and on, earning the team points until the timer goes off. The points should equal the number of songs they have connected successfully.

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The Generation Game

Yup, this game is named after a British TV game! Haha! The Generation Game is a test of your photographic memory skills. Two teams will compete on who’s the brainiest of them all. Each team will have to choose 15 to 20 objects in their home, and lay them in the order they want. The other team should recall everything to win points, and have one minute to memorize all of the objects.

Pictionary

Test everyone’s creativity and critical thinking skills! You can use Pictionary sites, such as Skribbl.io and Drawsaurus. Choose a team to play first, and its designated drawer. They have one minute to draw the word, and if the team guessed it correctly, they earn a point.

Minute to Win It

Having some challenges like these can strengthen your family ties amidst the distance! This is also perfect if you tap a person from each family to prepare the materials needed ahead of time. If you’re familiar with the game show game show Minute to Win It, you should know the mechanics upon reading the game title. 

Check this awesome compilation of Minute to Win It challenges here.

Hangman

This one’s a classic! For sure, this family game has passed from generation to generation. It’s a word guessing game played virtually. Just make sure to guess the word right before you lose all of your lives!

Heads Up!

You can download this app on your smartphones, and let the games begin! It’s like charades where the player holding the smartphone will guess the word by asking questions to the team, which they can only answer “yes,” “no,” and “maybe.” You can also choose the theme of your choice for this game using the app.

Simon Says

This game is perfect when you have kids around to participate in the virtual games on your family reunion. This game will make your kids move, and have fun throughout. Also, it’s a perfect icebreaker to keep the hype and excitement rolling.

Bingo

Bingo is also a classic game everyone loves! Have everyone have their bingo cards, and the gamemaster will call out the random numbers with corresponding letters of BINGO. You can generate your bingo cards through MyFreeBingoCards. 

Alternatively, you can play Bingo Blitz and similar Bingo games on Facebook, and create a room for the whole family. The first three to five winners to complete a particular pattern wins! Don’t forget to prepare small tokens or prizes, such as gift cards or cheques, and the likes.

Family Feud

Be creative, and have fun by bringing Family Feud in the virtual family reunion! As we all know, Family Feud is a classic American game where two families compete to bring home the bacon. For more details on how you can achieve this virtual family game, check this out.

UNO

If your family loves card games, then you can play UNO by downloading an app or straight from your messenger accounts! All you have to do is to assign one player to create a room from the UNO room feature, and give access to all the players. From there, you can play your favorite card game, easy as 1-2-3.

I Spy

I Spy is a classic game that you can easily play in the virtual world. The Spy starts the game by saying “I spy with my little eye something that…” and give them a descriptive clue.

The players can ask questions, and the spy can only answer with a “yes” or a “no.” Then if the player is now confident that he thinks his guess is correct, s/he may ask, “Is it this toy car?” If s/he guessed it correctly, s/he will now be the spy.

MAFIA

If you’re familiar with the Werewolf card game, MAFIA is similar to that. The goal of this game is for the mafia to kill everyone, and vice versa. There will be a gamemaster, a mafia, a doctor, a sheriff, and civilians. 

The group has to identify and vote who among them is the mafia. Those voted off and killed have to turn off their video feed to signify they’re out of the game. This will continue until the group unmasks the mafia or everyone is killed.

Psych!

Psych! is a party game, developed by the same developers of Heads Up. It’s kind of a trivia game, but you need to stray away from the fake choices or else you’ll be Psyched! 

There are a lot of categories to choose from, and they also have a deck called “And The Truth Comes Out” wherein you guys will be answering personal questions about one another. It’s one of those good getting-to-know-you games, perfect for a virtual family reunion.

Conclusion

Despite any obstacles that may hinder your family reunion to take place, you may always consider alternatives, such as bringing the celebration in the virtual world. It’s more inexpensive and, at the same time, it allows everyone to join the fun, may they be a thousand miles away. 

You can do so much in your virtual family reunion, such as bringing the classic games online. These will surely leave a smile on everyone’s faces at the end of the reunion. The preparation may need some time and effort for it to be a successful event. But, with cooperation and teamwork, all will be worth it, especially when everyone gets to know distant family members and takes some time off to destress with the family. 

The distance does not equate to games being less exciting. Also, the distance will not hinder us from meeting everyone virtually. With the changing situation around the world, let’s not resort to canceling our annual family reunion just because we can’t all be physically together.