Whether it's a birthday, graduation, or even a wedding, celebrating doesn't have to stop while in quarantine. But while this new frontier of merrymaking certainly doesn't compare to the real thing, the internet has blessed us with a few key ways to party and gift while remaining socially distanced. While apps like Zoom and Houseparty are facilitating many a virtual birthday gathering these days, there are lots of other digital options when it comes to gift-giving and collaborative celebrating – from video montages and greeting cards to group karaoke parties.
Ahead, here are our picks for the best morale-boosting gifting and celebration apps and websites to use while we remain in quarantine.
If you're looking to create a group video montage for a loved one in honor of a graduation, birthday, or other live event, Tribute makes the organizing part really easy. It's simple: You just invite whomever you'd like to contribute, and then recipients can upload their videos directly to the platform, where Tribute collects and compiles them. You can organize the order in which you'd like each video to appear and add cute effects, and then Tribute sends the video off to the recipient! Tribute is also offering free videos for recipients who are alone due to the coronavirus.
This video-gifting mobile app lets users send personalized videos along with a cash gift. Recipients receive a text prompting them to download the app, where they can watch their video message and deposit the gift into their bank account. A much more personal alternative to a Venmo gift — and especially sweet if you can't be there to celebrate with your loved ones in person.
Perhaps the most coveted virtual gift of all. In times like these, when we can't physically be there for each other, a video message from Tiger King's Jeff Lowe or Real Housewife Sonja Morgan is a nice consolation prize. Or maybe this confounding one from Pilot Pete and his maybe-girlfriend, former contestant Kelley? Between now and April 18, Cameo is donating proceeds of all videos sold to COVID-19-related charities as part of its Cameo Cares program.
Send it around to your officemates, the group chat, or your extended family so that everyone can sign one big digital e-card, whether it's a thank you note, a birthday card, or for Mother's Day. You can have an unlimited amount of card signers — just choose from one of a ton of card templates, send the card link to whomever you want to sign, add photos, stickers, and fonts, and then Group Greeting sends it off to the recipient.
Who says you can't have a slumber party (albeit, a remote one) while in quarantine? Get in your PJs, fire up the group Zoom, and then snuggle up for a group movie, because what slumber party is complete without one? Netflix Party is a Chrome extension that lets you stream content on Netflix remotely alongside a party of your choice. Just click the NP icon on your address bar, share the party URL with your friends, and get watching. And use the chat bar in real time to discuss and thirst over cast members like you would at an IRL slumber party.
Last weekend, I attended a live remote dance party on this platform, which is pretty perfect for facilitating at-home concerts, shows, and classes. Choose music videos to play in the "main stage" window and watch as your fellow partygoers dance on the bottom panel. It's also great for watching movies while being able to see your friends' reactions in real time. The theme of the Cya Live virtual birthday party I attended was early-2000s top hits, so there was a lot of Britney Spears. The site also has programming of its own that you can join in on, like this upcoming Star Trek viewing.
If you're looking to go splitsies on a gift for your friend's upcoming graduation, eGifter makes group gifting pretty seamless. You can set up a group gift here, which the recipient can then use to choose from hundreds of e-gift cards.
Karaoke, but make it virtual. While you can always do your own DIY karaoke sesh over Zoom, this app is specifically for singing socially. It has more than 10 million karaoke songs to choose from, and you can sing alone, with a friend, in a group, or even with strangers. Ideal if you're in need of a birthday party activity when the 20-person Zoom chat just isn't cutting it.
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