5 Ways to Stay Connected Socially

Any introverts out there? We hope you’re staying healthy and thriving during social distancing. How about you, extroverts? Ready for new ways to connect with your friends?! Looking for new ideas? You’re not alone! Whether you are loving your party-of-one dance parties around your apartment or counting down the days until you see your crew, we have five creative ways to keep your weekly connections feeling fresh.

1. Host a virtual game night

Ever gone to a trivia night and wished you knew more answers? Us too, so… make your own! Remember that trip your family took to Florida last year or all of those times your friends spewed out hilarious one-liners? Make a custom trivia game based on your memories with the people you love! Send out a festive calendar invite and encourage everyone to show up with a festive drink, pad of paper, pen, and their best game face. After you’ve gone the trivia route, you can also play one of these games (that don’t require in-person interaction either!): Battleship (if both of you have it), Pictionary, Scattergories, and The Game of Things. Your local game shop might have ideas too!

2. Invite friends to a virtual dinner party

If you missed Yelp’s Big Night In, than you definitely need to hop on the virtual dinner party train. Local businesses need us now more than ever, so let’s rally our loved ones, order dinner in, craft a fun tablescape (or floor picnic!) and video call our crew. Added layer: Challenge everyone in your group to order cuisine from their favorite country. When the video call starts, each person will have a good story to kick off the conversation. International supper club, virtual style.

3. Start a binge-worthy book club

Message a group of friends or post in your local Yelp talk thread to start your own book club. Choose a book that you’re dying to open, select a date to video chat, make a colorful charcuterie board, and boom – you’re classier than ever! Many bookstores are selling online, which you can look for here. Bonus: Message the author and see if they’ll join your call!

4. Take the class of your dreams

Want to learn French? Maybe learn how to bake the perfect croissant? Or potentially become more flexible? Mark an item off that long-standing bucket list of yours! Search Yelp for easy-to-access classes being offered online. From a new yoga studio or language teacher, to a professional organizer or local pastry chef, you can discover virtual classes to kick off adventure from the center of your living room.

5. RSVP to a virtual Yelp event

Local Yelp communities around the country are launching virtual events this week — everything from household magic to healthy cooking classes, and cake decorating to sourdough bread making. Find these events on the events tab in your Yelp app or on the event page, then search by city. Now is a great time to get a taste of Yelp communities from coast to coast, as you can RSVP to a class in any city!

Want to find more local businesses offering virtual experiences? Many businesses have now added ‘virtual classes’ and ‘remote services’ badges on their Yelp pages!