You found our list of fun virtual Labor Day Ideas.
Labor Day is a holiday on the first Monday in September in the US. The holiday was created to honor the workforce and labor movements. However, in modern times, many folks use the occasion as a way to relax before summer ends.
These parties are a form of virtual celebration and are similar to virtual July 4th gatherings.
This list includes
- virtual Labor Day activities
- remote Labor Day games
- Zoom Labor Day events
- online Labor Day ideas
Here we go!
List of virtual Labor Day ideas
From parties to games to online tours, here is a list of ways to celebrate Labor Day online on Zoom, Skype, or FaceTime.
1. Labor Day Word Search
Word searches are fun word games that challenge players to find words hidden in blocks of letters. To play these games on Zoom, pull up the puzzle, share your screen, and turn on the annotation feature so that players can circle words.
Here is a template we made for your game:
You can turn the puzzle into a competitive race and reward players who find the most words, or make the game a more collaborative activity and encourage players to work together.
Check out more vocabulary games.
2. Remote Labor Day Bingo
Bingo is one of the easiest remote Labor Day games to play on Zoom. First, send cards to the players. We recommend randomizing the squares by recreating the board in Canva. Or, you can split groups into breakout rooms, and the first team to complete a card wins.
Players mark the square with the names of other participants who fit the description. The point of the game is to get five boxes in a line.
We made a starter Bingo Card for your game:
For more game tips, check out our guide to Remote Work Bingo.
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3. Labor Day Word Scramble
Word scrambles are puzzles that challenge players to unjumble letters to form words. We created a special Labor Day Word Scramble you can solve with your group:
To play on Zoom, show the template on screen, and ask players to answer in the chat. Award a point to the first player to guess each word correctly.
You can also send teams to breakout rooms with the puzzle and a fillable answer form.
4. Lightning Labor Day Scavenger Hunt
Lightning scavenger hunts are fast-paced games that encourage participants to get up from the computer and grab required supplies. One player acts as emcee and lists objects one by one. The first player to show the item onscreen wins a point. Emcees can also award points for funny or creative entries.
Or, the emcee can share the screen to show the prompts, and give teams two minutes to gather as many items as possible.
Here is a template you can use for your game:
Check out more online scavenger hunt tips.
5. Summer This or That
This or That is a game that asks players to choose between two options. To play This or That on Zoom, use the poll feature. You can also ask players to use a reaction emoji to represent the choice, for example “heart for July, smiley face for August.”
Here are summer This or That questions:
- July or August?
- Night or morning?
- Beach or pool?
- Roller coaster or water slide?
- Amusement park or national park?
- Sun tan lotion or sunblock?
- Fireworks or parades?
- Picnics or BBQ’s?
- Hot dogs or hamburgers?
- Road trips or plane rides?
- Sailing or scuba diving?
- Build sand castles or collect sea shells?
- Lake or ocean?
- Bonfire or pool party?
- Beer or tropical cocktail?
- Watermelon or strawberries?
- Outdoor concert or outdoor movie?
- Flip flops or bare feet?
Check out more This or That questions.
6. Virtual Campfire
Virtual campfires are online gatherings that include camp activities like ghost stories, s’mores, and singalongs. You can bid goodbye to summer in style by hosting your own campfire on Zoom.
First, get your campfire. You could either ask guests to light candles, or display a video bonfire. Then, enjoy activities like telling spooky stories, playing charades, and stargazing.
Sending attendees s’mores kits is a nice touch. Bonus points if you include fancy ingredients like artisan chocolates, handmade marshmallows, and gourmet graham crackers.
Check out more virtual campfire ideas.
7. Career Day
Labor Day was started to honor workers and unions, and you can honor this fact by hosting a Zoom career day. Career Day is a version of show and tell where kids dress up as their dream jobs. Even if your group is grown-up, you can pay homage to other careers.
Ask guests to arrive at the meeting dressed up as the career they would choose if their current job was not an option. Participants can also change their virtual meeting background to the dream workplace. Or, turn the activity into a guessing game by asking attendees to give hints about the profession they dreamt of growing up. Another option is to invite friends or family members with intersecting careers to join the meeting and share details about their day-to-day routines.
8. Treat a Team
Some workers do not get Labor Day off of work. One way to honor these employees is to treat the staff to lunch. You and your group can coordinate the kind gesture. First, pick a team to treat, such as a local fire department, or a relative’s workplace. Then, pool money to order a catered lunch. You should give the recipients a heads up by notifying the manager or one of the members of the team that grub is on the way. You can ask for the group’s preferences, or send a gift card so that the crew can place the order. Or, just order pizza, as most folks enjoy a nice slice.
9. Remote Barbecue
Barbecues are a classic way to celebrate Labor Day, making remote BBQ’s ideal Zoom Labor Day events. To host your distanced barbecue, first send guests a meeting link. We recommend attendees join from the backyard or screen porch, but guests could also call in from the kitchen, or bring an electric grill to their desks. During the call, whip up your favorite barbecue foods together. Sending groceries to guests is a nice touch. For example, chips, BBQ sauce, otter pops, or even frozen stakes.
Check out this list of online cooking classes for culinary inspiration.
10. Zoom picnic
Picnics are a classic summer pastime, and are an easy way to shake up the Zoom meeting routine. To host a remote Zoom picnic, grab a blanket, a basket, and snacks, and head outdoors. Find a grassy spot or a picnic table to settle down, and then join the video call. Then, you and the other participants can relax and snack, give each other a video tour of the landscape, and spot local wildlife together. You can also play games like twenty questions or scavenger hunts.
11. Summertime Shake Up ?
Summertime Shake Up is one part breezy Zoom hangout, one part tropical mixology masterclass. During this 90 minute virtual event, a host teaches teams how to make two classic summer beverages. Bartenders provide both cocktail and mocktail versions of the recipes, so participants can join in the fun without the rum. In between sips, teams gather in breakout rooms to play truth or dare, solve jigsaw puzzles, and have a fun, social time. Just add a paper umbrella, and you have an instant virtual cabana.
Learn more about Summertime Shake Up.
12. End of Summer Would You Rather
Would You Rather is a game that asks players to choose between two options that are usually strange or uncomfortable. To play the game on Zoom, use the polling function, or ask players to answer in the chat.
Here are some Labor Day Would You Rather Prompts:
- Would you rather spend a summer without sunscreen or air conditioning?
- Would you rather wear a coat in 100° weather or wear shorts in -20°?
- Would you rather get stuck in a traffic jam or a pool locker room?
- Would you rather step on a jellyfish or sit on a crab?
- Would you rather eat melted ice cream or a cold hamburger?
- Would you rather eat an undercooked hot dog or a hot dog that’s burnt to a crisp?
- Would you rather get ten mosquito bites or one really bad sunburn?
- Would you rather get sand in your shoes or drop your towel in the water?
- Would you rather fall out of a hammock or a canoe?
- Would you rather watch fireworks or fireflies?
- Would you rather spend summer in New York or California?
- Would you rather own a beach house or a mountain cabin?
Check out more Would You Rather questions.
13. Battleship
Battleship is a classic strategy game with a somewhat beachy theme. Spreadsheet Battleship is a way to play the game via video call.
First, get a board. Here is a Google Sheets gameboard you can use. Before the game starts, each player places the ships. You could either assign locations, or let participants choose where to put the boats. Then, players take turns guessing squares. The ship’s “captain,” announces “you missed,” “you hit,” or “you sunk my battleship!” A ship is sunk once it is hit in all occupied squares.
Unlike traditional Battleship, in Spreadsheet Battleship more than two players can participate. Players can either designate a certain board to target, or can guess a square for all boards.
Check out more board games you can play in groups.
14. The Postcard Game
The postcard game is a travel-based challenge that fits with a summer vacation theme.
To play:
- Pick a location.
- Drop a related picture into the chat.
- Write a 2 to 3 line message with clues about the locale.
For example, if the location is Texas, a player might share a picture of a bull, and write, “Hi guys! Everything really is bigger in these parts. Wish you were here– feeling a bit alone. Stars are beautiful though.”
Give the group a couple of minutes at the beginning of the game to find pictures and think up messages. Then, determine a turn order, and share the postcards. Players can type answers into the chat, or virtually raise their hands to guess.
Here are more games to play on video call.
15. Labor Day Never Have I Ever
Never Have I Ever is an icebreaker game that asks players to own up to past behavior. At the start of the game, each player holds up ten fingers. Participants take turns making statements that start with “Never Have I Ever…” Players who have performed the action must lower one finger. The game continues until only one player remains.
Here are some Labor Day-themed Never Have I Ever prompts:
- …wore a mascot suit at work.
- …met a celebrity at work.
- …worked with a family member.
- …had an internship.
- …worked at one company for more than 10 years.
- …worked at a startup.
- …worked in more than one industry.
- …held an unusual job.
- …worked two or more jobs at once.
- …worked abroad.
- …been in a union.
- …played a prank on my boss.
- …quit a job.
- …saw someone get fired on the first day.
- …browsed social media at work.
- …creeped on a coworker’s social media page.
Feel free to pause the game for storytime, so that players can explain questionable actions. Stories are often the most fun part of the game!
Check out more fun question games.
16. Desktop Vacation Kits
If your remote teammates plan to work through the long weekend, then you can send a desktop vacation kit to brighten up their workspace.
Here are some ideas of items to include:
- Jars of sand
- Seashells
- Tiki cups and mugs
- Paper drink umbrellas
- Coconut or seabreeze-scented candles
- Beach, travel, or mermaid themed stationary
- Worldly or regional snacks.
- Sunglasses
- Paper plane-folding kit
- Plastic palm trees
- Dancing hula girl
- Postcards
- Paper models of tourist destinations
- Handheld or desktop fans
- Magnetic sand
For more work from home gift ideas, check out this list of remote worker presents.
17. Job Shadowing
Labor Day is about a holiday about work, and you can take the opportunity to learn about different professionals. First, find an interesting job or industry to learn about, for example food photography, 3D animator, underwater welder, or translator. Invite a professional in the chosen field to a Zoom call, and have the guest presenter lead a tutorial or question and answer session. You can also start by recruiting a presenter with an interesting profession from within your social network or the social circles of your colleagues.
If you cannot find a willing acquaintance, then you could stream Dirty Jobs or an industry documentary instead.
For similar activities, check out online Take Your Child to Work Day ideas.
18. End of Summer Playlist
No party is complete without a pumpin’ playlist. You and your guests can build an end of summer soundtrack together by collaborating on a playlist. When you send the invite to your party, ask guests for song suggestions. You can use a Google Form to collect requests, or ask participants to reply to the email with recommendations.
Then, build your playlist on YouTube, Spotify, and Pandora, and play the songs during the party. For better quality audio, select the “share sound” option on Zoom.
When the party ends, send the list to guests so they can continue to listen.
19. Movie Nights
Folks love to relax on Labor Day, and there is no easier way to relax than by watching a movie together. You and your group can gather online for a virtual movie night. Simply choose a film, and use a streaming service feature like Disney + Groupwatch or Netflix Party to watch together. Or, if you do not have these platforms, then you can use a program like Watch2Gether to sync video.
Pro tip: Have an outdoor movie night by each getting a cheap projector. You can also send your guests packs of tasty movie snacks like boxed candy and gourmet popcorn.
Here is a list of movies to watch in groups.
20. Online Shopping
Labor Day is famous for blowout sales. You and your friends and relatives may be too far apart to hit the mall together, yet you can browse bargains together virtually. The easiest way to have an online shopping party is to browse sites while sharing screens. You could also use an app like Squadded to shop with friends. Many shops have started to offer VR features that permit users to try on clothes or makeup virtually, and this technology makes for a fun online group shopping experience.
More budget-conscious fashionistas can coordinate a distanced clothing swap. To organize the exchange, have participants bring a few pieces of clothing to the video call, and model or hold up the apparel. Other attendees can bid on the pieces auction-style. At the end of the call, participants can either ship the clothes to the new owners, or wait until the next time they plan to see the winner to trade.
21. Labor Museum Virtual Tour
For a Labor Day that is more educational than recreational, brush up on the history that inspired the holiday. The American Labor Museum offers virtual tours by appointment. These tours consist of a walkthrough of a museum performed by a knowledgeable guide who can answer questions and describe exhibits’ significance in greater detail. The American Labor Museum pays homage to the labor movement, with special attention to immigrants and unions’ impact on American industry and workers’ rights.
Here is a list of more museums to visit online.
22. Digital Ice Cream Social
Summer is ice cream season, and ice cream socials are one of the most delicious online Labor Day ideas. When sending invites, instruct guests to bring a pint of choice to the party. If feeling extra generous, then reimburse the cost of the ice cream. You can also send sundae kits with toppings like sprinkles, gummy bears, and chocolate sauce, along with cones, plastic scoops, wooden ice cream spoons, and fun dishes.
If feeling adventurous, then experiment with out of the ordinary frozen delights such as liquid nitrogen ice cream, boozy ice cream cocktails, or ice cream with unusual toppings like chili peppers or goat cheese. Or, stick to the basics and enjoy old fashioned vanilla or chocolate sundaes.
After each participant shares the ingredients of their sundae, the group can dig in together.
Conclusion
Labor Day started in honor of the workforce and unions, and has since evolved into a celebration of relaxation and summer living. It is important both to honor the occasion’s roots, and use the extra time to gather with loved ones and enjoy the last bits of summer. Labor Day is a time of transition that encourages folks to enjoy downtime and family time before sending the kids back to school and gearing up for a busy work quarter and holiday season. The holiday is also an occasion for teammates to gather and celebrate a successful and productive summer season.
Next, check out this list of virtual lunch and learn ideas.
