Park Christmas Savings – Britain’s most trusted Christmas savings club – has some fantastic tips to help families using Zoom this year.
According to Park’s Zoom expert, Louise Irvine, getting to grips with video-calling need not be at all bamboozling.
Fortunately, Zoom has also announced it is lifting limits on the free version of its video-conferencing software over the festive season to help families around the world socialise safely in the midst of the pandemic, which is good news for UK families!
Louise, 38, from Glasgow, who works with everyone from top business executives to school children to boost their confidence when using Zoom, says: “Unfortunately it’s going to be Zoom Christmas in order to abide by social distancing and keep loved ones safe. Households all over the UK will be turning to video tech and I want to reassure families that with a few tips and a smart set-up, anyone can enjoy great Zoom video calls and enjoy a wonderful, joyful Christmas get together, virtually.”
Park Christmas Savings, the UK’s biggest family festive savings club, has partnered with Louise to offer free support and advice to the millions of families around the UK for whom using video calling will feature as part of Covid-safe festive ‘get-togethers’ and is offering free coaching and online workshops over the next week. Here’s their top tips in partnership with Louise.
Top 10 Tips for a Zoomtastic Christmas
- If you’ve never used Zoom before, simply register for free or download the app on to your phone. Remember, you’re not restricted to Zoom – Facetime, WhatsApp video calls and Skype all work well too, but Zoom has some handy functions which are ideal for a Christmas virtual get together.
- Location – prop your laptop on to a box so that you and your loved ones are all roughly eye level with the camera lens and can all get in the frame. Mobile phone user? A handsfree clip holder is a great idea and very cheap, but simply propping your phone with some tape and on a pile of books or box is fine too.
- Sound and vision – background noise can be a real nuisance, so turn down the Christmas telly while on your video call and ask everyone to click their phones to silent. Backgrounds – pick an unfussy or blank wall near a sparkling Christmas tree. If you like, you can really get into the festive spirit and hide the untidy toys and download a fun free festive digital Zoom background from Park Christmas Savings.
- Call quality – Try to have your phone/laptop as near to the WIFI router as possible, to ensure a strong connection. Ask other family members to briefly avoid using the internet while you are on a call to boost connection quality.
- Schedule your call. Pick a good time that’s going to be handy for your Zoom guests and elect someone to share the URL link for logging in. Christmas Day is hectic enough and a video call coming in as you prepare the Brussel sprouts is going to add to your stress.
- Virtual Christmas lunch, gift opening or party games?? Agree to which part of the day you wish to make virtual. Maybe choose the morning, so family and friends can all open gifts with the kids? Or do a festive Zoom brunch with a virtual toast with a bucks fizz. How about a dedicated slot for lunch and leave your camera positioned to show you all eating and virtually share your turkey and trimmings with absent loved ones.
- Make it a Zoom event and have fun – in a perfect world, we would all be seeing each other and giving gifts and hugs in person. But making the best of video technology really will bring some much needed joy. Get into the spirit of this unique Christmas and make it part of the occasion – you could send Zoom Christmas goodie boxes with treats and snacks for the kids and adults – add a few favourite tipples.
- Invite Santa – for those with small children, you could create some unforgettable Christmas magic by getting a friend or relative who can’t visit in person to dress up as Santa and wish them a virtual happy Christmas over Zoom. Or how about getting “Santa” to read them their bedtime story on Christmas Eve using Zoom.
- Party games – believe it or not, it is possible to enjoy some traditional Christmas games and entertainment. How about Christmas Karaoke with your friends and family and share a Spotify list of everyone’s favourite songs. Or how about festive bingo, Pictionary or even charades? Get a team together and all log on to Zoom and have some virtual fun.
- Virtual ‘Surprise Surprise’ – the beauty of this unprecedented situation is that many people living abroad or someone who is perhaps prevented from visiting in person due to illness or mobility problems, can still come and join in the festive fun with a special surprise Zoom call. A Zoom Christmas need mean gloom but can be a really joyful addition and maybe new tradition for households all over the country.
For more tips and information go to: www.christmas.getpark.co.uk
