With quarantine still in full swing for many parts of the country, it’s understandable if property managers feel like they can’t properly serve their communities.

However, just because amenity spaces are shut down doesn’t mean resident events have to come to a full stop!

This month, we’ve compiled a list of ten fantastic resident events you can hold while practicing social distancing. Bring your community together, make some new memories, and fulfill that sense of connection from a distance!

Here are ten fantastic ways you can boost resident engagement during COVID-19.

1. Host an online book club! Move book club online with virtual meetings and forum-style discussions. Choose a book for the whole community to read, and schedule regular discussion times. Choose your favorite video chatting platform, like Zoom or UberConference, and invite residents to discuss themes as a group. To keep things moving smoothly, designate one person each session as the “host,” and have them pitch discussion topics to the group.

2. Schedule daily or weekly neighborhood check-ins! Your residents love to know you care. Instead of just sending out an email with updates about the community, get the whole community to join together online. Schedule virtual "town halls" by video conference where residents can chat, mingle, and hear important announcements. (And of course, send out video notes by email for anyone who missed it!)

3. Encourage healthy competition with a virtual fitness challenge! There’s no better motivation than working toward a challenge with your friends and neighbors. A virtual fitness challenge can help residents stay active and engaged from the comfort of their own homes. Try things like competing for the highest number of kettlebell swings, or the longest record of high-quality daily workouts. We just finished up the 30 Day Social Distancing Workout Challenge here at F3, and we'd love to help you set up a challenge for your community!

4. Put resident health at the forefront with remote group fitness classes! Gym closed? No problem! Take advantage of online group fitness classes with F3. We offer virtual classes held by video chat so we can continue helping residents with form and focus even when we’re not in the room. Schedule virtual classes in kettlebells, HIIT, yoga, guided meditation, and more!

5. Hold a live concert in your courtyard! Host a local musician in your courtyard, and invite residents to watch from their balconies. For a low-cost, community-focused option, host a resident talent show the same way—schedule mini shows from performative residents and invite the whole community to watch from designated distancing areas. (If you use microphones or other common equipment, be sure to disinfect everything between sets!)

6. Host a virtual cooking class! Keep nutrition up to speed with a healthy, delicious cooking class. Even when common area kitchens are closed, you can still host a delicious and nutritious cooking class by video chat! Here at F3, we offer classes like our delectable sushi-rolling course, available completely virtually. Our chef can stop by your building on the day of the class to drop off all the ingredients your residents will need (with all packaging disinfected and ready to rock!), and then host the class from a distance via Zoom!

7. Mix it up with virtual Mixology 101! Missing Happy Hour? Make the most of alcohol delivery services and healthy mix-ins with this delicious virtual class. Our mixologist will take your residents through nutritious twists on three classic cocktails, focusing on lower-calorie alcohols and mixers that sparkle without the extra sugar. At the end of the class, residents finish up with new recipes and new bartending skills in their repertoire!

8. Bring Happy Hour to your residents with a delivery wine night! If you’re not ready to host a full mixology class, let your residents create their own night in with a special treat. Drop off a delicious evening treat, like gourmet cheese or a complimentary bottle of wine as a surprise for residents!

9. Share resources for online learning! With schools, museums, and concert halls closed, your residents may be starving for entertainment—and education! Kids and parents alike will enjoy resources that put fun into education. Share compilations of local favorites, like virtual museum tours, recordings of past concerts, or lesson plans from expert homeschoolers.

10. Design your own community cookbook! There’s so much fun in a neighborhood potluck! Instead of an in-person potluck, host a potluck competition. Have residents submit their favorite recipes to your staff via email. Then, compile the tastiest into a community cookbook and share the final results with the whole neighborhood. Delicious!

If you’re trying to find new ways to keep your residents active and engaged, the team at F3 Wellness Connections is here to help. Email sarah@f3wellnessconnections.com for your FREE quote for virtual resident events. We’ve got you covered!